Achappam or Rose cookie

Achappam or Rose cookie is a sweet and crunchy snack of kerala. It is round and resembles a flower. It is made using ’achu’- a special round mould. The mould is typically made of iron but nowadays it is available in non-stick too. Traditionally , Achappams are made with rice , coconut milk, sugar and eggs. We can substitute the rice with a mixture of rice and maida(All purpose flour) and coconut milk with milk. The ratio of rice powder and maida can be varied ,the more the rice powder the more crunchier it will be. All the ingredients are mixed to form a thick batter that has the consistency of dosa batter. The mould is dipped in the batter and then inserted into the oil. The achappam separates from the mould and it is fried till golden brown. This is a tricky process and it can be done only with practice. It will be much easier with a non-stick mould. The mould should be hot enough so that the batter coats the mould properly. If the mould is not hot the batter will not stick to he mould and they will not separate from the mould when dipped in oil.

Here goes the recipe.

Ingredients:

Rice powder - 1 ½ cups
Maida or All Purpose Flour- ½ cup
Sugar - ½ cup
Coconut Milk - 1 ¼ cup
Eggs - 2
Sesame seeds - 2 tsp

Jeera seeds - 1 tsp(optional)
Salt - ¼
Oil for deep frying

Method:

1. Beat the eggs. Add sugar and coconut milk. Mix until the sugar dissolves. Mix in all the other ingredients to make a thick batter.


2. Heat the oil and dip the mould in it. The mould should be hot . When the mould is hot, dip 3/4th of the mould in the batter and then dip the mould into hot oil. [If the mould is not hot or if it is too hot the batter will not hold on to the mould]. After a few seconds slightly shake the mould so that the Achappams separates from the mould. [ If you shake too vigorously the Achappams may break or they may not hold their shape.]


3. Fry both sides on low-medium heat till slightly golden brown. Remove from oil and drain on paper towel. Continue in the same way with the remaining batter. Store in airtight container. Enjoy it with a cup of tea.

When I was searching on the internet I came across Kuih Rose(Malaysian snack)and Rosettes which I felt was similar to Achappam. You can find the Rosette mould here.

I am sending this to RCI-Kerala hosted by Jyothsna of

Curry Bazaar.