Vattayappam | Steamed Rice Cake | Vatteyappam | How to make kerala style vattayappam

 

Hey Folks,

Vattayappam is a dish popular among the Kerala Christian community. It is a steamed rice cake that is prepared during celebrations at home like Christmas, Easter, and other special occasions. It is a very healthy dish and is easy to prepare. So today let's cook some sweet and hot Vattayappam.

Vattayappam - The Perfect Cook Book

INGREDIENTS:

1. Soaked Rice/ Pachari / Onakkalari - 1 cup
2. Cooked Rice - 2 tbsp
3. Grated Coconut - 3/4 cup
4. Semolina / Rava - 1/4 cup
5. Yeast - 1/2 tsp
6. Sugar - 1/2 cup or as needed
7. Salt - 1/2 tsp
8. Crushed Cardamom - 1 tsp
9. Raisins - as needed
10. Ghee - 1 tsp to grease the pan
11. Water - as needed

PREPARATION:

We need to soak the rice in water for about 2 - 3 hours. I used Onalakkalari, so there will be a slight color change other than the white vattayappam you often see. If you use pachari then it will be white.

We have to prepare the kurukku for vattayappam. For that to a pan add roasted semolina powder and water enough to dissolve it. Stir it continuously so that it attains a consisitency of a kurukku or porridge. It should be thick paste.

To a mixer, add soaked rice, cooked rice, grated coconut, and some water to blend them into a nice batter without lumps. Do not add too much water, it should be more like an idli batter consistency. Add the ground batter to a big steel bowl. Add yeast, kurukku, and salt to it. Aerate the batter well with your hands and keep it for about 7 - 8 hours. If you make the paste during the evening, then keep it overnight and then use it.

Once the batter has risen, add the amount of sugar of your preference to it and crushed cardamom too. Rest again for about an hour and it is ready to be steamed. Grease a pan with some ghee, so that the vattayappam won't stick to the bottom of the pan. Take out the foamy batter from the top of the bowl and add it to the pan. Adjust the amount you pour in as the size of the pan you use. It will rise a bit once cooked well. Top up with raisins fried in ghee. 

To a steamer add some water. Once it starts to boil, place the plate into the steamer and cook for about 20 minutes. Check with a fork if is ready. If it is cooked well, the batter won't stick on to the fork. 

Once it is cooled down, scrap the sides of the vattayappam with a knife.

Try this recipe at your home and serve it to your loved ones. 

See you all in my next cooking blog!