Goad Appams: A traditional konkani sweet ball!

We wanted to cook something special for Ganapati. So, with 's recipe handy, M made Goad Appams - a traditional konkani sweet ball. Appams are generally made during festivals, though not necessarily for Ganapati, when the variant modaks are the preferred sweets. The recipe was perfect and the appams delicious! Thank you .

Recipe: (with my own variations and editorializing)
Ingredients
Note: You need an appae kaili. Looks like a circular muffin pan, made of heavy cast iron with semi-circular cavities the size of ice-cream scoops. The kaili (pan) is heated on a regular stove top. If push-comes-to-shove, you could use a muffin tray in the oven for 20 min at 375 deg C.

> 1 cup wheat flour (currently using Sujatha brand wheat flour - stylized as authentic chakki atta.)
> About 3/4 cup jaggery (lumpy brown sugar, before any refining or crystallization steps)
> 1/4 grated coconut (we used 1/2 cup grated coconut, frozen)
> 1 tbsp tuup - homemade clarified butter (or use regular butter)
> pinch of salt
> 10 cardamoms (elaichi)- powdered with a mortar and pestle

Method:
Blend the wheat flour, jaggery, salt, crushed cardamons and grated coconut. The dough needs to be the consistency of cookie dough. You can add water, or as we did, a few tablespoons of milk.

Heat appae kaili on a stove top and dribble some tuup in each cavity. When hot, scoop out a tablespoon of dough into each cavity. Load the center last, as it's the first one done! Add another dribble of tuup over the dough. Cook covered on low heat for 7-10 minutes. The edges will get crusty and dark brown. Use a spoon to scoop the 'appo,' turn it over and add another dribble of tuup. Cooked covered for another 5 minutes. Wallah! All done!

Not yet! M arranged a few appams in a plate (see pic), placed it in front of our home shrine and said a small prayer thanking Ganapati for our blessed lives. Then we feasted! Appams and milk!

was previously posted on ArunShanbhag.com