Vattayappam - Steamed Rice Cake from Kerala ~Indian Cooking Challenge

Indian cooking challenge for March was Vattayappam from my home state. The recipe given to us was Shn's. Shn has given a very detailed recipe. On a first glance, the recipe might look elaborate and complicated. But its not that difficult. It involves few steps more than preparing an aapam batter. Finally its steam cooked. I tried making dosa too with the batter. Thanks to Lata akka for the dosa idea. It too came out well. I loved the heady aroma from the combo of cardamom, coconut and sugar. It just filled the whole house. 

You need

To Grind

• Raw rice/Idli rice - 1 cup (I used idli rice)


• Fresh grated coconut - 3/4 cup


• Cooked rice - 2 tblspn


• Water - 1/2 cup

 To Proof yeast

•  Active dry yeast - 1/2 tspn


•  Water - 1/3 cup


•  Sugar - 2 tspn

 To Make Thari Kurukku/Rice porridge/Kuzhu

• Coarse ground paste - 2 tblspn


• Water - 1/2 cup

To sweeten and flavor

•  Sugar - 1/2 cup


•  Ghee - 1 1/2 tblspn


•  Cardamom/elaichi - 10-12 nos, powdered


•  Cashew nuts - 5 nos


•  Raisins - 1/2 tblspn

 Method

Wash and soak the rice for 6 -8 hours. Grind the rice with just enough water to make the grinding possible. When rice reaches the coarse texture, remove 2 tablespoons of the rice to prepare the porridge. Add grated coconut to the ground rice and continue to make a fine batter. When its almost done, add cooked rice and grind again. Don't remove the batter from the wet grinder/mixer jar. Leave it there.

Meanwhile, proof yeast Add sugar and yeast to warm water. Dissolve both the ingredients in this warm water and keep the mixture in a warm place for 10 minutes until it froths.

Mix the coarse ground rice in water. Transfer it to a pan and heat it. Keep mixing while it is getting heated and remove when a paste is formed. Take care not to form lumps. Leave it to cool.

Add the cooled porridge to the ground rice in the grinder and spin it once to blend it thoroughly. Next add the yeast mix and blend again by spinning for 2 minutes. Remove the batter to a steel bowl which can hold twice the batter. Leave it to ferment for 5 hours and the batter will double in that time.

Add sugar and give a gentle stir and ferment it to another 2 hours or so. The batter rises more after the addition of  sugar.  Heat ghee in a small pan and roast cashews and raisins. Add to the batter. Also add crushed cardamom to the batter

For steaming, heat water in a pressure cooker. Grease a cake tin or a similar steel vessel. Fill the batter to half of the tin. When the water starts to steam, place the cooker plate (the one with holes) or any other plate and keep the batter filled tin on top of that. Placing the plate will ensure that the water will not spill into the tin on boiling. Close the cooker with the lid. Do not put the weight/whistle. Let it steam cook for 30 minutes in medium heat. Check doneness by inserting a knife. If the knife doesn't come out clean, steam for another 5-10 minutes.  

Once steamed well, remove the tin from the cooker and leave it to cool. Gently remove the appam from the tin. I just ran a knife around the edge and tapped it at the bottom and inverted it on to a plate

Cut into wedges and enjoy with a cup of coffee or tea. I felt it can be served with a spicy kurma too.

Notes:

1. The consistency of the battery is important. The batter should be similar to idli batter. Not too thick and not  runny.


2. The batter should be fermented well to get a spongy texture


3. Sugar can be increased if you have sweet tooth. With the quantity mentioned in the recipe, its mildly sweet.

Mango Pachadi (Chutney)

Happy Tamil New Year!! 
It is customary to make this sweet, sour and spicy mango pachadi on New Year day. This is my mom's recipe. It's my favorite and I love it with curd rice. 


Ingredients:
1 Raw mango
2 tsp oil
1/2 tsp mustard seeds
1/2 tsp urud dal
1/4 tsp hing
Few curry leaves
1 Green chilli
2 Red chillies
Salt
1/3 cup Jaggery
1 Cup water
1 tsp rice flour

Method:
Chop mango into big pieces (with skin).

Heat oil in a pan. Add mustard seeds, urud dal, red chillies, hing, green chilli, curry leaves. 
When mustard seeds crackle, add mango pieces and fry for 10 minutes.

Add 1 cup water, jaggery and salt. Cook until mangoes turn soft. It takes about 10 to 15 minutes.

Take rice flour, add little water and make a thick paste. Add this to the mango mixture. Cook for a minute. 
Vepamboo (neem flower) is roasted and added in the end. But I didn't have any. 
Serve along with rice, sambar and curry. 

Vattayappam/Vatteppam - Kerala Special Steamed Rice Cake For ICC March 2011

Indian Cooking Challenge for March rightly matches Vishu - Malayalam New Year.Yes, this month we all enjoyed making this Fluffy, Spongy,Kerala's Queen of Steamed Rice Cakes - Vatteppam/Vattayappam!!!!! Thanks to Srivalli for choosing this really Challenging Recipe.  But its worth all the effort,  When you see the White Fluffy, beauty out on the table, with nuts & raisins popping out!!!! Ooohhlalala!!! you don't mind doing it again!!! :) :)

Recipe Source : Shn's Mishmash
Ingredients
1 Cup Rice (Raw Rice/Idli Rice, Recommended. But i have used Basmati Rice)
3/4 Cup Freshly grated Coconut
2 tbsp Cooked Rice
Enough water to grind this to a thick batter (Less than 1/2 cup)


Yeast Proofing
1/2 tsp yeast
2 tsp Sugar
1/3 Cup Water


To Make Porridge/Thari Kurukku
1-1/2 - 2 tbsp of coarse ground paste
Around 1/2 cup of Water


To Flavor
1/2 Cup Sugar
10 Cardamom Pods
1/2 tbsp raisins, cashews each
1 tbsp ghee

Method

Soak rice for 6-8 hours. Drain and Grind it to a Coarse Paste with as little water as possible, that enables the mixer to run. Take 2 tbsp of Coarse paste for making the Porridge/thari kurukku. Add Coconut to the remaining batter and grind it to a smooth paste.Towards the end, add cooked rice and make a smooth batter. Leave the batter in the mixer and let it cool down to room temperature.

Now, comes the next important step of Yeast-Proofing. Warm 1/3 cup of water, add yeast and sugar and leave it undisturbed. More important, that the water should be Warm, Not HOT/Neither COLD!!!!!!!! Let it sit there for 20minutes. By this time, it must have foamed up well.

While the yeast is trying to work out, lets make the thari kurukku/Rice Porridge. Mix the 2 tbsp of Coarse rice Mixture with water,Bring it to a boil, Keep Stirring, until it reaches a thick paste consistency. Take it off the stove and let it cool completely.

Add 4 tbsp of Rice Porridge/Thari Kurruku to the Fine batter Kept in the blender and Blend it one more time.  Add the yeast mixture and pulse 2 or 3 times for the mixture to blend well together.

Transfer the Batter into another Vessel  and let it sit for 6-8 hours/Overnight and Ferment. Take care, as the batter doubles during the ferment process. So, make sure the vessel is large enough to hold the batter, So, you don't have to wake-up to a messy scene of over-flown batter on your Kitchen Table!!!!!! :)

Once the batter doubles-up, add Sugar and Mix gently and let the batter sit for 2 more hours on the table.

Meanwhile, heat ghee in a pan and roast raisins and cashews. Add roasted nuts and crushed cardamom to the batter, just before steaming it.

Grease a cake tin/cooker pan. Fill the pan to half its level with the batter. For steaming process, i used my pressure cooker. Filled 1/4th of it water, when the water starts to boil, Place the slotted disc, that comes along with your cooker and then place your cake tin/Cooker pan into it. Close the Cooker Lid, dont put the whistle. Let it steam cook for 15-20 minutes. I just left it to Cook in medium flame for 30minutes.

Once done, Take it out, let it cool. Run a knife around the edges of pan and carefully transfer the cake onto a plate. Cut them into wedges and Serve it along with your Tea/Coffee!!!!

Notes: As per the Original Recipe, the batter doubles during the fermentation process. But in my case, i left it to ferment overnight. The batter doubled after i added sugar, the next day morning. But still got a fluffy cake. The Smell of yeast was a bit dominating in the steamed cake, may be the next time, i would like to reduce the yeast and check!!!!!