Appam and Chicken Stew

The very mention of Appam and Chicken Stew brings a smile to every Malayali’s face. This combination is now famous across the world with the crispy yet delicate Appam, dipped in a hot and spicy chicken broth, becoming a staple representative of Kerala cuisine.

Ingredients for Appam
Raw Rice – ½ kg
Coconut (grated) – 1 full
Yeast – ½ tsp.
Salt – to taste
Sugar – 3 tsp.
Cooked Rice – ½ cup

Method of preparation - Appam
Soak rice for about four hours and drain the water completely. Take the cooked rice and grind it with grated coconut in a mixer. Put yeast, salt and sugar in boiled water and keep it for half-an- hour. Add this to the ground mixture. Keep the mixture for eight hours to ferment. Then heat a pan and pour the mixture on it spreadingit thickly.

Remove the Appam from the pan and serve it hot. You may try this ideally with Chicken Stew.

Ingredients for Chicken Stew
Chicken Pieces – ½ kg
Potato – 1
Big onion – 2
Carrot – 1 big
Green Chilli – 5 no.
Garlic – 8 flakes
Ginger – 1 piece
Cinnamon – 2 sticks
Cloves – 4 no.
Cardamom – 3 no.
Bay Leaf – 1
Curry Leaves
Coriander Leaves
Coconut Oil – 3 tsp.
Thick Coconut Milk – 1 cup
Crushed Pepper – ½ tsp.

Method of Preparation - Chicken Stew
Cut chicken, onions and carrots into cubes. Heat two teaspoons of coconut oil in a pressure cooker. Put clove, cinnamon and cardamom. Stir a bit. Now add to this garlic and ginger, followed by onions, carrots, potatoes and green chillies. Again stir a bit. You may now add the chicken pieces. Stir again. Add bay leaf. Pour half-a-cup of water. Now close the lid and cook for three minutes. Remove the lid and shift the contents into a sauce pan. Stir a bit. Now add salt, crushed pepper, curry leaves and coriander leaves. Stir well. Add the thick coconut milk and a little amount of oil. Stir well and cook for about two minutes. Finally garnish it with curry leaves.

Your Chicken Stew is now ready. It combines well with hot Appams.