appam

[ op-uhm ]

noun

1. a thin, bowl-shaped pancake from southern India, made from a fermented batter of rice flour and grated coconut or coconut milk.

Word History and Origins

Origin of appam¹

First recorded in 1970–75; from Tamil appam, from Malayalam appam

Example Sentences

Dosa, idli, and appam — some of my 9-year-old daughter's Indian favorites — are on frequent rotation here.

From Salon

Ditto for pillowy idli and lacy appam.

From Salon

Chennai refers to the capital of Tamil Nadu, the southern state that Rajoo, 44, calls home; hoppers is the Anglicized word for appam, the pancake based on fermented rice batter and fresh coconut.

From Washington Post

The menu is about the size of a newspaper and carries almost as much information, with a glossary on the reverse side that runs from appam to yakhni.

From New York Times

My spicy facsimile almost channels Thattu's warming winter stew known as pork peralan, with hunks of tender pork in cumin-scented tomato curry—whose reddish oil slick stains my fingers as I scoop it up with lacey appam, a tangy fermented rice crepe.

From Salon