Neyyappam facts for kids
Neyyappam, a sweet ghee-fried rice fritter
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| Alternative names | നെയ്യപ്പം |
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| Course | Dessert, snack |
| Place of origin | India |
| Region or state | Kerala |
| Main ingredients | Ghee, rice flour, jaggery, coconut |
| Variations | Unni appam |
Neyyappam (Malayalam: നെയ്യപ്പം) is a yummy sweet snack from India. It's a type of fritter, which is like a small fried cake, made mainly from rice and fried in ghee.
This tasty treat comes from the southern Indian state of Kerala and also coastal Karnataka. The name "Neyyappam" tells you a lot about it. "Neyy" (നെയ്യ്) means "ghee" (which is a type of clarified butter), and "appam" (അപ്പം) means "pancake". So, it's basically a "ghee pancake"!
Neyyappam is usually made with rice flour (sometimes semolina is used instead). Other key ingredients include jaggery (a type of unrefined sugar), coconut (either pieces or grated), ghee, cardamom, and milk.
People often enjoy Neyyappam as a snack with tea, especially in the evenings. It's also offered as a special gift in Hindu temples in Kerala. Some Christian communities in Kerala have also adopted this tradition. A similar snack called Unni appam is made by adding mashed ripe plantains or bananas to the batter. This makes the snack round like a ball when fried.
Neyyappam became quite famous when its name appeared on the home page of the Android N naming campaign. Google's official video about naming Android N even showed a quick peek of neyyappam! This led to Kerala tourism tweeting about the naming campaign.
Contents
Where Did Neyyappam Come From?
Neyyappam's story begins in the southern Indian state of Kerala. It is a very special food for the Syrian Christian community there.
How to Make Neyyappam
Special Cooking Tools
Traditionally, Neyyappam is cooked in a bronze pan called an appakara (ml:അപ്പക്കാര). This pan is also known as a Paniyaram Pan in Tamil Nadu. It's usually about 8 inches wide and has three or more large holes. These holes give the Neyyappam its unique tortoise-like shape. The exact recipes can change a bit from place to place, especially the ingredients used in the batter.
Many different types of cooking use pans similar to the appakara for other dishes. For example, the special pan used to make Æbleskiver, which are puffy Danish pancake balls, is quite similar.
If you don't have these special pans, you can still cook neyyappam. You can use a regular griddle or a small skillet.
A Simple Way to Make It (Using Rice)
- First, rinse white rice in water. Let it soak for about 3 to 4 hours.
- If you are using rice flour or semolina (rava), you can skip this soaking step.
- Next, drain the water from the rice. Grind the soaked rice with ripe banana and jaggery until it forms a thick paste.
- Fry thin slices of dry coconut (or grated coconut) in ghee until they turn a nice golden-brown color.
- Add the ghee-fried coconut, cardamom seeds, and cumin seeds to the batter. Also, add a tiny bit of dry ginger powder and mix everything well. Let the batter sit for about 30 minutes.
- Heat ghee or cooking oil in a deep pan. Pour a ladle full of the batter into the hot pan. Fry it until it turns a golden-brown color.
- Once fried, take the Neyyappams out and let them sit aside. This helps any extra oil drain off. Let them cool down a bit before you enjoy them!
