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Indian

South Indian Nei Appam

South Indian nei appam is a ghee-fried rice, jaggery and banana sweet with crisp edges and a soft center, often made for puja.

Published and reviewed by Kitchgrow on 7 September 2026Updated

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South Indian Nei Appam

2 hr 40 mintotal

40 min hands-on2 hr hands-off

Prep 20 min · Cook 20 min

Serves
2
Difficulty
Medium
Spice
Mild
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Ingredients

Quantities are for 2 servings.

You'll need: Stovetop.

Rice soaks for 2 hours before grinding, and the batter rests briefly so the jaggery and banana settle into the rice paste.

Method

  1. Drain the soaked rice well and grind it in a high-speed blender using just enough water to make a thick, smooth batter.

  2. Liquefy the crushed jaggery in a pan with a minor splash of water until completely dissolved. Filter the reduction to eliminate impurities and allow a brief cooling phase.

  3. Mix in the strained jaggery syrup, the mashed banana, the freshly grated coconut, and the cardamom powder directly into the rice batter. Whisk vigorously to achieve a pourable consistency like traditional dosa batter.

  4. Preheat a appe pan (paniyaram pan) and grease each cavity with a generous put of pure ghee.

  5. Pour the batter into each well, filling it only three-quarters full so the appams have room to rise.

  6. Cover the pan and cook on a low-medium flame until the bottom turns deep brown. Turn each appam gently with a skewer.

  7. Cook the other side uncovered until equally golden and the center is set. Remove carefully and serve warm.

How to tell it's done

The appam should be deep golden outside, soft and spongy inside, with tiny pores and a clear ghee-jaggery aroma.

Getting it right

Tip

Use very ripe banana for softness, but keep the batter pourable. Batter that is too thick gives heavy appam.

What to serve it with

Serve nei appam warm as prasad or with South Indian filter coffee in the evening.

Common mistakes

The appam browns outside but stays raw inside.
Cook in a covered appe pan on low-medium heat, then turn once the base is deep golden.

Storing and reheating

Nei appam is best warm. Refrigerate leftovers for up to 2 days and reheat on a low tawa or in a covered pan.