| 1. | To make coconut milk: Put 2 cups/160 g coconut and hot water in a mixer-blender/grinder and mix the mixture about 3 minutes. Place muslin cloth over a bowl. Put mixture into muslin cloth; allow to cool till it is comfortable to handle. Gather up the corners and squeeze through as much milk as possible. Measure 1½ cups/360 ml milk and keep aside. |
| 2. | Grind into a paste rice, cooked rice and remaining coconut (2 cups/160 g), gradually adding coconut milk. |
| 3. | In a large bowl, mix rice paste, sugar and salt. Cover and keep aside (not in a refrigerator) at least 12 hours to ferment. |
| 4. | Heat pan on medium heat no more than 2 minutes. Stir batter and pour 1/3 cup/80 ml in centre of pan. With both hands lift pan from heat. Tilt and rotate pan to spread batter to make a round about 6½ inch/16 cm in diameter. Return pan to heat. (The batter which slides/flows back to the centre produces the desired fluffy, soft centre which is thicker than the "lacy" edges.) Cover and cook till surface appears dry (about 1½ minutes). Remove. Cook remaining appam in the same way. Serve hot with vegetable/chicken stew or Coconut Chutney. |