Eating Appam in KL

Only the most skillful of the Indian cooks/housewives using the freshest rice flour and coconunt milk can produce this top notched appam in KL @ Krishna Curry House.

The little outlet is favoured by the young and old from all walks of life and from all racial backgrounds. Eating in the shop you know you are in Malaysia...Indians using their hands to savour their curries and the Chinese using their forks and spoons to bring every morsel of nasi lemak into their mouths!! Food unites people in more ways than one!!

And the nice chatter of children asking for more noodles or drinks is a delight to the ears. While smiling ladies sit gracefully at their tables taking in the amusing scenes of Malaysians enjoying their colourful and exotic Indian food some older Chinese men may be reading their newspapers oblivious to the goings on! Although it is a fairly big corner shop the diners do not shout when they talk. Conversations are held in subdued tones...lots of respect for other customers . And that's a great added comfort. Waiters move about quietly and serve customers in low and polite and endearing tones.

What a superb breakfast with appam as the "must" have! After washing down some other lovely dishes we had room for an appam each and washing the whole delicious food down with a great freshly made lassi. Our day was made!!

Appam (Coconut Rice Pancake)

300 gm rice flour

280 ml coconut (you can use 250ml of coconut milk from the pack + 30ml of water/270ml coconut milk with 10ml of water)

3/4 teaspoon instant dry yeast (Mauripan)

3/4 tsp salt of salt

60gm castor sugar

1/2 cup rice

Blend all the above ingredients and stir into a large mixing bowl and cover with a towel (you may also stir it into a large container with a lid to let the batter rise).

Allow the batter to rest and rise for about 45 to 60 minutes.  The batter should rise twice its size.

When the batter is ready, heat up a wok (12inches ) and oil the surface (with one tablespoon of oil) with a cloth. 

Pour about ¼ cup of batter into the wok and gently swirl the pan around to form a bowl with thin sides and a thick layer in the center and let the batter collect at the bottom of the wok.

Cover and let it cook for 2-3 minutes on slow fire.

The appam is done when the thin sides are golden brown and crispy with a soft spongy centre with a golden brown base.

You may serve the appam with slightly sweetened coconut milk.

Note: Fry an egg before you start making your hopper.  It should help form the hopper nicely and stops the batter from sticking to the wok.

Crispy and thin....the thinnest crepe a French chef might envy in this part of the world.

sweet coconut milk sauce for the nice appam

The all important 12 inch black wrought iron kuali...without this you cannot make the shape of the  appam

the pail with the appam batter...You can tell how well it has been prepared by the aunty who knows every one of her customer...she also knows where they were born or come from!! Sometimes a family with three generations will come to compliment her cooking and thank her!! That says it all...

Krishna Curry House is definitely a True Malaysian Eatery....it gives you the kind of hospitality you cannot find in other kinds of eatery. The Indians here are warm and friendly and the service is good. Price list is affordable. If you are quite lost in your choice the waiter would be brotherly enough to help you out. Refills of your sauces and dhall would be attractive enough to bring you back here more often!

Do make sure you plan your meals properly because the food here is delicious but full of cholesterol!! Or you can always walk 2 miles...after having the Appam.