Unnakaya/ Unnakai/ Kaayada - Coconut Stuffed Plantain Rolls

If I had never built up my interest in blogging, then I think I wouldn't have been introduced to so many delicious and interesting recipes, from different parts of the world or even the country/ state I belong to. This is one such snack I had never had or heard about. Blogging introduced me to this snack and I am glad that it did.

The favorite snack with Ethakka/Nenthrapazham towards our part of Kerala has been the Ethakka Boil/ Pazham pori. So every time I see ripen Ethakka, the only thought that would cross my mind is to make Ethakka Boli out of it. But after trying Unnakaya, this has been a close second option to make with Ethakka. 

They are super good with the crunchiness of coconut inside and random bites on the ghee fried cashews and raisins. Yumm.. If you have never heard of it before like I had, I would say try it. I am sure you would love it. And come back and let me know if you too instantly fell in love with this snack.

Ingredients

1. 2 ripe plantains/ Ethakka (refer tips)
2. 1 1/2 cup of grated coconut
3. 1/4 tsp of cardamom powder
4. 3-4 tbsp of sugar
5. 2 tbsp of ghee
6. 1 tbsp of raisins
7. 1 tbsp of broken cashews
8. Oil for deep frying

Method

• Steam cook the plantains in a steamer, untill they cook well and turn soft. Peel off the skin and remove the middle seed portion of the plantains and grind them in a grinder without adding any water. Keep it aside.
• In a pan, take the ghee and fry the cashews. Once the cashews are half fried, add the raisins and fry them. Now add the sugar and grated coconut to it and stir it untill everything gets evenly distributed and the sugar gets melted. Turn off the heat and let it cool down.
• Now make 1 1/2 inch sized balls out of the ground and cooked banana. Flatten it on your palms and drop in a tablespoon of the coconut mixture in the center of it. Lock the open sides of the flattened banana mixture and shape them as you see in the picture.
• Deep fry them in oil and remove it on to a plate lined with tissue paper to drain away excess oil. Serve it with tea/coffee.

Tips

1. You would get it right only if you have chosen the plantains correctly. The plantains should be ripe but not overripe. If you gently press them, it should be soft but firm enough to not loose its shape or become hard to work with, once steamed.
2. Greasing your palms with ghee while shaping them would avoid sticking.
3. There are different versions of this snack. Sometimes you would come across Unnakaya with some egg filling in it. I have never tasted one nor have I tried, yet.