Appam-from-Samai

#AppamfromSamai #AppamfromLittleMillet :
#Samai [ #SamaiArisi ] is known as #LittleMillet in English.
Scientific Name   : Panicum miliare
Its name in different languages
Tamil                     : Samai or Samai arisi
Malayalam            : Chama
Kannada                : Same
Telugu                   : Sama
Hindi                     : Kutki

#Millet varieties are gluten free and non acid forming cereals.
They are rich in minerals and vitamins.
The nutritional composition per 100 gm of #Samai { #LittleMillet ] is as follows
Protein 7.7 g, Fiber 7.6 g, Iron 9.3 mg and Calcium 17.0 mg
The fiber content of Samai is higher compared to that of rice and wheat.

The millet has to be soaked for a minimum of two hours before cooking to reap the health benefits fully. And also soaking the millet before cooking helps the body to absorb its nutrients well.

Everyone thinks that #Appam is widely done only in Kerala.
But #Appam with #CoconutMilk is a favorite combo in Tamizh cuisine. The batter [ dough ] preparation  completely differs from Kerala style.
Boiled rice, raw rice, fenugreek [ #Venthayam ], black gram and thuvar dal are soaked and then made into a batter [ dough ] either using wet grinder or mixie. The batter [ maavu ] thus made has to be fermented for a whole night or six to eight hours before making appam over a dosai kal or appachatty.

This time for a change and also to consume millet in a new way I have included Samai [ LittleMillet ] to prepare appam. I have reduced the quantity of boiled rice and included samai instead of raw rice.

Here I have used whole black gram with its skin. Whole blackgram [ muzhu ulundu ] and Feugreek [ Venthayam ] takes 6 to 8 hours to get soaked completely. So we have to plan accordingly. If you want to grind in the evening, then soak them in the morning itself and if you are planning to grind in the morning, then soak the previous night itself.

In general I have been using a wet grinder to grind maavu for Idli, Appam and dosai. This time I used mixie to grind batter [ maavu ]  as the quantity of soaked items happens to be less.

Ingredients :
1 1/2 Cup	Samai [ Little millet ]
1/2 Cup	Boiled Rice [ Idli Rice ]
2 Tsp	Black gram [ Muzhu ulundu ]
2 Tsp	Fenugreek [ Venthayam ]
2 Tsp	Thuvar dal [ Thuvaram paruppu ]
2 Tsp	Salt

Gingelly oil [ sesame/til oil ] or groundnut oil to make appam

Method :
I have planned to grind in the morning after breakfast.

Previous night :
Take fenugreek [ venthayam ] and whole black gram in a small vessel. Wash two or three times and add 3/4 cup of water. allow to Soak the whole night.

Morning :
As soon as you get up in the morning, before making tea or coffee for the day soak boiled rice, samai and thuvar dal in a vessel after washing thoroughly.
After finishing breakfast take soaked black gram and fenugreek in a mixie jar with little water.
Run the mixie for 2 minute.
Open the jar clean the sides and add little water and run for 2 - 3 minutes.
Again open and add some more water and grind.
Like this grind them till the maavu becomes fluffy.
It takes around 10 - 12 minutes to grind black gram and fenugreek mixture.
Transfer the maavu into a big vessel.

Now take samai, boiled rice and thuvar dal in the same mixie jar.
Add 1/4 cup of water and grind into a smooth paste.
In between stop mixie, open the jar, clean inside surface of the jar and if necessary add little water and then resume grinding.
Finally add salt and run for few seconds.
Transfer into the same vessel containing fenugreek- blackgram maavu.


Mix well with hand.
The batter [ maavu ] consistency should be just like dosai batter.
Close the vessel with a lid and keep it undisturbed either on the kitchen platform
or at a warmer place in the house to ferment.

It takes around 6 - 8 hours to ferment and ready to make appam.
After fermentation the batter raises up and sometimes spilled over if the vessel in which the batter has been kept is small.

Making Appam over Dosai kal [ Dosa kal ] :

Heat Dosai kal on a stove over medium flame.
Take a small clean cotton cloth of 3*3 cm and fold it four or five times.
Soak that folded cloth in little oil and apply over hot dosai kal.
Keep two ladle full of appam batter [ appam maavu ] at the center of the dosai kal.
Spread evenly by the back of the ladle and make a perfect circle.
Close the dosai kal with a lid.
Allow to cook.
Open after a minute.
If the appam looks golden here and there and along the rim, take out appam using dosai ladle.
If not, again close the kal with lid and cook for some more time.
No need to flip and cook the other side.
Transfer on to a plate.
Again spread oil using the cloth and make another appam.


Relishing :
Unbeatable accompaniment is Jaggery mixed Coconut milk as I told in the introduction.

Or Have with Coconut Chutney

or with Idli milagai podi

or with spicy Wet Garlic red chutney.

Or Enjoy with any chutney of your choice.


Note :
To prepare jaggery mixed coconut milk :
Extract milk from coconut scrapings.
Add jaggery, a pinch of salt and Cardamom powder. Mix well.




You might also like to try

Samai Arisi Pongal [ Little millet Pongal ]	Samai Arisi Upma [ Little millet Upma ]	Samai Arisi Thaengai Payasam
Kuthiraivaali Sundal [ Barnyard millet Sundal ]	Samai Mudakathan dosai [ Little millet mudakathan dosai ]	Samai Methy Pancake [ Little millet methy pancake ]

For other Samai Recipes

Samai [ Little Millet ] Recipes

For spicy accompaniments

Chutney Recipes

Ideas for breakfast and dinner

Tiffin Recipes

For different varieties of Appam

Appam Varieties

Appam-Varieties

#Appam : Appam belongs to #dosai family but the method of preparation is slightly different. Generally appam is made over a small kadai called appa chatty and it can also be prepared over a tawa. Some appams are steam cooked just like idli.
Kerala style appam batter is prepared from soaked raw rice and coconut scrapings.
The batter of appam my style contains fenugreek apart from rice. So it is more healthier than kerala style appam.
Appam has to be relished with coconut milk. Spicy Poondu milagai chutney is also a very good accompaniment to it.

Links to the recipes of Appam are listed here. 

• Use the picture grid below to go to the posts of #Appam recipes
• Hover the cursor over image to know the name of the recipe
• Click on the image to take you to the recipe

Appam Varieties
Appam Maavu Mystyle	Appam Mystyle	Appam Kerala Style 1
Appam Kerala Style 2	Kallappam	Kallappam stir fry
Spicy Masala Kallappam	Cholam Appam	Thinai Appam Kerala style
Browntop millet Bread	Appam from Samai [ Appam from Little millet ]	Samai spicy masala bread [ Little millet masala bread ]

To try other Tiffin/Breakfast/Dinner recipes click the link given below

Tiffin-Breakfast-Dinner


For accompaniments

Chutney Varieties



Side dish Varieties

Thinai-Appam-Kerala-Style

#ThinaiAppam [Kerala Style ]  #FoxtailAppam [ Kerala Style ] : #Thinai is known as #FoxtailMillet in English. It is gluten free and non acidic forming food just like any other millet. It is rich in protein, iron and other minerals. Thinai is sweeter in taste compared to all other millet.
A few days back tried Thinai Neer Dosai and the taste was too good. That experiment gave me courage and enthusiasm to try Appam of Kerala style with Thinai.
Crispy tasty appam and also soft appams can be made using Thinai - Foxtail millet.
Now over to the recipe.
Approximately 15 - 20 appams can be prepared.

Ingredients :
1 1/2 cup	Thinai [ Foxtail Millet ]
1/2 cup	Coconut scrapings
1 Tsp	Salt
1 1/2 Tsp	Sugar

Oil to make Appam

Method :

Take thinai [ foxtail millet ] in a vessel and wash two or three times.

Add enough water and soak for 2 hours.

After 2 hours wash the grinder.

Put soaked thinai and coconut scrapings into the grinder.

Grind into a smooth batter adding required amount of water.

The batter should be watery to get thin appam.

Add salt & sugar and mix well.

Keep the batter in a warm place for 6 to 8 hours or overnight to ferment.

After fermentation the batter is ready to make appam.

Heat an appa chatty [ appam making pan ] on a stove over medium head.

Grease the appa chatty with oil.

Pour a big ladle full of batter at the centre.

With the help of a dry cloth lift the appa chatty from the stove and hold in your hands.

 Now rotate it to spread the batter over the appa chatty.

Keep on the stove and apply little oil. 

Close with a lid and cook until the edge becomes crispy and golden color.

The appam doesn't have to be flipped to cook other side.

With the help of a knife edge or spoon loosen the rim of the appam.

Transfer the pan shaped appam into a plate.

Again grease the appa chatty and make next appam.

If you want crispy appam wait till the appam turns golden all over.

If you want soft appam remove as soon as the rim of the dosai turns golden color.

To make it more nutritious add fenugreek leaf [ or any other green leaf ] after spreading the batter and before closing the appa chatty with the lid.

If you don't have an appa chatty [ appam making pan ] then appam can be made on a dosai tawa.
Grease the tawa and spread batter over the tawa after tawa becomes hot.
Sprinkle oil over and along the edge of the appam.
Close with a lid.
Transfer on to a plate once its done.
Crispy thinai appam can be relished as it is. I like the taste!!
Thinai appam can be enjoyed with sambar or any chutney of your choice.



You might like to try

Neer Dosai

Varagarisi Neer Dosai

Thinai Neer Dosai

Thinai murungai keerai urundai

Thinai Payasam

For other Thiani [ Foxtail millet ] Recipes

Thinai [ Foxtail millet ] Recipes


For other millet recipes

Millet Special

Sorghum-Appam - Chola-Appam

#SorghumAppam  #CholaAppam : My experiments with #sorghum [ #cholam ] was a great success when I prepared Cholam Idli, cholam dosai and cholam kuzhi paniyaram. So with great enthusiasm I tried appam two days back. Yes I was able to make crispy, tasty soft appams.
Let me present the exact amount of ingredients needed to make appam and the method of making appam over a tawa in this post.

Ingredients :
1 cup	Idli Rice
1 cup	Sorghum [ cholam ]
2 cup	Raw Rice
1/8 cup	Black gram [ urad dhal ]
1/8 cup	Thuvar dhal
1/8 cup	Fenugreek [ venthayam ]
4 Tsp	Salt

Method :

Soak fenugreek in a small bowl for 6 to 8 hours.

Soak idli rice, raw rice and sorghum [ cholam ] in a big vessel for 3 hours with enough water after washing 2 or 3 times.

In a separate bowl soak black gram and thuvar dhal together for 3 hours.

After 3 hours wash the grinder and grind fenugreek, black gram and thuvar dhal together.

Sprinkle water at regular intervals to get a fluffy batter.

Take out and transfer into a big vessel once the batter becomes fluffy.

Then grind rice and sorghum till the batter becomes smooth.

Add enough water at regular intervals.

Finally add salt into the grinder and transfer into the same vessel containing fenugreek-dhal batter.

Add 1/4 cup of water into the grinder and wash the grinder.

Add this washed water also into the batter.

The appam batter should be watery.

Mix well with hand and keep in a warm place for 6 to eight hours or overnight to ferment.

After fermentation,
Keep a tawa on a stove over medium flame and smear oil using a cloth over the surface of the tawa.

Once the tawa becomes hot pour a ladle full of maavu at the centre of the tawa.
Spread the maavu ( batter )  uniformly over the tawa and close with a lid.

Appam gets cooked very quickly.

Open the lid. Don't have to turn other side. Appam has to be cooked one side only 

Transfer the appam on to a serving plate.
In the same way again apply oil over the tawa using the cloth dipped in oil.
Then make appam following the method explained above,
Appam takes very less time to cook.
Serve hot with sweet coconut milk* or coconut chutney 

or wet red garlic chutney .

*Extract coconut milk with lukewarm water and add enough jaggery & cardamom powder.






You may also like to try

Some ideas for Breakfast/Dinner

Tiffin Recipes

Great ideas for accompaniments

Chutney Recipes