Appalam Kootu

Bachelor Cooking, Kootu recipes, Side dish for rice, South Indian Lunch recipes, Tirunelveli Recipes

Appalam making is a leading cottage industry prevalent in my maternal grandfather’s village. As a kid I was completely awestruck watching women & girls in our neighbourhood kneading mountainous dough, rolling appalam at lightning speed, and stacking dried appalam like a tower.  Whenever I felt bored I used to run to one of those houses. I spent endless hours there watching them making appalam and enjoying their warmth & their food. During my mother’s recent visit there, they fondly remembered my childhood favorite appala-poo and prepared them along with appalam specially for me, even though they are not into this business currently.

  • IMG_3052-scaled Appalam Kootu
  • IMG_3049-scaled Appalam Kootu

Their enduring affection triggered me to post this recipe for appalam kootu that I relished for the first time in their house. So far I have not seen anyone in our family making this delicious kootu, yet I tried to replicate the same and the recipe is as below. We can also prepare kuzhambu using appalam or appala poo.

IMG_1463 Appalam Kootu
Appalam kootu

Yields : 1 cup

Ingredients:

  1. Bengal gram (split chickpea/ kadalai paruppu) – ½ cup (100 g)
  2. Turmeric powder – ½ tsp
  3. Water for cooking lentils – 1 cup (200 ml)
  4. Salt – ½ tsp
  5. Appalam (papad) – 5 Nos (alternatively appala poo – 10 Nos.)
app-kt-ingr Appalam Kootu

For spice mix:

  1. Coconut pieces – 7 (each 1 inch)
  2. Cumin seeds – ¼ tsp
  3. Red chilli powder – 1 tsp
  4. Shallots – 7 Nos.

For tempering:

  1. Coconut Oil – 1 tsp
  2. Mustard seeds – ¼ tsp
  3. Split black gram (vellai ulundhu paruppu) – ½ tsp (optional)
  4. Curry leaves – a few
  5. Asafoetida powder (hing/ perung-kaya podi) – ¼ tsp
app-kt-ingr2 Appalam Kootu

How to prepare appalam kootu:

  • Wash lentils & soak for an hour.
  • Heat a cooking bowl in high flame after adding lentils, water & turmeric powder into it.
  • When water begins to boil, reduce the flame to medium.
  • Meanwhile fry appalam in hot oil and keep aside.
  • Prepare coconut paste & tempering as shown below and keep them aside.
app-kt-pre Appalam Kootu
  • When lentils are cooked soft add coconut paste, salt & water (100 ml) and bring it to a boil.
  • Add crushed appalam and give a quick stir.
  • Remove from flame.
  • Add tempering and mix well.
  • Now appalam kootu is ready to serve.
appl-kt Appalam Kootu
Appalam kootu recipe

Appalam kootu goes well with paruppu & puli-kuzhambu (any kara-kuzhambu) or rasam.

IMG_1473 Appalam Kootu
Lunch with appalam kootu

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  4. Absolutely delicious. My Mum made these when I was a child & I guess I have completely forgotten.. The next time I fry a batch of appalams, I am surely going to try these.

    1. Appalam (papad) is a thin disc made of black gram flour, it may be fried in hot oil or roasted in direct flame and served as an appetizer. You may find them in Indian grocer nearby.

  16. Never had pappad other than fried….this is something very new to me ?….shall try this soon!!! Thanks for sharing this recipe Meghala ??

    1. Yes, you are right, you can make it when you don’t have any vegetable to cook for a lunch ! 🙂

  18. Appala Kootu.. Interesting recipe Megala. Never tried before. It looks so delicious. I must try this recipe. Thanks for sharing. 🙂

  25. Nice reading about your childhood memories and yummy kootu, I remember having appalam curry when i was little but have not had in a long time.

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