Cooking web notes

    A festive breakfast has to be palappom.  This is what you will be served if you are at my home for breakfast.  There is a special wok that is used to make this, however, since I don't have one right now I decided to improvise.  I tried my own version in a regular pan and it tasted just fine even though the pretty look was missing.  I decided since most of you won't have the wok it maybe a good idea to tell you, you can make this in a shallow pan. 

Ingredients:
Basmati Rice - 3 cups
Coconut Milk - 1 ( 13.5 oz can)
Yeast             - active dry, half of a 0.2 oz sachet
Salt - to taste

Method:
Soak the basmati rice for at least 4 hours
Grind in a blender with the coconut milk until smooth. I generally don't get a very smooth blend in my mixer so as long as its fine and you can see it bubbling you will be fine
Add the active yeast to the batter.  Generally, the dough coming out of the blender is warm and helps in activating yeast.  However, you could also dissolve yeast in luke warm water and once its active add to the batter
Leave the batter to ferment overnight.
The batter needs to be watered down if its thick.  I added almost 1 cup of water.  You could also add milk to this mixture.  Add salt.  The batter should be of a consistency which will spread in a pan when twirled around
Cover the pan and cook on medium heat for a couple of minutes
When the edges start leaving the pan appam is ready.  Gently lift it off the pan.
There is no need to flip the appam.  Make sure by touching carefully on the inside of the appam.  If it does not stick then its done.

Potato and Peas Curry:

1. Potato - 2 medium
2. Onion - 1/2 of a medium size onion
3. Carrots
4. Green chillies - 2
5. Peas - 1/2 cup
5. Chilli powder - 1 tspn
6. cummin - 1/2 tspn
7. Garam masala - 1.4 tspn
8. Ginger - 1/4 tspn chopped fine

Method:
Heat oil in a pan and add the cummin.
Add onions and saute till translucent
Add chillis, curry leaves, chillip powder and garam masala and saute
Add tomatoes and stir for a 2 minutes
Add all the vegetables and stir in well.
Transfer all of this into a pressure cooker with water to just cover the vegetables
Cook for one whistle and switch off the stove and let it stand for 5 to 10 minutes till all the pressure has escaped.
Traditionally appam is served with stew made of vegetables, chicken or lamb.