A small, dark, sweet Kerala fritter made from a batter of rice flour, jaggery and mashed ripe banana, fragrant with cardamom and fried in ghee (ney means ghee in Malayalam). It's a classic temple and festival sweet across Kerala.

What's the difference between Neyyappam and Unniyappam?

They're very close - both are rice-flour-and-jaggery sweet appams fried in small moulds. Names and small additions vary by region and household; many use the terms interchangeably.

Do I need a special pan?

An appakara (paniyaram / aebleskiver pan) gives the classic round shape with less oil, but you can also deep-fry spoonfuls of batter in a regular pan.

Why is my Neyyappam hard?

Usually too much rice flour or too little resting. The batter should be thick but smooth; resting it 15–20 minutes and adding the mashed banana keeps the appam soft inside.

Neyyappam recipe (Kerala rice & jaggery fritters)

Rest the batter, watch the heat

Two things make a soft Neyyappam: resting the batter so the rice flour hydrates, and frying on steady medium heat so the inside cooks before the jaggery-dark outside catches. The mashed banana keeps it tender. More on jaggery in our glossary.

The recipe