Kalathappam / Rice Cake

"Kalathappam" is a traditional north Malabar snack made using rice , jaggery, coconut flakes , cashew nuts and pearl onions. This rice cake is generally made in pressure cooker or traditional oven and is very popular in Malabar areas.

Ingredients

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Method

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Soak rice for 2 hrs in water. Grind well with cardamom and cumin using 1 cup waterto make a smooth batter.
Add baking soda, required amount of salt and mix well.
Melt 250 gm jaggery in 1/2 cup water and make jaggery syrup.
Filter jaggery syrup and add to grounded rice mixture.
Chop pearl onions to small pieces
Heat a pressure cooker and add 14 tbsp ghee.
Fry coconut flakes followed by cashew nuts and pearl onions till they turn golden brown.
Reduce flame and add the rice batter slowly. Do not stir.
Keep flame in high for 2 mins and reduce the flame to very low and cook with lid on for 20 more mins.(Do not put the weight of cooker).
It will get cooked in the slow flame and the heat.
After 20 mins , open the lid and check if it is cooked by inserting a toothpick.
If it is fully cooked, toothpick will come out clean, else keep for 2 more mins.
Remove from fire and allow to cool.
After cooling invert to a plate and slice to small pieces and serve.

Notes

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Ghee can be substituted with Coconut Oil or you can use a mixture of both.
Add adequate amount of ghee/ oil , else the appam will stick at the bottom of cooker.
Do not keep for more than required time , else steam gets accumulated and kalathappam will turn soggy .
You can increase or decrease the amount of jaggery syrup according to your taste.
Do not forget to add salt, because it helps to balance all the other tastes.