Appam with vegetable stew

Step 1: Rinse 10 ½ oz raw short-grain rice (such as ponni or sona masuri) well and soak in plenty of water for 5 hours. Drain.

Step 2: Grind the rice with 3 ½ oz fresh grated coconut, 2 ⅛ oz cooked rice and most of 1 ¼ cups water to a very smooth, pourable batter, about 8–10 minutes. Rub a drop between your fingers: it should feel silky, not gritty. The cooked rice is what gives appam its soft, spongy middle.

Step 3: Stir in 2 tbsp sugar and ½ tsp instant yeast, pour into a large bowl (it will double) and cover loosely. Leave in a warm place for 8–10 hours or overnight, until bubbly, risen and lightly sour-sweet.

Step 4: Next morning, stir in 1 tsp salt and enough of the remaining water to make a batter like single cream. Leave for 15 minutes while you start the stew.

Step 5: For the stew, heat 2 tbsp coconut oil in a wide pan over a medium heat. Add 1 ⅛ in cinnamon stick, 4 cloves, 3 green cardamom pods and ½ tsp black peppercorns and let them sizzle for 30 seconds until fragrant.

Step 6: Add 1 onion, 1 tbsp fresh ginger, 3 green chillies and half of 12 fresh curry leaves and cook for 4–5 minutes until the onion is soft and translucent. Keep it pale: a Kerala stew should be creamy white.

Step 7: Add 2 potatoes, 1 carrot, 2 ⅞ oz green beans, 1 ¾ cups thin coconut milk and 1 tsp salt. Bring to a gentle simmer, cover and cook on a low heat for 12–15 minutes until the potatoes are tender. Add 2 ⅛ oz green peas for the last 3 minutes. Crush a few potato cubes into the sauce to thicken it.

Step 8: Pour in ¾ cup thick coconut milk and warm through for 2 minutes over a very low heat; don't let it boil, or the coconut milk splits. Add the rest of the curry leaves and take off the heat.

Step 9: Heat an appachatti (appam pan) or small non-stick wok over a medium heat and wipe with a little of 1 tsp vegetable oil. Pour in a small ladle (about 60 ml) of batter, then immediately lift the pan by both handles and swirl it once round so the batter climbs the sides in a thin layer, leaving a pool in the middle.

Step 10: Cover and cook on a medium-low heat for 2–3 minutes, until the centre is puffed, set and spongy and the edges are crisp, lacy and golden. Don't flip it. Ease it out with a spatula.

Step 11: Serve 3 appams per person with the warm stew ladled alongside. Makes about 14.