Unniappam with Sorghum/Jowar (Instant version)

Another sweet for the upcoming Diwali. Yes its raining recipes here.

We Keralites usually stick to Unniappam/ Neyappam for Diwali. One can never get enough of these appams for 4 clock snacks or as temple prasad. However this time, I wanted to try adding some other flour to the mix. Call it experimentation or innovation. I  scanned through my shelves and decided to use the Jowar flour otherwise called Sorghum that is very less used. And trust me, the appams had no difference in taste or texture. The spouse loves appams and he could not stop with one or two.

The other change that I did was to use Palm Jaggery syrup instead of Jaggery syrup.


Ingredients
Rice Powder                                                1 cup
Sorghum/Jowar Flour                                  1/2 cup
Ripe Banana                                                1 medium size
Palm Jaggery syrup (single string)               2.5 cups
Coconut Bits, fried in ghee                          5-7 tbsps
Cardamom Powder                                      2 tsps
Sesame seeds roasted                                   2 tsps
Cooking soda                                               1 tsp
Coconut Oil/Ghee                                        For frying

Water (if required)

Equipment needed
Appe pan


My way of making
1. Smash banana well enough to make a paste. If required use the mixer.
2. To this add jaggery syrup and mix well with the banana mash.
3. In a separate bowl mix the rice powder and sorghum/jowar flour.
4. To this add the jaggery - banana mix.
5. Stir well and combine to form a uniform batter.
6. To this add cooking soda and mix well.
7. Keep aside for 30 minutes or 1 hour. The batter should be fermented meanwhile.
8. If the batter is very thick, add water little by little
9. Just before frying add the fried coconut pieces and sesame seeds to the batter. Add the cardamom powder as well. Give it a stir.
10. When the appe pan is hot enough, add some oil in each mould and wait till it gets hot. Do not let it get smoky hot.
11. To this add 1 tsp of batter in each mould. Turn around when one side is almost done.
12. Wait till the other side is cooked.
13. Drain into tissue paper.
14. Serve warm.

Notes
1. The traditional method is to let the batter ferment without the use of cooking soda. That would take some 4-5 hours.
2. You could use jaggery syrup as well instead of palm jaggery.
3. Add water if required only. The batter should have a consistency like idli batter.