How to make soft spongy Kerala Appam with yeast (without appa podi)

I have posted a recipe of making appam with appam podi and kappi. Click here for Recipe. This is from freshly ground batter. We use raw rice, called pacha arisi / ari for appam. This is how I have seen my grandmother making the batter only difference is my mother use mixer / grinder to make the batter. Lets see the ingredients.

Ingredients:

For Batter

1. Pacha Arisi (Raw Rice) - 2 cup - soak it for about 3 - 5 hours
2. Grated coconut - 1 cup
3. Small banana - 2 (yellow kind called palayamkodan) optional
4. Cooked rice - less than a handful
5. Water as required

Activating Yeast 

1. Dry Yeast - 1/4 t spn, (looks like small granules slightly larger than mustard seed, color is beige)
2. Sugar 1 tsp
3. Water 2 tb sp

Preparation:

Step - 1 Prepare the batter

Step 2 - Activate yeast and mix with batter

Step 3 - Prepare appam from the nicely fermented batter

1. In a grinder or mixer add the batter ingredients except cooked rice and blend well
2. Add water little by little and get a smooth paste.  Add the cooked rice and blend again.
3. The consistency of the batter to be watery, how ever it would be slightly thick. Not like dosa/idli batter
4. Transfer the batter to a vessel, its now ready have the yeast mixed.

To Activate Yeast - follow the below steps:

1. Heat the water, luke warm. you should be able to insert your finger comfortably so it should not be too hot.
2. Pour the water in a bowl , add sugar and dry yeast.
3. Stir vigorously, and set it aside for 10 - 15 min
4. If the yeast is activated you would see froth on top, mix this and add to the batter. Mix well.

Let the batter sit for 8 - 12 hours. Overnight would be best. 

After this set time, the batter would have raised and looks like double the quantity. When you stir it would all go down. Mix salt and make appam as desired. Serve with sweetened coconut milk or stew or chutney or meat curry. Anything you like :)

There are lot of tips you might have to keep in mind.

Note:

• Test your yeast before hand, so that your batter is not wasted to avoid hard stoney appams. If the yeast is not activated either its expired / bad quality or the water temperature is not correct
• Try to keep the batter in a bigger utensil as the batter raises and might over flow, if the vessel / container is small.
• With yeast you will have 110% soft lacey like spongy appam
• I don't use baking soda while using yeast.