• Wash the raw rice thoroughly 3-4 times, then soak it in water for 30 minutes. After soaking, drain the rice and set aside.
• Heat a pan over medium heat and dry roast the urad dal until it turns light brown. Once done, remove from heat and set aside.
• In the same pan, add a little coconut oil and fry the coconut pieces until they turn golden brown. Remove the coconut from the pan and set aside.
• In the same pan, using the remaining oil, fry the thinly sliced shallots until they become light brown. Once done, remove from the pan and set aside.
• In the same pan, fry the curry leaves until they become crisp. Remove from the pan and set aside, reserving the oil.
• Grind the roasted urad dal into a fine powder.
• Grind the soaked and drained rice into a powder, aiming for a texture similar to rava (semolina).
• In a grinder or blender grind the garlic cloves and cumin seeds with a little water first. Then add grated coconut and crush to form a coarse mixture. Do not grind coconut to paste.
• In a large mixing bowl, combine the ground urad dal powder, ground rice flour, crushed garlic-cumin-coconut mixture, fried shallots, fried coconut pieces, and fried curry leaves. Mix well to combine all the ingredients evenly. Prepare a thick batter with enough water.
• Add salt to taste and mix thoroughly.

Making it on the pan

• Heat some of the reserved oil in a pan. Once hot, pour enough batter into the pan and spread it evenly. Cover the pan and cook the appam over low heat for about 10 minutes or until it is cooked through.
• Remove it from the pan once the appam is cooked and golden brown.
• For a traditional Easter meal, serve the Kerala-style Pesaha Appam hot with Pesaha Pal or Pesaha Kalkandam. Enjoy!

Cooking in Steam

• Grease a round steaming dish, or any other steaming dish, with coconut oil.
• Pour the batter into the greased dish, filling it to about 3/4 full.
• Steam the appam in a steamer for about 20-25 minutes over medium heat, or until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean.
• Once cooked, remove the appam from the steamer and allow it to cool slightly before serving.

Prepare Pesaha Pal

• In a large pan, combine 1 cup of brown sugar and 1/4 cup of water. Heat the mixture over medium heat, stirring constantly, until the sugar is completely melted.
• Once the sugar is melted, add 3 cups of thin coconut milk to the pan.
• In a small bowl, mix 2 tablespoons of rice flour with a little water to form a smooth paste, ensuring there are no lumps. Add this rice flour paste to the pan and mix well to incorporate it into the coconut milk mixture.
• Stir the mixture continuously and bring it to a gentle boil.
• Add 1/4 teaspoon of cumin powder, 1/4 teaspoon of cardamom powder, and a pinch of salt to the boiling mixture. Stir well to combine.
• Reduce the heat to low and gradually pour in 1/4 cup of thick coconut milk while stirring continuously. Do not allow the mixture to boil once the thick coconut milk is added.
• Keep stirring until the mixture is heated through. Once hot, turn off the heat.
• Transfer the Pesaha Pal to a serving dish or bowl.