The unique cheeppappam of Malabar

The people in Kozhikode, Kasargod, and Kannur love to treat their guests to some mouth watering local snacks. Crispy plantain chips called 'varuthaya,' spicy mixture, and cheeppappam are served with a cup of hot tea flavored with cardamom.

Some say that fried snacks like achappam and kuzhalappam, too, are types of cheeppappam. However, the cheeppappam, which is exclusive to Malabar, is made using a unique technique. They are made by designing the dough in amazing patterns using a plantain stem or comb.

Here is the recipe to make crispy cheeppappam.

Ingredients
2 cups raw rice (powdered)
1 egg
Salt as required
1 cup sugar
1 ½ cups water
Oil to fry

Preparation
In a bowl add the raw rice powder, egg and salt
Pour some water and mix into a loose dough
Make small balls from this dough
Press these balls on a plantain stem or using a comb to make the design on it
Heat oil in a pan and deep fry the cheeppappam
In a pan add sugar and water
Stir until the sugar dissolves into a clear syrup
Add the fried cheeppappam into the sugar syrup and coat well.