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1
Drain the soaked rice and grind it with the grated coconut and enough water to produce a smooth, flowing batter — looser than dosa batter — so the coconut's fat and moisture are worked evenly through the grain from the start, giving the finished appam its tender crumb. The ground batter should coat the back of a spoon and run off in a thin, unbroken stream.
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2
Stir in the toddy (or the yeast solution) and salt, then transfer to a large vessel, because the batter will double in volume as the wild cultures in the toddy work through the ground rice. Cover and ferment at room temperature for 8–12 hours; the batter is ready when it is visibly bubbly, has doubled, and carries a faint sweet-sour aroma.
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3
Immediately before cooking, stir the thick coconut milk gently into the fermented batter — adding it now rather than before fermentation keeps its fat intact and free to crisp the lacy edges in the pan. Do not ferment further once the coconut milk is added; the final batter must still flow freely in a thin stream from a spoon.
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4
Set the appachatti (deep round-bottomed iron pan) over a high flame — the pan must be well-seasoned — and heat until a drop of water thrown in evaporates on contact instantly, telling you the surface is hot enough to set the batter's edges the moment they touch it. This is where the dish lives or dies: a cold pan will not set the edges on impact, the batter will spread flat, and the thick centre cannot form.
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5
Remove the pan briefly from the flame, pour one ladleful of batter into the centre, and immediately take the pan in both hands and execute one smooth, continuous rotational swirl so that the batter rides up the curved sides — the momentum carries the thinner batter outward while the heavier central pool stays put, which is what builds the thick soft dome. Return the pan to the flame; the thin batter at the edges should already be setting into a pale lace while the central pool remains liquid and thick.
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6
Cover immediately with the lid so the trapped steam cooks the thick centre through from above without direct heat, which would otherwise colour or toughen it before the middle is set. Cook for 2–3 minutes; the appam is done when the lacy edges are dry, crisp, and lifting away from the pan of their own accord, while the centre is set, soft, and faintly spongy to the touch.
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7
Slide the appam out without folding, as the lacy edge is fragile. Serve immediately, and repeat with the remaining batter, checking the pan temperature between each appam so the heat never drops enough to rob the next one of its lace.