Why is pesaha appam called inri appam (ഇൻറി അപ്പം)?

PESAHA appam, also known as inri appam or kurisappam, is an unleavened bread, made in remembrance of the Last Supper. (The Last Supper is the final meal that, according to the Gospel accounts, Jesus shared with his apostles in Jerusalem before his crucifixion).

In the evening, everyone in the family gathers around the dining table. After a short prayer, the head of the house cuts the bread, dips it in palkurukku (syrup) or pesaha pal (coconut milk) and distributes it among the other members of the family.

It is made from rice batter like palappam, but is not fermented with yeast in its preparation. A cross is made using the palm leaves from Palm Sunday and placed in the middle of the batter.

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. Some families have the custom of singing traditional Kerala Nasrani Christian songs during the meal.

This cake is called by the name 'Inri Appam' or 'Indari Appam' in Malayalam as it comes from the abbreviated inscription 'I.N.R. I' on the top portion of the cross. (INRI is the abbreviation for Iesus Nazarenus Rex Iudaeorum, the Latin inscription placed over Christ's head during the Crucifixion which in English translates to "Jesus the Nazarene, King of the Jews").

Recipe

Ingredients for appam

•    1 ¼ cups rice flour, lightly roasted
•    ¼ cup skinless black gram (ഉഴുന്ന്), soaked for 3-4 hours
•    1 cup grated coconut
•    1 big shallot (ചുവന്നുള്ളി)
•    3 garlic pods
•    ½ tsp cumin seeds
•    Salt to taste
•    Water

For paal

•    2 ½ cups grated jaggery
•    ¼ cup thick coconut milk
•    1 cup thin coconut milk
•    ¼ tsp ground cumin
•    A pinch of ground cardamom
•    2 tsp rice flour 

Instructions 

For Appam

1.    Place black gram with water in the bowl of a small food processor, and process until smooth paste forms. Set aside. Place grated coconut, cumin seeds, garlic shallot and enough water in the bowl of the food processor, and process until very coarse paste forms. Set aside.
2.    Place rice flour in a large bowl. Season with salt. Add black gram paste and coconut paste into the bowl. Mix well. Add enough hot water to make lump-free batter. The batter should have idli batter consistency. Set aside for 30 minutes.
3.    Grease moulds with oil. Pour the batter into the moulds. Steam for 20-25 minutes. 

For paal

1.    Melt grated jaggery with 2 cups of water. If there is any impurity, strain it.
2.    Place the melted jaggery over low heat, and add thin coconut milk. Stir constantly for 10 minutes. Add thick coconut milk, and stir again for another 10 minutes. Add ground cardamom and ground cumin. Stir continuously for 5 minutes. Add rice flour, and stir constantly, for another 10 minutes, or until it reaches a syrup consistency.
3.    Serve pesaha appam with paal.