Appam batter is traditionally cooked in what deep wok-like pan?

Appam batter is traditionally cooked in an appachatti.

An appachatti is a deep, rounded pan shaped somewhat like a wok. Its sloping sides let the cook swirl rice batter around the interior, creating appam’s characteristic thin, lacy rim while the batter settles into a soft, thicker center.

Appam is associated especially with Kerala and Tamil Nadu in India and with Sri Lankan hopper traditions. The fermented rice batter is poured into the heated pan, which is lifted and rotated so the mixture coats the sides evenly. It is then covered briefly, allowing the center to cook through without flattening the delicate edge.

The pan is easy to confuse with a generic tava or flat griddle, but those utensils produce a different shape and texture. A karahi is also deep, yet it is a general cooking vessel rather than the traditional utensil named for appam. Egg hoppers are a related variation in which an egg is cooked in the center.