Vattayappam is a Kerala style steamed rice cake. ‘Vatta’ in Malayalam means round, which is the shape in which this dish is usually prepared. Vattayappam has a slightly sweet and fermented batter which is steamed to make this no-oil healthy snack. It can be had as-is, in which case the quantity of sugar added is usually increased. However, it is also widely eaten with a side of a meat based curry, in which case sometimes it is preferred not to make it too sweet.
Vattayappam is a popular snack among the Christian community of Kerala and is also a traditional dish made during festivals like Easter and Christmas. It can be made using ground rice or powdered rice. Though this is uses a fermented batter, it is usually not fermented to a sour taste.
Nowadays, vattayappam is not just made at homes, but has also found it’s way as a popular snack served in bakeries and tea-stalls in Kerala.
Vattayappam
Course: SnacksCuisine: Indian, KeralaDifficulty: Easy6
servings10
minutes25
minutes3
hours35
minutesA traditional Kerala style steamed cake recipe – Vattayappam
Ingredients
Grated Coconut – ¾ cup
Soaked flat/beaten rice (poha) – ½ cup
Rice Flour – 1 cup
Yeast – ½ tsp
Lukewarm Water – 1.25-2 cups
Sugar – ¼-½ cup (adjust as per taste)
Cardamom Powder – ¼-½ tsp
Salt – 1/8 tsp
Oil for brushing
Directions
- Grease a 6-inch tin with oil and keep it aside.
- Grind together the coconut and soaked flat rice till almost ground.
- To this, add the rice flour, yeast and water and grind till it is a thick batter consistency.
- To this, add the sugar, cardamom powder and salt and grind again. The batter will loosen a little when grinding with sugar. Keep this batter aside for 2-2.5 hours till it rises well.
- Take just the top risen part of the batter and pour it into the prepared tin.
- Steam this in a steamer, pressure cooker (without the whistle) or a kadai (with a well-fitting lid) and steam on high for about 10 min and on low heat for another 15-20 min till done. Remove it from the steamer and keep it aside to cool a little before removing it from the dish.
- Mix the remaining batter and keep it aside till the first vattayappam steams. The batter will again rise. Pour this into the same or another 6-inch dish and steam the same way.
- Cut the vattayappam once it cools down fully.
