SUBANG JAYA, Feb 21 – There's something very pleasurable about eating a freshly-made appam.
Think wafer thin edges that are browned till they shatter into small pieces when you reach out with your fingers to eat it. It's the contrast of textures: Crisp on the outside yet voluptuously soft in the middle.
Don't use your cutlery. The appam must be celebrated with our hands.
Eat it straight away once it's pried away from the hot pan. Yes, it's burning hot but the appam is at its prime. Just a bit of the brown crunchy edge with a scoop of the centre.
That's how you should celebrate the weekend, at Amachi's Palagaram, where appams are made to order at this home-based business.
Its core business is palagaram or traditional Indian snacks like murukku and sweets.
According to theSun, the business started in the 1970s, back in Sungai Petani, where it was was run by Narmatha Shanmugan's late Amachi (grandmother in Tamil).
It started when a Madam Singh approached Amachi to make urandai for a family function. As word spread, orders poured in and Amachi decided to start this business as she was the sole breadwinner after her husband's death. She continued selling her snacks until she died in 2009.
The second generation – namely her daughters Yogesvari Siva Sangara Pillai and Annaletchimi Siva Sangara Pillai – continued the business in Subang Jaya.
In 2020, Yogesvari's daughter, Narmatha, continued her family's legacy of making these traditional delicacies. She was later joined by her husband, Aaron Jay Dason.
You can order the snacks on their website. These snacks include various types of murukku, urundai, eggless cookies and much more. Everything is prepared using traditional methods.
A year ago, they branched out to serve appam as a way to market their business. It has become a fixture among the Subang Jaya community, where regulars drop by for their appam fix.
It's the small touches that matter here. Like their written menu describing the appam offerings.
There's four types of appam, a choice of sweet or savoury.
For the ultimate appam, go for the Paal Appam (RM4). Described in their menu as the "OG of appams", it's that dreamy rich coconut milk centre with crispy edges that makes it a firm favourite of many.
If you find it a little too rich, go for the Paal Appam with Jaggery (RM4.50). That sprinkle of jaggery seems to temper the richness of the thick, sweet coconut milk while it adds another flavour level with its natural sweetness.
For those who love savoury snacks, try the Plain Appam with Coconut Sambal (RM4). The rich flavour of the freshly grated coconut sambal with spices and a hint of spiciness complements the plain appam well.
And if you're the type who likes a power meal packed with goodies, there's the Egg Appam with Coconut Sambal (RM5.50). Here the appam has a cooked egg with a runny yolk, blanketed with ground black pepper and a side of that fragrant coconut sambal.
There's also freshly brewed Masala Chai. It's a milder tasting version.
You can also sample various snacks offered here like the garlic and onion ribbon murukku. It's RM4 for a small packet. There's also Achi Murukku, where a small jar is sold for RM20.
Groups of people visit throughout the day to enjoy the appams. Peak times are breakfast, after lunch and tea time.
As they offer limited seating, it can get crowded, depending on timing. If it's too full, some prefer to just do a takeaway.
Look for the notice board proclaiming, "Hot! Hot! Appams and Masala Chai" and you would have found the place, which is just across from the First Baptist Church.
Amachi's Palagaram, 35, Jalan SS17/1, Subang Jaya. Tel:016-2445037. Open: 8.30am to 6pm (Saturday and Sunday). Facebook: @amachipalagaram Instagram: @amachis.palagaram
*This is an independent review where the writer paid for the meal.
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