Nei appams are small sweet fritters made of rice, jaggery, banana and cardamom, which are fried in ghee in a special pan called Æbleskiver or paniyaram pan or appa karal. Nei appam is one of the most important neivedhyam (offering) made during festivals like Krishna Jayanthi and Karthigai Deepam and on auspicious occasions in our home.
Karthigai deepam falls on 25th November this year. Nei appam and pori urundai are the offerings made during this festival. The nei appam batter generally does not need fermentation, but if you have time, set aside the batter for few hours and this will give you soft appams. Nei appams are so addictive, you just can't stop eating them. Try this delicious nei appams for this Karthigai and enjoy with family.
Also see other Karthigai Deepam recipes:
NEI APPAM RECIPE
{ South Indian fritters with rice, jaggery, banana and ghee }Yields 21
Ingredients:
1 cup raw rice
1 cup grated jaggery
1 small banana, chopped
3 - 4 cardamom
2 tbsp coconut bits / thenga kothu
Ghee as needed
Method:
1. Wash and soak the rice for 3 hours. Spread on a cloth for 15-20 minutes. Or leave in a strainer / colander for 30 minutes.
2. In a saucepan, add the jaggery, 3 tbsp water and melt the jaggery. Remove and strain for any impurities. Set aside to cool.
3. Add the rice, cardamom to a mixie jar and grind it to a powder. Then add banana, half of the jaggery syrup and grind to a smooth batter.
4. Transfer to a vessel and add remaining jaggery. Mix well and set aside for 1 hour.
5. Heat a paniyaram pan and add 1 tsp ghee in each hole. Pour batter in each hole and cook in medium-low heat for 1-2 minutes.
6. Once the bottom side is golden, turn the appam gently with a skewer. Cook till the other side also turns golden brown.
7. Using a skewer, remove the appams and drain on a paper towel. Once cooled, store in an airtight container.
Notes and Tips
- Do not heat the jaggery syrup too much. Once the jaggery melts, immediately remove it.
- Do not add more water to melt jaggery.
- You can also use half oil and half ghee instead of adding full ghee.
- The batter should be thick and flowing, similar to dosa batter consistency.
- This batter does not require any fermentation. But if you have time, set the batter aside for few hours and it will give soft appams.
