Paneer Appam Recipe: Kerala-style Appam With Paneer Chilli Recipe

For The Appam Batter:

1. Wash the rice well for 2-3 times in running water. Then, soak the rice and fenugreek seeds in water for two hours.

2. Drain the water from the rice. Grind all the ingredients in the blender together to make a smooth fine paste. We soaked 2 cups of rice. So, while grinding, you can use up to 2 cups of water.

3. Cover the batter bowl with a lid and leave it in a warm place. Leave it untouched for at least 8-10 hours. After the rest, the batter would have doubled.

For Making The Appam:

1. Transfer some of the batter to a separate bowl. I transferred one-third of the batter. Add a tablespoon of sugar and ¼th teaspoon of baking soda and ¼th teaspoon of salt. Mix well to combine.

2. Heat the appam kadai or appa chatti until hot. Ladle some batter into the kadai in the middle. Slowly rotate the pan to make the batter adhere to all the sides of the pan. Use your hands to rotate it in a circular motion and guide the batter to stick all over.

3. Cover with a lid and let it cook for 40-50 seconds. Appam cooks only on one side. Appam is done when the sides are brown. Remove the appam slowly with the help of a spatula.

For Making The Paneer Chilli:

1. Cut the cottage cheese into medium-sized diamonds. Heat sufficient amount of oil in a wok, roll the cheese diamonds in one tablespoon of cornflour and deep fry on medium heat until the edges start to turn brown.

2. Drain on an absorbent paper. Mix the remaining cornflour in half a cup of water.

3. Heat two tablespoons of oil in a non-stick wok, add garlic and stir-fry for half a minute.

4. Add salt, soy sauce and MSG and mix everything well. 5. Add the cornflour mixture and cook on high heat, stirring and tossing until the sauce thickens to coat the cottage cheese and vegetables.

How To Assemble:

Place the prepared appams on a plate and top it up with some paneer chilli on the center. Serve hot.