Vellayappam, Soft Vellayappam with Sago

Vellayappam is a popular breakfast item in Kerala. Like Kerala Palappam and Kallappam, this Vellayappam can be served with any spicy curry or stews during festive occasions. These white round fluffy pancakes or Vellayappams are extremely delicious, nutritious and quite filling! It has almost the same ingredients as Palappam: the lacy, soft rice pancakes renowned all over the world. While Palappam is prepared in a curved pan or Appachatti, Vellayappam is prepared in Tawa/ flat pans.Vattayappam is another sweet delicacy – fluffy and thick steamed rice pancakes. 

Some call it Kallappam, but there is a difference between two. Kallappam has ingredients like cumin and Shallots besides rice and coconut and mostly uses “Sweet Toddy/ Madhura Kallu” for fermentation. Traditional Vellayappam has the same ingredients as Palappam and can be made with rice powder as well. But, my recipe for Vellayappam is different. I have used Sago/ Sabudhana/ Chowari along with rice to make it extra softer. This “Chowari Vellayappam” is so delicate and super fluffy and great to have with Mutton Curry, Tharavu Puralan, Chicken and Potato curry, Nadan Beef Curry, Egg curry with Potatoes, Vegetable stew, Mutton stew, Beef stew, Chicken Masala, Fish Mappas, Fish molee etc.

Sago is known to have medicinal properties to cool the body and is often used as herbal remedy for heat related ailments. It is rich in starch and carbohydrates which provide great, lasting energy and is ideal for breakfast. Check these links for nutritious breakfast recipes like Idiyappam, Idli, Neer Dosa, Aval Appam without coconut, Matta Ari Puttu, Poori Bhaji, Aloo Paratha, Rava Poori, Beef Puttu etc.

It is a great dish to serve during Easter and christmas alongwith meat dishes or stew. You will definitely love this tasty Vellayappam, because it is more or less like Appam/ Palappam without the lacy edges. For Kallappam, you cook both sides, but for Vellayappam, you cook by covering with lid like Palappam. Hope you all will try this special Vellayappam recipe! Happy cooking!

Ingredients for Vellayappam :

Watch Video Recipe

Method:

Wash and soak raw rice and sago (separartely) for 6 hours or more.  First, grind half the rice with enough water till you get a grainy batter. Take three tablespoons from this, pour to a sauce pan and add ¾ cup water and cook on slow fire (Kappi Kachuka), stirring continuously to get a thick cooked batter. Allow to cool. Add this to the rice batter and grind to make a smooth batter. Grind the rest of the rice, scraped coconut, soaked sago to a smooth batter. Lastly add sugar and yeast and combine well. The batter should be medium thick like Idli batter. Cover and allow the batter to ferment overnight or keep up to 8 hours for fermentation.

Add enough salt to the batter. Heat a Tawa/ flat bottomed pan and pour one ladle full of batter. Pour the batter and just press gently. Do not spread like Dosa. Cook covered for one minute on slow fire to get fluffy Vellayappam.

For Vellayappam you do not cook both sides like Kallappam. Do not stack immediately as the Vellayappams might stick to one another. Stack only after it is moderately cooled. Enjoy with any spicy curry or stew of your choice.

Tips:

• It is important to soak Sago for 6 hours or more. Wash the sago well to remove extra starch before soaking.
• Coconut should be slightly tender for best results.
• Add less amount of yeast and allow slow fermentation for best results and taste.
• If there is excess batter, you can keep it in the refrigerator and use later. Add little water if required, before preparing.
• Raw rice/ Basmati rice/ Dosa rice can be used for preparing this Vellayappam.
• Slightly grainy rice batter should be cooked on slow fire. Use exact measures for preparing the cooked batter (Kappi Kachaan).

Hope you like this special Vellayappam recipe. Please do put in your comments or share with your friends with the help of buttons on the side. It would definitely encourage me! God Bless!