Theralli appam is a tasty and simple recipe. This recipe is generally prepared during auspicious occasions or during festivals. This recipe is generally prepared during ‘Thrikarthika’ or ‘Attukal Pongala’. Every year millions of women offer pongala (prayer offering) to Attuakal Devi. People arrive from different places of the World, set up hearths with bricks and they make payasam (similar to chakkara pongal) and theralli appam. The real flavour of this recipe not only comes from the ingredients but also from the leaves they are rolled in i.e. Bay leaves or Vazhana ela as called in Malayalam. These leaves have a distinct aroma. When you steam these leaves your house will be filled with that lovely aroma. In case you don’t have these aromatic leaves, steam the appams without them.
I always carry these leaves from back home and freeze them. I defrost them as and when required to make these appams. Only the leaves won’t have the fresh look but the taste is the same.
Ingredients
- 2 cups, Roasted rice flour – 2 cups
- 1 ½ cup, Grated Jaggery
- 3-4 Nos. Small banana
- ½ cup, Grated coconut
- Cardamom powder – 2 Teaspoon
- Bay leaves ~ Vayana leaves as required for wrapping
- Coconut leaf sticks as required
- Water if required
Method
- Wash and clean the bay leaves. Pat them dry.
- Take each bay leaf and fold it to make to a cone shape and pin it with coconut leaf stick and set aside.
- In a large bowl, add in the roasted rice flour, grated jaggery and mix well.
- Add in the mashed bananas, grated coconut, cardamom powder and combine well without any lumps. Add little water, if required.
- Now fill the prepared dough to each bay leaf mould. Steam cook in a pressure cooker or steamer for about 20-30 minutes or until the appam is cooked well.
- Remove the leaf wrap before serving. Serve warm.
