Nei Appam Recipe

Nei appam is a South Indian sweet recipe which is prepared during Karthigai Deepam. Traditionally nei appam is prepared using raw rice and jaggery. This recipe is an instant version of nei appam which is made with rice flour, banana, jaggery. Try this ghee appam and you will love it.

Nei Appam Recipe

Making nei appam can be time consuming, making the rice batter, fermenting and frying. But this authentic method gives the crispy exterior and fluffy interior in nei appam.

Jump to:

• About Nei Appam
• Ingredients
• Step by Step Pictures
• Expert Tips
• FAQ
• 📖 Get Recipe

About Nei Appam

Nei appam is also known as ghee appam or appam. It is a popular sweet recipe in South India. The authentic nei appam recipe involves soaking rice, grinding and fermenting. The recipe I'm going to share today is an easy version of nei appam which does not involve any soaking and fermentation. 

Instant nei appam is made with rice flour, jaggery and coconut. These ingredients are mixed into a smooth batter using water. You can fry it immediately, or let it ferment for 2 to 4 hours.

The batter is fried in paniyaram pan using a generous amount of ghee. It tastes so soft, spongy and rich in taste. I have used a non-stick paniyaram pan, as it consumes less ghee. You can also deep fry the appam. 

Nei appam is traditionally prepared and served on the occasion of Karthigai deepam. Karthigai deepam is a festival of lights celebrated in Tamilnadu during Tamil month of Karthigai ( november - december ) to worship Lord Shiva. On this day, a large flame is lit on the Arunachala hill in Tiruvannamalai.

It is believed that Lord shiva is appearing as a symbol of fire. Even every home is decorated with lamps, lights and we burn the leftover crackers in the evening. So try this instant sweet appam recipe for the upcoming festive occasions like Krishna jayanthi, Navrathri and Diwali. 

Similar Recipes

Banana Appam

Unniyappam

Ingredients

• Banana : Banana is the key ingredient that provides unniappam with its natural sweetness and softness. It keeps the appam moist and fluffy. 
• Jaggery : Jaggery is a natural sweetener that adds sweetness and a deep rich, caramel color and taste. 
• Water : Water used to dissolve the jaggery and also added to adjust the batter consistency. 
• Rice flour : Rice flour is the main base of the batter. It gives the unniappam its structure and also creates a slightly crispy outer layer. 
• Flavouring : Dry ginger powder and cardamom powder are the main flavouring used in unniappam. They add a warm spicy aroma and mild fragrant note that enhances the overall taste of unniappam. 
• Baking soda : ½ spoon of baking soda added to keep the unniappam soft and fluffy. 
• Oil / Ghee : You can use either oil or ghee for frying. To keep the appam subtle, use oil. For the rice, traditional aroma uses ghee for frying. 

Step by Step Pictures

Jaggery Syrup

1)Heat jaggery and water in a sauce pan and heat till it is melted.

2)Strain the mixture through a sieve.

3)Set aside to cool.

4)Peel banana and add it to blender. Make sure the banana is super ripe.

5)Pure till it is smooth.

Make Batter

6)Take the banana puree and add that in a mixing bowl. Pour in jaggery syrup.

7)Add in cardamom powder and dry ginger powder.

8)Add in rice flour. mix well so a thick batter is formed. If it is too thick add in some more water. If it is too thin add some flour.

9)Now add in baking soda and mix well.

10) Cover this batter and let it ferment for 3 to 4 hours.

Frying Unniappam

11)Now heat ghee or oil in an appe pan.

12)Drop spoonful of this batter in hot ghee and fry till golden on one side.

13)Flip over and cook for another mins.

14)Strain this and Serve hot.

15)Enjoy.

Expert Tips

Choosing Banana - For the best results, always use very ripe bananas. They add natural sweetness and give the appam its soft, fluffy texture. 

Batter - Allow the batter to rest for at least 4 hours. This resting time helps the batter ferment. This fermentation makes the nei appam soft and flavourful. 

Cooking method - When cooking in appe pan, fill each mould only up to three quarters. This gives enough space for the batter to puff up and cook evenly. Avoid overfilling.

Storage : The appam stays good for a day at room temperature. You can store it in the refrigerator for a maximum of 1 to 2 days. Reheat using a microwave oven or in the paniyaram pan by brushing a spoon of ghee. 

Serving : You can serve the appam on the occasion of Karthigai deepam as a prasadam on a banana leaf. It can also be served as an after school snack for kids. While serving, you can also drizzle some condensed milk ( milkmaid ) or honey on top. 

I have seen in a reality cooking show that they served nei appam by soaking them in milk payasam / kheer similar to gulab jamun with rabdi. For this prepare a creamy milk payasam and soak the warm nei appam for 10 to 15 minutes. The appams absorb the flavors of kheer and turn too soft and juicy. Serve this appam with kheer warm or slightly chilled. 

FAQ

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