Banana appam recipes

 

Banana appam

Banana appam are sweet appam or paniyaram made with ripe bananas, rice flour and jaggery.

Prep Time   :  20 mins

Cook Time  :  30 mins

Total Time   :  50 mins

Cuisine       : South Indian

Servings     : 40 to 42 appam

Ingredients

1.5 cups rice flour or 240 grams rice flour

½ cup chopped jaggery or 100 to 105 grams jaggery

1.5 cups water

3 small to medium bananas or 250 grams bananas - mashed very well or pureed

¼ cup chopped coconut - optional

2 teaspoons ghee for frying coconut, can also use coconut oil or sunflower oil

2 teaspoons black sesame seeds, can also use white sesame seeds

½ teaspoon cardamom powder

½ teaspoon ginger powder (saunth) - optional

¼ teaspoon cumin powder - optional

½ teaspoon baking soda - optional

½ to 1 teaspoon ghee in each mould or add as required

Instructions

preparation

First chop 100 to 105 grams jaggery. You should be able to get 1/2 cup chopped jaggery. You can also use jaggery powder, instead of chopped jaggery.

Then add the jaggery in a bowl or pan containing 1.5 cups of water.

Keep the bowl or pan on low to medium flame and let the solution heat through. Stir so that the jaggery melts.

You just need to melt the jaggery. When the jaggery melts, then filter the syrup and keep aside.

Now chop a small piece of coconut in small bits. You will need about 1/4 cup chopped coconut. You can even use grated coconut or you can skip coconut altogether.

making banana appam batter

Heat 2 teaspoons ghee in a pan. Then add the chopped coconut.

Stir often and saute them till they are light golden. Keep aside.

In a pan, peel and chop 3 small to medium bananas. About 250 grams of bananas.

Mash the bananas with a fork or masher very well.

There should be no chunks in the bananas. You can even puree the bananas in a blender.

Now add 1/2 tsp cardamom powder, 1/2 tsp ginger powder and 1/4 tsp cumin powder.

Mix very well. To the bowl containing the jaggery solution, add 1.5 cups rice flour.

Add 2 teaspoons black sesame seeds. You can also use white sesame seeds.

Begin to mix very well. Make a smooth batter without any lumps.

Add the pureed bananas to the rice flour mixture along with the coconut.

Add 1/2 teaspoon baking soda. Baking soda makes the texture more porous and soft. If you want you can skip too.

Mix very well.

making banana appam

Heat the appe pan and add 1/2 to 1 teaspoon ghee in each mould. Instead of ghee you can use coconut oil too.

With a spoon, pour the batter till 3/4 or more than 3/4 in each mould.

Keep the flame to low or medium and cook the appams.

With a wooden/bamboo stick or skewer, turn over the banana appam which has become golden.

When the rest of the banana appam are golden, turn them over too and cook all of them till crisp and golden.

Once done remove and place them in a casserole. In the casserole they stay warm for some time. Same way prepare the remaining ones. You can store them in an airtight box or container in the fridge.

Serve them hot or warm or at room temperature.

Notes

You can substitute coconut oil or sunflower oil instead of ghee.

Ginger powder and cumin powder are optional and can be skipped, if you do not have them.