Photo: Sharvarism · CC BY-SA 4.0 · Wikimedia Commons

Kerala · Dessert

Neyyappam

Deep-fried rounds of rice, jaggery, and mashed banana batter cooked in ghee until golden-brown and crisp outside, soft within — the fragrant temple prasad of Guruvayur and Sabarimala, perfumed with ghee.

🧺 Ingredients

• Raw rice: 200 g
• Jaggery: 200 g
• Ripe banana (nendrapazham): 1 large (approx. 120 g mashed)
• Coconut pieces (small, chopped): 30 g
• Cardamom: 5 pods (crushed)
• Dry ginger powder: ½ tsp
• Black sesame seeds: 1 tbsp (12 g)
• Baking soda: ¼ tsp
• Ghee: for frying (approx. 200 ml in an appe pan or small kadai)

👩‍🍳 How to make Neyyappam

1. Wash and soak 200 g raw rice in water for 2 hours.
2. Drain.
3. Grind to a smooth, thick batter using minimal water.
4. Dissolve 200 g jaggery in 100 ml water over medium heat.
5. Strain.
6. Combine rice batter, jaggery syrup, mashed banana, cardamom, dry ginger, sesame seeds, coconut pieces, and baking soda.
7. Mix well.
8. The batter should be thick — slightly thicker than idli batter.
9. Rest for 30 minutes.
10. Heat an appe pan (paniyaram/aebleskiver pan) over medium heat.
11. Add ½ tsp ghee to each cavity.
12. Pour batter to fill each cavity three-quarters.
13. Cook over medium-low heat for 3–4 minutes until the bottom is dark golden and the top looks set.
14. Turn each appam with a skewer.
15. Cook for 2–3 minutes on the other side.
16. Both sides should be deep golden-brown and crispy.
17. Remove and drain on paper.
18. Serve warm.

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