Unniyappam Recipe

Unniyappam is one of the traditional sweets of Kerala, which is often prepared during special occasions like Onam sadya, Vishu and also offered as prasadam in many temples. Traditionally, unniappam is made using ground soaked rice. But this version is slightly instant, made with rice flour, sooji and wheat flour which makes perfect unniappam.

This is my mom’s traditional recipe for making appam. I have already posted an instant nei appam version. It is how we make appam at home, this version which I am sharing has wheat flour added and it is called as unniyappam.

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About Unniyappam Recipe

Unniappam is a soft and fluffy deep fried rice fritter, which is a variation of nei appam. In Malayalam, “unni” means small, “appam” refers to the rice cake that perfectly describes the delicious bite-sized treats.

Beyond being a snack, unniappam has a cultural and spiritual significance in Kerala and is commonly prepared as prasadam in temples.

I’ve already shared a version of nei appam that is made with rice flour. But this recipe is slightly different. Here, rice flour, wheat flour, sooji is combined with mashed banana, jaggery, sesame seeds, cardamom powder, and baking soda, then left to rest for a few hours to ferment before cooking in appe pan.

In some parts of Kerala, unniappam is made using soaked and freshly grounded rice which gives the soft and authentic texture. Along with that they add sesame seeds and coconut to give a lovely nutty taste and flavour to the appam.

This recipe is my mom’s version and it still turns out soft, aromatic and absolutely delicious. Here’s how you can make this unniappam at home. Appam is a traditional sweet which is made on all festivals along with medu vadai and paruppu vadai.

If you’re making unniappam as a neivedhayam, add a tiny pinch of edible camphor to the batter to enhance the aroma and give the authentic temple style flavour.

This is an instant version of unniappam so that it does not involve any long cooking process, just mixing and cooking, as simple as it is. It is perfect for beginners as it uses very basic ingredients like rice flour, wheat flour, rava, banana and jaggery. And also cooking in paniyaram pan uses very little ghee compared to deep fried.

When all these ingredients are combined together the unniappam gives a flavourful and a melt in mouth delicacy. It is perfect for any festive occasion and also for evening snacks.

More Appam Recipes

Ingredients

Wheat flour : Use fine quality wheat flour. It provides the structure and softness to the appam. Sieve the flour before using.
Rava : I have used fine rava because it cooks faster and provides a slightly grainy texture to the appam.
Rice flour : I have used my homemade rice flour for making this instant version. It helps the appam to get crispy on the outside. You can also use store bought flour.
Jaggery powder : Use powdered jaggery or grated jaggery. You can also substitute with palm jaggery or coconut sugar based upon your preference.
Grated coconut : Use freshly grated coconut for the texture and flavour. You can also use frozen coconut but the taste and aroma will completely differ.
Banana : make sure your banana is ripe and puree them and add into the batter.
Cardamom – a small pinch of cardamom enhances the taste.
Sesame seeds : add some sesame seeds which gives texture.
Baking soda : Baking soda makes the appam to puff up and also provides an airy texture.
Salt : A pinch of salt in any sweet recipe will enhance the taste and balance the flavours.
Ghee : Ghee is used for frying the appam. Ghee gives a rich aroma and traditional taste. You can also use a mix of oil and ghee for frying.
Water : Water is added to mix all the ingredients and helps to form a smooth batter.

Step by Step Pictures

1)Take wheat flour, rice flour and sooji in a mixing bowl.

2)Add salt and a pinch of baking soda in this mixture.

3)Add in grated coconut. You can fry some finely chopped coconut in ghee and add it into this mixture.

4)Add in powdered jaggery. if your jaggery is whole, you can heat it with water until it gets melted, strain the syrup and add in this mixture.

5)Now take ripe banana in a blender.

6)Make it into a puree.

7) Add this banana puree into the rice flour mixture along with some water, ground cardamom and sesame seeds. mix well to a smooth batter.

8)let this batter sit for 1 hour. it will get thick and slightly fermented as it sits.

9)Heat ghee in a paniyaram pan.

10)Spoon some batter into the pan and let it cook on medium low heat for 3 to 4 minutes.

11)Flip over and cook on other side too. Let it get golden brown colour.

12)Remove to a bowl and serve hot.

Expert Tips

Jaggery syrup : I used powdered jaggery. If you are using whole jaggery, melt the jaggery with some water. Once the jaggery is melted, turn off the stove and strain them using a strainer. It helps to remove any impurities in the jaggery.

Added aroma : You can add a pinch of cardamom powder, dry ginger powder to make it more flavourful. And also saute the cashewnut and coconut pieces in ghee till golden brown and add it to the batter.

Add ons – For the authentic Kerala flavour, add some ghee roasted coconut bits and sesame seeds to the batter. This adds a slight crunch and rich taste.

Storage – The unniappam stays fresh at room temperature for 1 to 2 days.

Serving – Serve the unniappam fresh and warm after frying for the best taste. They are perfect for festive occasions like Onam, Vishu, Diwali and also ideal for evening snacks.

FAQ

Q. Can I make this with millet flour ?

Yes you can. To make it healthier, try with other millet flour options like foxtail millet, kodo millet, pearl millet of your choice. The texture and taste will differ so adjust the water and other ingredients measurements accordingly.

Q.Can I deep fry the appam ?

Yes, you can deep fry the appam in oil or ghee. Take a deep pan or vada satti, pour a mix of oil and ghee, use a ladle or ice cream scoop to pour the batter and fry until it is golden brown and crispy.

Q.Can I add other sweeteners instead of jaggery ?

You can substitute with other sweeteners like regular white sugar, coconut sugar, palm jaggery based on your preference. But the jaggery provides the color, aroma and rich taste to the traditional sweet recipes.

Q. My appam is hard after frying ? What went wrong ?

This is due to thick batter. The batter consistency should be like idli-dosai batter and also add baking soda or a mashed banana for softness. Allow the batter to rest for at least 15 minutes before frying.

📖 Get Recipe

Unniyappam Recipe (Kerala Unni appam Recipe)

Prep Time 10 minutes

Cook Time 15 minutes

Resting Time 1 hour

Total Time 1 hour 25 minutes

Course Dessert

Cuisine Indian, Kerala

Servings 6 servings

Calories 441 kcal

Equipment

Kuzhipaniyaram Pan appe pan