Unniappam

Unniappam is a very famous Kerala snack. In malayalam unni means small and appam means rice cake. Its a sweet dish which is specially prepared during Onam. This snack is served as prasadha in many temples. 

We need 'Unniappa chatty', a special kind of kadai which gives  the round shapes to unniappams. But don't worry, you can use even a normal kadai. Even if the shape doesn't turn up as expected the taste will not change. 

Unniappam

Unniappa kadai

Ingredients:

1. Rice flour- 2 cups (or 1 cup of maida and 1 cup of sooji rava)
2. Well ripped Bananas – 5-6 small (Avoid the bananas which are used to make banana podi)
3. Jaggery – 2 big pieces
4. Salt – a pinch
5. Cooking soda - a pinch
6. Cardamom Powder - 1/4 tsp
7. Black sesame seeds – 1- 2  tsp
8. Coconut sliced into thin pieces – 1/4th of a cup
9. Oil - for frying
10. Ghee – 2 tbsp

 Method:

1. Heat grated jaggery and 1/4cup of water in a vessel. Stir well until jagarey gets dissolved completely and   keep it aside.
2. Roast the coconut pieces in 2 tsp of ghee till it become light brown in colour. Off the flame and add sesame seeds into it. Keep it aside.
3. Grind banana into a fine paste in a mixer. Add rice flour, jaggery syrup, cooking soda, cardamom powder and a pinch of salt into the same mixer and blend well.
4. Now transfer it to a vessel and add fried coconut pieces and sesame seeds.
5. The batter should be as thick as the idly batter. Taste the batter and if you want it to be sweeter add some sugar and mix well till it dissolves.
6. Keep it aside for about 15mins.

Frying process:

1. Heat oil in a ‘unniappa kadai’.
2. Pour oil into each pit covering half of it.
3. When oil is very hot, reduce the flame and fill 3/4th of each hole with the batter.
4. Turn them around when 1 side is cooked.
5. Remove and drain the unniappams when they are golden brown.

Note: If it’s a normal kadai then pour oil, then take dough in a spoon and put it to the hot oil. If the kadai is big at a time you can prepare 5 to 8 appams.