Alternative names | Kurishappam |
---|---|
Serving temperature | Dinner [1] |
Main ingredients | Rice batter |
Variations | Palappam (fermented bread for festivities and other days) |
Other information | Cultural cuisine of the Nasrani |
Pesaha appam or Kurisappam [1] is a firm rice cake made by the Christians of Kerala, India, to be served on the night of Maundy Thursday (Pesaha). [1] It is made from rice batter like palappam, [2] but is not fermented with yeast in its preparation. [3] A cross is made using the palm leaves from Palm Sunday, and placed in the middle of the batter. [3] [4]
The Pesaha celebration of Christians falls on Western Maundy Thursday and lasts for a single day. [5] [6] [7] Traditionally, Pesaha appam is served in a ceremonial manner at night in Christian households across Kerala. [8] The head of the family cuts the appam, dips it in paalukurukku (syrup) or Pesaha pal (coconut milk), and serves it to the other family members. [2] [8] The brown palkurukku is made mainly using jaggery and coconut milk. The meal also includes small banana variants in Kerala such as poovan pazham or njalipoovan pazham. [1] Some families[ who?] have the custom of singing traditional Kerala Nasrani Christian songs during this meal. [9]
The Pesaha appam is said to have been derived from traditional Jewish matza. [10] [11] [12] [13] [14] [15] [8] [16] Like matza, it is prepared without yeast.
Media related to Pesaha Appam at Wikimedia Commons
Alternative names | Kurishappam |
---|---|
Serving temperature | Dinner [1] |
Main ingredients | Rice batter |
Variations | Palappam (fermented bread for festivities and other days) |
Other information | Cultural cuisine of the Nasrani |
Pesaha appam or Kurisappam [1] is a firm rice cake made by the Christians of Kerala, India, to be served on the night of Maundy Thursday (Pesaha). [1] It is made from rice batter like palappam, [2] but is not fermented with yeast in its preparation. [3] A cross is made using the palm leaves from Palm Sunday, and placed in the middle of the batter. [3] [4]
The Pesaha celebration of Christians falls on Western Maundy Thursday and lasts for a single day. [5] [6] [7] Traditionally, Pesaha appam is served in a ceremonial manner at night in Christian households across Kerala. [8] The head of the family cuts the appam, dips it in paalukurukku (syrup) or Pesaha pal (coconut milk), and serves it to the other family members. [2] [8] The brown palkurukku is made mainly using jaggery and coconut milk. The meal also includes small banana variants in Kerala such as poovan pazham or njalipoovan pazham. [1] Some families[ who?] have the custom of singing traditional Kerala Nasrani Christian songs during this meal. [9]
The Pesaha appam is said to have been derived from traditional Jewish matza. [10] [11] [12] [13] [14] [15] [8] [16] Like matza, it is prepared without yeast.
Media related to Pesaha Appam at Wikimedia Commons