Nei Appam or Unniyappams are sweet dumplings made from mainly from rice, bananas and jaggery. They are also known as sweet appams. Unniyappams are also made during festive occasion and sold across a lot of places at Kerala. It’s quite nostalgic for me to eat appams as eaten them a lot during my childhood days.
My neighbor used to make these quite often. We used to call her Akka, she used to make these and give to us. In-fact my father hails from Kerala so he used to always get them for us. As a child me and my sis used to love them and still the love continues because we refuse to grow up 😉
You would find a lot of ways and version to make unniyapam’s recipe on the net. Some make without bananas but I have made with bananas. Some also make with rice flour but we make with soaked rice prefer that way.
For making appam’s you would require a special chatty / ebelskiver pan or vessel to make appams or paniyarams. We make a lot of appams as it our favorite at home. Also my hubby and family loves as you get the taste of bananas. They also taste similar to banana fritters. So make them once you would just love them.
These sweet delicacy could be enjoyed right from a child to an adult. Its a kid friendly recipe and could be given as a snack or a tiffin box. It also tastes great equally when warm or chilled.
Let’s make Nei Appam Recipe step by step:
1. Firstly soak rice in water overnight or for 2 hrs.
2. Mix jaggery powder in hot water. Boil for 2 mins. Check if there are any impurities.
3. Strain the water and ground the rice until smooth. Add little water if required.
4. Now add the jaggery-water mixture, cardamom and bananas. Grind everything  even if bananas are coarsely grounded it’s okay.
5. Finally add salt, chopped cashews, ghee and fresh grated coconut. Mix all nicely.
6. The mixture needs to be of idli batter consistency. If the consistency is thin then add some more mashed bananas or grated coconut.
7. Place the appam pan / ebelskiver pan over the fire.
8. Add few drops of oil over each mould. Once oil is hot add scoop of each batter over each mould.
9. Allow to cook for a minute. Invert them with a skewer or a knife.
10. Allow to cook again.
11. Again invert and cook until golden brown from both sides.
Your Nei Appam are ready serve them hot with tea or coffee.
If you looking for more South Indian recipes then do check for dosa, paniyaram’s, sambar, prawns curry, avial, tomato rice, curd rice and ragi dosa.
Nei Appam recipe card below:
- 1 tbsp ghee (clarified butter)
- ½ cup oil
- 1 cup rice (soaked in water fr 2 hrs)
- ½ cup jaggery powder + 1 tbsp water ( I used organic)
- 2-3 green cardamom
- 1 cup fresh grated coconut
- 4-5 or 1 cup of small mashed bananas
- 12-14 chopped cashew nuts (optional)
- a pinch of baking soda (optional)
- a pinch of salt
- Let's make Unniyappam Recipe step by step:
- Firstly soak rice in water overnight or for 2 hrs.
- Mix jaggery powder in hot water. Boil for 2 mins. Check if there are any impurities.
- Strain the water and ground the rice until smooth. Add little water if required.
- Now add the jaggery-water mixture, cardamom and bananas. Grind everything even if bananas are coarsely grounded it's okay.
- Finally add salt, chopped cashews, ghee and fresh grated coconut. Mix all nicely. The mixture needs to be of idli batter consistency. If the consistency is thin then add some more mashed bananas or grated coconut.
- Allow the batter to rest for an hour or add a pinch of cooking soda, mix and you are ready to make.
- Place the appam pan / ebelskiver pan over the fire.
- Add few drops of oil over each mould.
- Once oil is hot add scoop of each batter over each mould.
- Allow to cook for a minute. Invert them with a skewer or a knife.
- Allow to cook again.
- Again invert and cook until golden brown from both sides.
- Your Unniyappam 's are ready serve them hot with tea or coffee.
If you don't have a appam pan or ebelskiver then just fry them like pan cakes.
sarita says
Hi Maria
was making this for afternoon tea – my husband said immediately – it unniyappam. he is a Malayalee 🙂
I covered the pan with lid . do you cook them uncovered. came well. thanks
maria says
sarita for unniyappam no covering is required. hope your hubby liked them thankyou.
Renju says
Nice and easy receipe, good presentation.
maria says
Thankyou Renju 🙂