Kalyana Appam (கல்யாண அப்பம்)

As the name implies, kalyana appam (கல்யாண அப்பம்) is generally prepared for weddings and religious festivals. The consistency and taste of kalyana appam differs from that of wheat appam. Traditional method of making this sweet is rather elaborate. However, the shortcut recipe I'm going to share with you works well for me. Once you get comfortable with making jaggery syrup, you will find this recipe easy. Let's proceed with the recipe. 

Ingredients:

Raw rice flour – 1 teacup (100ml measure)

Jaggery – powdered, 1 teacup (100ml measure)

White sesame seeds/ thil – 3 teaspoons

Cardamom – 3 no (seeds removed and powdered)

Grated coconut – 1 tablespoon (optional)

Oil – for deep frying

Method: You may use rice flour available in stores or prepare it at home.

How to prepare rice flour at home: Wash and soak raw rice in water for 30 minutes. Drain fully and dry on a cloth in shade. Once dry, powder the rice using a dry grinder and pass through a sieve to get fine flour. Keep aside.

Heat jaggery with 25ml of water in a vessel till it dissolves. Pass through a filter to remove impurities, if any. Now heat the filtered syrup in a kadai on medium flame stirring continuously. First the syrup boils and thickens (Figure 1). At this stage, the syrup is sticky to touch. Soon the syrup reaches ‘string’ consistency – when you touch the syrup between thumb and index finger it stretches like a string. Now reduce the flame and continue to stir till the syrup reaches ‘soft ball consistency’ (உருட்டுப் பாகு). Switch off the stove. 

Figure 1: Making jaggery syrup

Figure 2: Soft ball consistency

How to check the consistency of jaggery syrup: Drop a little syrup in water. If it dissolves, the syrup is not ready. If it stays intact and you are able to roll the syrup into a soft ball, the syrup is ready (Figure 2).

Once the syrup is ready, add the rice flour slowly little by little, while mixing with the ladle. If the mixture is very thick after adding the entire quantity of rice flour, you may add water little by little till the batter is smooth and has pouring consistency. Now add thil, cardamom powder and grated coconut to the batter. Mix well. 

Heat oil in another kadai on medium flame, and once the oil is ready pour 1 small hollow ladleful of batter, by gently moving your wrist in a circular motion. Once the appam turns golden brown on one side, turn over and cook the other side till it is cooked uniformly on all sides. Remove the appam from oil and place it on tissue papers for excess oil to drain. Repeat the process with the remaining batter, till you use up the whole batter. Allow the appam to cool and store in an airtight container. You can serve kalyana appam as a snack or part of a feast menu. 

Figure 3: Appam batter

Note: Appam will break up if the consistency of the jaggery syrup is too hard. Hence, be alert to remove the jaggery syrup from fire once it reaches the soft ball consistency.

Kalyana Appam (கல்யாண அப்பம் )

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Pori Urundai (பொரி உருண்டை)

Pori (பொரி) is puffed grain that is prepared by popping rice, rice flakes or paddy in a sand filled oven. In India, pori is used to prepare snacks, though it can be eaten plainly or mixed with rice flakes, fried gram and jaggery. For Karthigai deepam (கார்த்திகை தீபம்) festival, pori made from rice flakes (அவல் பொரி) is used to prepare pori urundai (பொரி உருண்டை) or puffed rice flakes balls. This festival is celebrated during the eighth month of Tamil calendar, on the full moon day (பௌர்ணமி) that coincides with ‘Karthigai star’ (கார்த்திகை நட்சத்திரம்). On this day prayers are offered to Lord Shiva believed to be in the form of ‘light or jyothi’ (ஜோதி). It also marks the symbolism of bringing divine light into our lives.

On this day, the houses are decorated with oil lamps, mainly in the front yard around beautifully drawn rangoli. In our native place, a bonfire with a palm trunk in the centre (சொக்கப் பனை), would be lit in each temple. As is the norm, sweets such as appam (அப்பம்), pori urundai (பொரி உருண்டை), athirasam (அதிரசம்), and kadalai urundai (கடலை உருண்டை) are prepared for this festival. Let's see how to make pori urundai for Karthigai festival.

Puffed rice flakes (அவல் பொரி)

Ingredients: (Makes 35-40 balls, depending on the size)

Pori or puffed rice flakes (அவல் பொரி) – 200 gms or 10 teacups

Jaggery (வெல்லம்) – 2½ - 3 teacups or 500 - 600ml measure

Cardamom – 5 no

Dry ginger (சுக்கு) – ½” piece, powdered

Coconut – 2 tablespoons, grated

Rice flour – for dusting hands

Method: Powder cardamom seeds and dry ginger finely using the mortar and pestle. Grate the coconut meat using fine vegetable grater. Alternatively, you may cut the coconut meat into small pieces. Keep aside.

Heat jaggery with 50ml of water in a vessel till it dissolves. Pass through a filter to remove impurities, if any. Now heat the filtered syrup in a kadai on medium flame stirring continuously (Fig.1). 

Fig.1: Heat jaggery syrup on medium flame

First the syrup boils and starts to thicken (Fig.2). At this stage, the syrup is sticky to touch. 

Fig.2: Jaggery syrup boils and thickens

Soon the syrup reaches ‘string’ consistency – when touched between thumb and index fingers the syrup stretches like a string. Now reduce the flame and continue to stir till the syrup reaches ‘soft ball consistency’ (உருட்டுப் பாகு). Switch off the stove. Add grated coconut, cardamom and dry ginger powder to the syrup and mix well (Fig.3).

Fig.3: Add grated coconut and spice powders to the syrup

How to check the consistency of jaggery syrup: Drop little syrup in water. If it dissolves, the syrup is not ready. If it stays intact and you are able to roll the syrup into a soft ball (Fig.4), the syrup has reached 'soft ball consistency'.

Fig.4: Soft ball consistency - see the rolled up ball on the spoon

How to make the balls: Spread a portion ( 1-2 teacups) of the pori in a wide mouthed vessel. Top it with a ladleful of syrup (Fig.5). Mix together using a spoon. 

Fig.5: Pour jaggery syrup on top of pori and mix well

Dust your hands with rice flour. Take a handful of mixture and shape it into a ball. Keep adding pori and syrup to the vessel as needed, mix the contents and shape into balls. Repeat this process till you use up the entire quantity of pori and syrup. Store the balls in an air-tight container.

Pori Urundai (பொரி உருண்டை)

Note: You may find it difficult to shape the balls if the syrup turns cold. Hence, it is preferable to take the assistance of another person while shaping the 'pori urundai'. 

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Appam (அப்பம்)

Appam (அப்பம்) is a jaggery based sweet that is made in Tamil homes, especially for ‘Karthigai’ festival. Karthigai deepam (கார்த்திகை தீபம்) is celebrated on the eighth month of Tamil calendar, on the full moon day (பௌர்ணமி), which coincides with ‘Karthigai star’ (கார்த்திகை நட்சத்திரம்). This festival is a way of offering prayers to Lord Shiva, who is in the form of ‘jyothi or light’ (ஜோதி). It also marks the symbolism of bringing divine light into our lives.

On this day, the houses are decorated with oil lamps, mainly in the front yard around beautifully drawn rangoli. In our native place, a bonfire with a palm trunk in the center (சொக்கப் பனை), would be lit in each temple. Certain special sweets are made for this festival, which include, appam (அப்பம்), athirasam (அதிரசம்), pori urundai (பொரி உருண்டை) and kadalai urundai (கடலை உருண்டை).

Appam can be made in two different ways and I intend to share the easy method with you today. Though traditionally it is fried in ghee, I prefer to use oil for deep frying. Here we go.Of course, ghee appam is made on krishna jayanti day!

Ingredients: (Makes 10 appam)

Atta or wheat flour – ½ tumbler or 100ml measure

Maida or all purpose flour – ½ tumbler or 100ml measure

Rice flour – ¼ tumbler or 50 ml measure

Jaggery – powdered, ¾ tumbler or 150ml measure

Oil – for deep frying

Cardamom – 3 no

Sesame seeds (white) – 1 teaspoon

Method: Remove cardamom seeds and powder them using the mortar and pestle. Mix jaggery with ½ tumbler (100ml) of water in a vessel. Heat it on medium flame while stirring with a spoon, till jaggery is fully dissolved. Switch off the fire and allow it cool. Later strain the liquid through a sieve to remove impurities, and keep aside.

Mix atta, maida and rice flour in a bowl very well. Add cardamom powder and sesame seeds to the flour mixture. Now add the jaggery liquid and ½ tumbler (100ml) of water to the bowl. Mix the contents very well, taking care that no lumps are formed, till the batter is smooth and has pouring consistency (Fig.1).

Fig.1: Appam batter

Heat oil in a kadai on medium flame, and once the oil is ready pour 1 small hollow ladleful of batter gently in the center of the kadai (Fig.2).

Fig.2: Pour a ladleful of batter gently in the hot oil

As the batter gets cooked in oil, the edges turn light brown. At this stage, turn the appam over over using a sieve spoon (ஜல்லிக் கரண்டி). Continue to cook till the appam turns golden brown on all sides (Fig.3). 

 

Fig.3: Cook till the appam turns golden brown on all sides

Remove the appam and place it on tissue paper to let the excess oil to get absorbed. Repeat the process till you use up the remaining batter. Serve hot as a snack or as part of festival menu.

Appam (அப்பம்)

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