How To Make Kalathappam in Oven | Pesaha Appam

Pesaha Appam, also known as Kalathappam, is a traditional dish from Kerala, India. It holds significant cultural and religious importance, especially among the Syrian Christian community, particularly during Maundy Thursday, which is the Thursday before Easter. The dish is prepared and consumed as part of the Pesaha (Passover) meal, commemorating the Last Supper of Jesus Christ.

Pesaha Appam or Kalathappam is often served with Pesaha Pal (a sweet coconut milk mixture flavored with jaggery) or Pesaha Kalkandam (a jaggery syrup) as part of the Passover meal, symbolizing the body and blood of Jesus Christ.

How To Make Kalathappam in Oven | Pesaha Appam

Pesaha Appam, also known as Kalathappam, is a traditional dish from Kerala, India. Pesaha Appam or Kalathappam is often served with Pesaha Pal (a sweet coconut milk mixture flavored with jaggery) or Pesaha Kalkandam (a jaggery syrup) as part of the Passover meal, symbolizing the body and blood of Jesus Christ.

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Prep Time 30 minutes mins

Cook Time 40 minutes mins

Course Festival recipes

Cuisine Kerala

Servings 12

Ingredients

  

• 2 cups Raw Rice
• 1/2 cup Urad Dal
• 3/4 cup Coconut Slices
• 10-15 Shallots thinly sliced
• 1 1/2 teaspoons Cumin Seeds
• 3-4 cloves Garlic
• 1 cup Grated Coconut
• 4 sprigs Curry Leaves
• Salt to taste
• Coconut Oil

Pesaha Pal

• 150 gram Jaggery
• 2 Tablespoon Roasted Rice Flour
• 2 1/2 cup Thin coconut milk
• 1 cup Thick Coconut milk
• 3 Cardamom Pods
• 1/4 Teaspoon Cumin Seeds
• 1/4 Teaspoon Dry Ginger Powder
• 1 pinch Salt

Instructions

 

Prepare Ingredients:

• Wash the 2 cups of rice thoroughly several times, then soak them in water for 4-5 hours.
• Dry roast the urad dal in a pan over medium heat until it turns light brown. Remove from heat and set aside.
• In the same pan, add coconut oil. When it is hot fry the coconut slices until golden brown. Remove and set aside.
• In the same pan, fry the thinly sliced shallots until light brown. Remove and set aside.
• Fry the curry leaves until crisp. Remove and set aside, reserving the oil.

Grind Ingredients:

• Grind the roasted urad dal into a fine powder.
• After soaking rice, grind the soaked rice into a slightly coarse consistency. Transfer the rice paste to a mixing bowl.
• In a blender, grind the garlic cloves and cumin seeds with little water.

Prepare Batter:

• In a large mixing bowl, combine the ground urad dal powder, ground rice, crushed garlic-cumin-mixture, grated coconut, fried shallots, fried coconut pieces, and fried curry leaves. Make a thick batter with enough water.
• Add salt to taste and mix thoroughly.

Cooking Kalathappam in the Oven:

• Preheat oven to 350°F (180°C).
• Add 2 tablespoons of the reserved oil in a baking pan.
• Pour half of the batter into the baking pan, filling it about halfway.
• Place the baking pan in the oven and bake for about 45 minutes or until the Kalathappam is golden brown on the top and has a firm texture.

Cooking Kalathappam in the Pan:

• Heat some of the reserved oil in a pan over low heat.
• Once the oil is hot, pour the remaining batter into the pan and spread it evenly.
• Cover the pan and cook the appam over low heat for about 10 minutes or until cooked through. Flip it over halfway through cooking to ensure even browning on both sides.

For Pesahap Pal

• In a saucepan, melt the jaggery with 1/2 cup of water over medium heat. Once melted, strain the jaggery syrup to remove any impurities.
• Crush the cardamom pods and cumin seeds, and set them aside.
• .In a separate pan, combine the thin coconut milk, roasted rice flour, and melted jaggery syrup. Heat the mixture over medium heat, stirring constantly.
• Once the mixture starts to boil and reaches your desired consistency, add the crushed cardamom, cumin seeds, and dry ginger powder. Stir well.
• Pour in the Thick coconut milk and continue stirring until it is warm. Be careful not to boil the mixture, just heat it through.
• Stir the mixture for a few more minutes after adding the Thick coconut milk, then turn off the heat.
• Your Pesaha Pal is ready to be served. Enjoy this traditional Kerala delicacy as a part of your Pesaha meal!

Notes

Note: 1 Coconut (for extracting coconut milk). Extract coconut milk from the grated coconut. For the first extract, use 1 1/2 cups of water. For the second extract, use 2 1/2 cups of water.

Keyword kalathappam

Kalathappam (Pesaha Appam) Recipe

While Pesaha Appam, traditionally prepared in Kerala, India, is typically steamed, there’s a version of the dish that can be adapted for oven preparation. This adaptation is more commonly practiced by those who may not have access to traditional steaming methods or prefer the convenience of oven cooking.

Ingredients:

• 1 cup Urad Dal Powder
• 1 cup Coarsely Ground Rice Rava (Idli Rava or Rice Grits or Rice Semolina)
• 1 1/2 cups Fine Rice Flour
• 1 1/4 cups Grated Coconut
• 4-5 Garlic Cloves
• 1 1/2 teaspoons Cumin Seeds
• 3/4 cup Coconut Slices
• 10 Shallots, thinly sliced
• 4 sprigs of curry Leaves
• Salt to taste
• Coconut Oil (for frying and greasing)

Instructions:

1. Prepare Ingredients:
   • Dry roast the urad dal in a pan over medium heat until it turns light brown. Remove from heat and set aside.
   • In the same pan, fry the coconut slices in coconut oil until golden brown. Remove and set aside.
   • In the same pan, fry the thinly sliced shallots until light brown. Remove and set aside.
   • Fry the curry leaves until crisp. Remove and set aside, reserving the oil.
2. Grind Ingredients:
   • Grind the roasted urad dal into a fine powder.
   • In a grinder or blender, coarsely grind the garlic cloves, cumin seeds, and grated coconut. It should have a coarse texture, not a fine paste.
3. Prepare Batter:
   • In a large mixing bowl, combine the ground urad dal powder, rice rava, fine rice flour, crushed garlic-cumin-coconut mixture, fried shallots, fried coconut pieces, and fried curry leaves. Mix well to combine evenly.
   • Add salt to taste and mix thoroughly.
4. Cooking Kalathappam in the Oven:
   • Preheat oven to 350°F (180°C).
   • Add 2 tablespoons of the reserved oil to a baking pan.
   • Pour half of the batter into the baking pan, filling it about halfway.
   • Place the baking pan in the oven and bake for about 45 minutes or until the Kalathappam is golden brown on top and has a firm texture.
5. Cooking Kalathappam in the Pan:
   • Heat some of the reserved oil in a pan over low heat.
   • Once the oil is hot, pour the remaining batter into the pan and spread it evenly.
   • Cover the pan and cook the appam over low heat for about 10 minutes or until cooked through. Flip it over halfway through cooking to ensure even browning on both sides.
6. Serving:
   • Once cooked, remove the Kalathappam from the pan.
   • Serve hot with Pesaha Pal or Pesaha Kalkandam for a traditional Easter meal.

Enjoy your Kerala-style Kalathappam (Pesaha Appam)!