Lacy Kerala Appam with Velvet Coconut Stew

Drain the soaked rice and grind it with the grated coconut, cooked rice, and enough water to make a smooth, pourable batter. It should be slightly thinner than dosa batter.

Dissolve the yeast and sugar in 2 tablespoons of warm water. Add to the batter along with salt. Mix well, cover, and let it ferment in a warm place for 6-8 hours or overnight until bubbly and risen.

For the stew, boil the potato cubes in salted water until just tender. Drain and set aside.

Heat coconut oil in a wide pan. Add cinnamon, cloves, cardamom, and peppercorns. Let them sizzle for 30 seconds until fragrant.

Add the sliced onion, shallots, ginger, green chilies, and curry leaves. Saute until the onions are soft and translucent, about 4-5 minutes.

Pour in the thin coconut milk and bring to a gentle simmer. Add the cooked potatoes and simmer for 5 minutes.

Reduce the heat to low and pour in the thick coconut milk. Stir gently and heat through without boiling — boiling will cause the coconut milk to split. Season with salt.

For the appam, heat a small non-stick appam pan (appa chatti) over medium heat. Pour a small ladleful of batter into the center.

Immediately pick up the pan and swirl it in a circular motion so the batter coats the sides thinly while a pool of batter remains at the bottom center.

Cover with a lid and cook for 2-3 minutes until the edges are golden and lacy, and the center is set but still soft and spongy.

Gently pry the appam out with a thin spatula. Serve 2-3 appams per person with a generous bowl of the warm coconut stew.