An appam is a type of thin pancake in South Indian cuisine. It is made with fermented rice batter and coconut milk, traditionally cooked in an appachatti, a deep pan similar in shape to a wok. It is a popular dish in the Indian states of Kerala and Tamil Nadu and in Sri Lanka. In Sri Lanka, they are typically known as hoppers. Appams are most frequently served for breakfast or dinner, often with a side dish such as a vegetable or egg curry.

"Appam" (also aapa, appe) may derive from the Sanskrit word (अपूप apupa), which refers to a type of "fried dainty."

Vir Sanghvi, an Indian journalist, quotes food historian K. T. Achaya and states that the appam is mentioned in the Tamil Sangam literature, in works like Perumpāṇāṟṟuppaṭai. Achaya states that appams were well-established in ancient Tamil country as mentioned in Sangam, with poems also describing appams along with modakam being sold at street markets in ancient city of Madurai.

“At nightfall, the sounds of conch shells cease, and shops are shut, their screens pulled down. Vendors, who sell delicate appams that are like honeycombs and modakam that are made by hand filled with coconut and sugar sweet and pulses, go to sleep."

Appams are a close relative of dosas. Early dosas were made from rice batter and later black lentils were introduced, and since then black lentils have become an integral component of dosa. The recipe of appam unlike dosa has remained unchanged for centuries. One of the earliest recipes for appams can be found in the elaborately carved recipe on the walls of the Srirangam temple, made to be offered to the deity.

Appams have a rich history in the island nation of Sri Lanka. There are multiple styles of fermenting appam, and some Jewish historians have noted that the Cochin Jews of Kerala used fresh toddy instead of yeast.

Idiyappams (string hopper or noolputtu) are made from rice noodles curled into flat spirals. They are served for breakfast with a thin curry of fish or chicken, containing only one or two pieces of meat, a dhal (lentil) dish, and a spicy sambol or fresh chutney. Kiri hodi or sodhi, a type of coconut milk curry, is another popular accompaniment to idiyappam. String hoppers are made from steamed rice flour made into a dough with water and a little salt, and forced through a mould similar to those used for pasta to make the strings. They are cooked by steaming. Some people even sprinkle grated coconut on the rice noodles. These hoppers can be bought ready-made. In India and Sri Lanka, string hoppers can be served as both a breakfast meal and as dinner. There are many variations to hoppers, depending on, for example, the type of flour used. This simple dish can be adapted into other foods such as string hopper biriyani, by adding scrambled eggs or vegetables.

Achappams are deep-fried rose cookies made with rice.