Breakfast recipe: Aapam and stew

 Aapam

It is a South Indian break fast. It is very tasty and different.

(For  15 to 16 Aapam)

Ingredients:

Parboiled rice - 1cup

Raw rice - 1 cup

Urid dal - 1/2 cup

Methi seeds - 1tsp

Salt - as required

Coconut - 1 cup(grated)

Method:

1. Soak parboiled rice, raw rice, methi seeds and urid dal together in a vessel for 3 hrs.
   
   
   
2. Grind it to fine paste. 
3. Add salt, mix well and allow it to ferment overnight. (around 7 to 8 hrs.)
4. Next day morning Grind coconut into a fine paste and add to the fermented batter and mix thoroughly. 
5. The consistency should be watery as we do for rava dosa. 
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
6. Heat aapam pan and pour two ladles of batter in the center and rotate the pan holding handle in such a way that the batter forms a thin layer on the sides of the pan and thick at the center.
   
   
   
7. Close the lid and allow it to cook for 2 mins keeping in medium flame.
   
   
    
8. You can insert a spoon to check if the batter is cooked in the middle.
   
   
   
9. It comes out in the shape of the pan. you can keep extra time to get the corners crispy.
   

   

   
   
   
   
10. The best side dish is stew. You can also have with tomato chutney.

Tips:

•  If the consistency is thick the shape of the aapam won't be perfect. 
• Soak the rice and dal together and grind it together.
• If kept for some more time, the corners will be crispy and the center will be fluffy and soft.
• Use aapam pan which will be easy to rotate and get the shape well.
• You can add coconut and grind along with the batter if you can finish off the batter. But sometimes if the batter is excess, the next day when we use, it might get an oily smell. So to avoid it I add the coconut the next day.

Stew

Ingredients:

Cauliflower - Small flower or half of the bigger one

Beans - 100 gm 

Fresh green peas - 1/2 cup.

Capsicum - 1

Carrot - 2 (Medium size) 

Coconut milk - 2 cups

Cloves - 4

Cinnamon - 1 inch piece

Pepper powder - 1tsp

Salt - 1tsp

Method:

1. Chop the vegetables into 1/2 inch sized pieces.
   
   
    
2. Dry roast cloves and cinnamon and keep aside.
   
   
   
3. Add all the chopped vegetables and peas. Add 1cup of water, salt and cook the veggies.
   
   
   
4. Add coconut milk and pepper powder and mix well. You can make your own coconut milk or buy it from shop. Bring it to boil and turn off the stove.
   
   
   
5. Your stew is ready. Serve hot with aapam.

Making your own coconut milk: 

Grate one full coconut and add  a cup of water and grind it to a fine paste and filter it using a muslin cloth. Use the remaining coconut and add half more cup of water, grind again and filter again. Repeat the process to get two cups of milk. You can use the residue by dry roasting and powdering in sweets, payasams, kootu and curries.