Sunday, September 20, 2015

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.


12 comments:

  1. So true but for blogging I too would not have moved out of my comfort zone and tried many recipes with confidence. The unnakaya has come out well I go for a tad bit more brown. I too dont go for egg filling.

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  2. Mouthwatering snack...... ithu kandappol veendum veendum undakkan thonnunnu...... love the snaps too........paranjathu sathayma.... blogging il vannillillayirunnuvenkil, orupad nalla items nammal ariyathae poyenae.... :)

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  3. Yummy snack... you have made it perfectly well...I too never know abt this before blogging... Was in my to do list for a long time..

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  4. I totally agree to what you say... As much as it pushes us out of our comfort zone, it makes it even more challenging to predict if the folks at home will accept it or not! :) The unnakaayas look lovely, just like Meena said, they need to be a tad bit brownier, so that the outer becomes crisp. I mix up the coconut and egg, first fry the coconut slightly, break the egg and scramble it up with sugar, tastes nice too... Already have the recipe on the blog...

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    Replies
    1. So true Rafee...I usually try stuff and if I don't get a positive response I either give it up or try a little different version to check if that is acceptable...

      Good to know Rafee that they taste good if brownier...I usually give up browning because they tends to absorb more oil..I shall try to go for darker ones next time....I somehow couldn't relate to the combo of bananas and eggs together..so didn't try it ...I think I should search for your recipe and give it a try

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  5. This is one of my favorites.. Just love them, looks delicious..

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  6. love these delicious,yummy and lovely unnakaya..oru cup chayayum koodi ayaal adipoli :)

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  7. shoo kothipichu...I never made this but have eaten it several times..so yumm!

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  8. Enikku korchu mati vaikkanae? Adipoli

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  9. I bet these tastes yummy.. would love to try this soon. Mouth watering :-)

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  10. Hi Anupa.... this snack is something that i love the most....even my kids.. i have also made and posted in my blog.. it will taste good (yuummmmm) even if it is not browned, i think u have taken plantains that are more ripe, the plantains shouldn't be too ripe, as it will absorb more oil while frying and becomes difficult to hold.i recommend to take "elam pazhutha pazham", steam, remove the seeds and then mash to a tight dough. try it it will cook out good.

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    Replies
    1. Thanks for the tips Preetha.. Shall try it the next time I get some perfectly ripe ones...:)

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