Kunhikalathappam / Vishu Appam

It is Vishu time again!!
For those readers who doesn't know what is vishu, here is a brief:

"Vishu is a Hindu festival celebrated in  Kerala and Mangalore & Udupi districts usually in the second week of April. It marks the new year as per Malayalam calendar. The most important event in Vishu is the Vishukkani, (the first thing seen on the day of Vishu after waking up). The Vishukkani consists of a ritual arrangement of auspicious articles like raw rice, fresh lemon, golden cucumber, betel leaves, arecanut, metal mirror, yellow flowers konna (Golden shower), and a holy text,A lighted bell metal lamp called nilavilakku and coins, in a bell metal vessel called uruli in the pujaroom of the house. On Vishu, the custom is to wake up at dawn and go to the puja room with eyes closed so that the Vishukkani is the first sight in the new season."

In some parts of the  Malabar region Kunhikalathappam / Vishu appam  is made and kept for Vishukkani. Some make Neyyappam and Unniappam too.
To see the recipe for Neyyappam please click here
To see the recipe for Unniappam please click here

Another important part of Vishu is Sadya..To see the various dishes for Sadya please click here

Kunhikalathappam / Vishu Appam

Ingredients (Makes 60 to 65 pieces)

Raw Rice: 1 kg
Boiled Rice: 1 kg
Jaggery: 1 kg
Cardamom Powder: 1 Tea Spoon
Egg: 2 (Optional)
Baking Powder: 1 Table Spoon
All Purpose flour/ Maida: 200gms

Sa jeerakam(Shia Jeera/Sheema Jeerakam/Caraway seeds/ Persian Cumin/ Meridian Fennel ): 1 Table Spoon
Sugar: If Required
Cashew Nuts: 1/4 Cup
Raisins: 1/4 Cup
Ghee: 3 Table Soon
Coconut Oil/ Sunflower Oil: For Frying
Water

Preparation time: 3 Hours
Cooking Time: 1 Hour
Method

Soak boiled rice and raw rice in water separately for 2 hours
Pour little water to jaggery and melt it and strain it and keep aside
Clean the sa jeerakam and keep aside

Roast the cashew and raisins in ghee and keep aside
Clean well and strain off the water and dry grind the rice to a fine powder.
If you are not able to grind the boiled rice to a fine powder add very little water and grind it to a fine paste
Now mix the raw rice powder and the boiled rice paste well

Separate egg white and yolk.  Whip the egg white well and add it to the batter (Usually while we make this appam for Vishukkani we don`t add eggs)
Now add the liquid jaggery, cleaned sa jeerakam, cardamom powder, roasted cashew nuts and raisins. Mix well.
Make sure that there are no lumps in the batter and it should be the consistency of dosa batter
If you feel the water is more add little maida to the batter
If sweetness is less add little sugar

Dissolve baking powder in little water.Add it to the batter and mix well.Keep the batter closed for an hour
Preheat the oil well and reduce the flame to medium (Not too low)

Pour small portions of the batter to the oil and cook
Once you pour the batter to the oil, Keep on pouring hot oil from the sides to the center of the appam using a spoon till the appam cooks well.
Do not turn the appam because this appam is made by pouring hot oil on top.

Note:
If you feel the sweetness is less add little sugar or increase the quantity of jaggery.
Once you grind the rice you have to make the batter immediately.