Lacy, soft, spongy with crispy edges and a touch of tanginess, Vellappam is more than just a pancake; it’s a cherished part of South Indian and Sri Lankan cuisine. Also known as Vellayappam, Appam, or Palappam, this traditional pancake pairs beautifully with spicy curries or sweetened coconut milk to bring warmth, comfort, and tradition in every bite.
In the past, this dish was traditionally fermented using palm toddy, a natural fermenting agent. These days, yeast has become the more common choice. Growing up, we called it Vellappam at home—a name likely inspired by its white color, as "vella" means white in my native language, and "appam" refers to pancake.
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Why will you love this dish?
- This fermented pancake is going to be a new favorite in your kitchen if you’re a fan of comforting, flavor-packed meals.
- Made with a naturally fermented batter, the pancake turns out soft and spongy with a beautifully porous texture, perfect for soaking up all the deliciousness of your favorite curries or stews. Every bite bursts with flavor, thanks to the way it absorbs the spices and sauces of whatever you serve it with.
- One of the best parts? Once your batter is ready, making the pancakes is incredibly quick and easy. Plus, the batter keeps well in the fridge for up to 5–6 days, so you can enjoy fresh, homemade pancakes throughout the week without starting from scratch each time.
- This dish is wonderfully versatile. You can serve it with sweetened coconut milk for a mild, comforting breakfast or pair it with hearty mains like coconut milk chicken curry, mutton stew, egg curry, vegetable stew, crab masala curry, or black chickpeas curry for a satisfying lunch or dinner
Ingredients to make Vellappam
Vellapam needs very few simple ingredients, all present in your kitchen pantry.
- Raw rice, soak it in plenty of water.
- Fresh or frozen grated coconut thawed to room temperature.
- Leftover Cooked rice.
- Yeast in a little lukewarm water mixed with sugar, and salt.
How to make Vellappam or Vellayappam?
Making the Batter
Ensure the rice is soaked in water for about five to six hours. 1 -3)Grind the soaked rice with just enough water to a fine paste and transfer to a container. 4) Add grated coconut and grind again until a smooth paste is formed.
5-7) To the coconut batter, add cooked rice and continue grinding until well-combined. Transfer the contents to the container with the rice batter.
8 -9) Prime the yeast in a sugar solution and add it to the batter. You can also use active instant yeast. Keep it in a warm place for fermentation. An oven with a light on is a good place to ferment this batter.
10) The batter should rise in 4 to 5 hours or even earlier. 11-12) Pour a ladle full of batter and turn the Appam chatti or maker in a clockwise motion, circling it so it forms a round shape.
13) A pancake shape is formed. The pancake will be fluffy in the center if you pour extra batter. If you prefer a thinner, less fluffy pancake, use less batter. 14-16) Cover with a lid and cook on medium flame, the pancake will be ready after 3 to 4 minutes. Transfer to a serving dish and enjoy with your favorite side dishes.
The appam is fluffy in the center and crisp around the edges, with many pores. It appears almost like a laced "dosa". This is usually a great breakfast, but can be a good lunch or dinner as well. It best goes with vegetable or chicken stew curry, egg curry, spicy kadala curry with coconut, or even simply with sweetened freshly squeezed coconut milk.
Here are some other breakfast items that you may love: Puttu with kadala curry, Ari Pathiri are some great recommendations. Do check it out.
Recipe FAQs
Raw rice or short-grain rice like sona masuri is used to make Appams. A combination of idli rice and raw rice can also be used. A little cooked rice is also added.
We make this pancake in a pan that resembles a small flat wok called "Appa Chatti". I have a picture below if you are curious. To make it, pour a ladle full of batter into the center. Turn the pan with the batter in it around in a full circle in a clockwise or anti-clockwise direction, and make a full circle to get the unique shape. Cover with a lid and cook till done.
Vellapams can be served with a variety of dishes like any Stews, Egg curry, chicken curry, mutton curry, Kadala curry, Vegetable Kurma, or just plain coconut milk and sugar.
Useful Tips
- You can use either instant yeast or active dry yeast to ferment the batter. If you're using active dry yeast, you'll need to prime it first—dissolve it in lukewarm water with about 3 to 4 teaspoons of sugar, and let it sit until frothy before adding it to the batter. Instant yeast, on the other hand, can be added directly to the batter, although you can choose to prime it as well if you prefer.
- Make sure to use a large container for fermenting, as the batter can rise and overflow if there's not enough space. Keep an eye on it, especially in warm conditions.
- The batter should have a flowing consistency, not too thick and not too watery. Add just enough water during grinding to reach the right texture.
- For softer appams, consider adding a small amount of cooked rice while grinding the batter. This is optional, but it’s a great way to use up leftovers and enhance the texture.
Related Recipes
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Vellappam
Ingredients
- 2 cups rice soaked in water
- ¾ cup coconut grated
- ½ cup rice cooked
- ¼ tsp yeast soaked in luke warm water
- 3 tsp sugar
- 1 tsp salt
Instructions
- Wash and soak 2 cups of rice in enough water for about 6 hours
- Grind the soaked rice with little water
- Add the grated coconut , cooked rice and continue to grind till you get a smooth batter
- Add yeast to luke warm water with the sugar dissolved in it.
- Add salt to taste.
- Keep in a warm place and wait for the batter to ferment.
- After about 4 to 6 hours (depending on the humidity of the place you live in) the batter would have risen up.
- Use immediately or store in the refrigerator to use later.
- To make the pancake, heat up the Vellapam pan.
- Pour a ladle of batter in the center.
- Turn around the pan in a full circle so that it gets it's unique shape.
- Reduce heat ,cover with a lid and cook until done.
- The appam will have a fluffy center with many pores and a crispy edge around it.
- Serve with stew or egg curry or coconut milk. Enjoy!
Video
Notes
- You can use either instant yeast or active dry yeast to ferment the batter. If you're using active dry yeast, you'll need to prime it first—dissolve it in lukewarm water with about 3 to 4 teaspoons of sugar, and let it sit until it becomes frothy before adding it to the batter. Instant yeast, on the other hand, can be added directly to the batter, though you can also prime it if you prefer.
- Make sure to use a large container for fermenting, as the batter can rise and overflow if there's not enough space. Keep an eye on it, especially in warm conditions.
- The batter should have a flowing consistency, not too thick and not too watery. Add just enough water during grinding to reach the right texture.
- For softer appams, consider adding a small amount of cooked rice while grinding the batter. This is optional, but it’s a great way to use up leftovers and enhance the texture.
I love vellapam for breakfast. Appam with stew or chicken curry is something I always look forward.
Yes that is the best combination indeed . I also love it dipped in with plain fresh coconut milk and sugar . Thank you Lathiya!
Appam looks so delicious and fluffy. It has been a long time I made them. Thanks for sharing.
Thank you dear, wonderful to know you make it as well!
They look so dainty! This is a new dish for me and I liked reading how to make it 🙂
Thank you Christy! I'm glad you enjoyed it.
This visual treat for any south indian is amazing! Perfectly made and I bet it tasted super delicious.
Yes indeed seeing a fluffy and crispy appam with those nice pores is a pride for any south Indian I guess 🙂 especially for a foodie like me LoL .Thank you Vidya!
Oh absolutely true.. we foodies live for such golden moments of pleasure. My pleasure dear.