Vattayappam / Steamed Rice Cake

Wishing all of you a very Happy Easter. Vattayappam is a sweet rice cake which is served as breakfast or snack in most of the Christian homes in Kerala. It is also made especially during Christmas and Easter time. I have tasted this Vattayappam very long back at my friend's house and I still remember the taste of it. There are a variety of Appams of which Vellayappam or Laced Rice Pancakes is something which I make often. But this is the first time I am making Vattayappam. I have referred Melange and has followed the recipe with slight changes. As its the first time, I am completely satisfied with the results. It came out soft, fluffy and was very delicious.

Recipe Source : Melange

You need...

1 cup Raw Rice (I used Idli Rice)

3/4 cup grated Coconut

1/3 cup cooked Rice

1/2 cup Water (approx)

1/4 tsp active dry Yeast

1/2 cup + 2 tsp Sugar

3/4 tsp Cardamom powder

1/4 tsp Salt

Cashews and Raisins (optional)

To prepare...

Wash and soak the rice for 5-6 hours. Just before grinding, dissolve yeast and 2 tsp sugar in 1/4 cup warm water and set aside until frothy. Grind drained rice, coconut and cooked rice by adding a little water at a time. The batter should be smooth and should be thick with idli batter consistency. (It shouldn't be watery, so add water as needed)

Now add sugar, yeast mixture and salt to the batter. Mix well and keep for fermenting for a minimum of 7-8 hours. The batter will double by this time. 

Once fermented and ready to steam, add cardamom powder to the batter and mix. Check for sugar and salt at this point, add if required.

Grease a steel bowl or vessel with oil or ghee on all sides. (You can also use the idli moulds.) Pour the batter to the bowl, it should be only half filled as the batter will rise when steamed. Steam in an idli cooker or pressure cooker. After 5-10 minutes of steaming, sprinkle some cashews and raisins on top and continue steaming. ( If you add initially, they might sink in the batter. So add before batter is fully cooked)

Steam for 25-30 minutes or until done. Use a toothpick to check if it comes out clean. Once done, cool for about 10-15 minutes. Use a sharp knife along the circumference of the bowl to remove it and invert to a plate. Wait for another few minutes before slicing. Enjoy the Vattayappam !!

Notes:

* You can use coconut milk instead of coconut while grinding.
* You can fry the cashews and raisins in ghee and then add.

Sending this to Kerala Kitchen, hosted by Ramya, original event announcement here
and to WTML- Festival Special event hosted by Rasi, an event by Gayatri.