VATTAYAPPAM

Easy making of VATTAYAPPAM Vattayappam is a very popular traditional Kerala’s own fermented sweet steamed rice cake. It is one of the healthiest breakfast or tea time snack and actually is oil free. This sweet appam is traditionally with rice and coconut sweetened with jaggery and flavored with cardamom. The vattayappam is soft and fluffy in texture and divine to taste. The meaning behind this name Vattayappam is, “Vatta” means plate or round hence appam steamed cooked in a plate is vattayappam.

 

This traditional sweet steamed cooked rice cake is a popular dish in Kerala especially among the Christian communities and is prepared during the Easter and Christmas festivals.  This dish is extremely healthy and would surely be a filling snack for school going kids. The process in cooking this dish is a bit lengthy but it’s worth it the taste, flavor and essence of the dish. A little planning to include this into your meal would make your family get a very healthy dish to indulge in.

 

Rice is always known to be a all favorite dish to many as this ingredient is very versatile and you can make hundreds of sweet and savory dishes from this simple rice. Rice is known as one of the healthiest foods in the world as it contains no gluten thus making it one of the best non-allergic foods. The benefit of eating rice is that it contains lot of carbohydrates which gives our body the energy we need. Rice is easily available, affordable, easy to prepare and benefits in improving your overall health.

 

Jaggery is another amazing ingredient in this dish that gives a natural sweetener. Jaggery is made from concentrated sugarcane juice which is also commonly known as Molasses sugar. This sweetner is a traditional type of unrefined and non-distilled sugar. Jaggery is widely added in Indian cooking for preparing various sweet and savory dishes. A pinch or two of jaggery is used in sambar (a popular lentil stew). This enhances the taste of the sambar and gives a pleasant sweetness to the savory dish balancing the spiciness.  Most diabetic patients substitute jaggery for sugar.

 

Jaggery is rich in taste as compared to refined sugar and eating even a small piece is just comforting and satisfying. According to traditional Indian Ayurveda texts, jaggery is considered to be the best medicinal sweetener which puries blood, aids digestion and improved lung health.

Do try this recipe and enjoy its traditional flavors and goodness.

Recipe of Vattayappam:

Ingredients:

Rice                                         -        1 cup

Jaggery                                  -        ¾ cup

Water                                     -        1-2 cups

Salt                                         -        pinch

Yeast                                      -        ½ tsp

Fresh Coconut, grated      -        1-2 tbsp

Cardamom pd                     -        2 pinch

Cashew nut                          -        8-10 nos  

Directions:

1. Soak rice for 4-5 hours in water. After 5 hrs, strain the water and transfer the rice into the blender and grind to smooth batter by adding little water.


2. Take 2 tbsp of soaked rice and grind to coarse powder. Transfer it into a bowl and add some water and mix nicely.


3. Take a pan, add jiggery, ½ cup water and boil until the jaggery gets dissolved and keep aside.


4. In another pan, add ½ cup water and the 2 tbsp diluted coarse ric mixture. Boil this until it comes to thick consistency. Add this mixture to the above rice batter along with little salt and mix thoroughly.


5. Add yeast, mix and allow it to ferment for 4 hours or overnight.


6. After fermentation, add freshly grated coconut, cardamom powder and mix well.


7. Add the jaggery water and mix. Transfer this mixed into a greased baking tray and place it in a steamer and steam cook for about 10-15 minutes until done.


8. Before removing, arrange cashew nut on the top. Allow it to cool and de-mould the appam into a plate and cut into pieces and serve.

Vattayappam is a simple sweet dish to prepare but the delicate balance between the main ingredients blending together makes this dish a super food to eat. Do try and enjoy the traditional sweet of Kerala.

Click the link and Watch the video on preparing the Vattayappam:

https://www.vahrehvah.com/vattayappam

Enjoy Cooking!