Unniyappam (Recipe from Vanitha Pachakam, September, 2013)

Unniyappam  - A very popular sweet in Kerala cuisine. New recipe from Vanitha Pachakam, September, 2013 !!

Makes: 13 unniyappam (godu appo in Konkan cuisine)

Ingredients

1/2 cup rice flour (ari podi), sieve rice flour

80 g well ripe bananas (2 medium size bananas (nannayi pazhutha palayamkodan pazham or poovan pazham), mash well

3 tablespoon melted and sieved jaggery

2 pinches cooking soda  (baking soda (not baking powder)

1/4 teaspoon cardamom powder

1/4 teaspoon dried ginger powder ( chukkupodi )

¼ cup water / 50 ml

 4 teaspoons  ghee

Tip: Better to use small ‘’ unniyappam kadai / appe kayli ‘’ as it is easier to manage heating evenly - so that the ‘’ unniyappam / appo ‘’ comes out evenly done.

Method

In a bowl, mix rice flour with mashed bananas and jaggery. Mix it well with a thick steel ladle until it well combined. Add ¼ cup water and make a batter of pouring consistency (like idli batter or normal unniyappam batter). Add cooking soda and mix well. Cover with a lid and keep aside for 3 hours.

Finally add  cardamom powder and dried ginger powder (dried ginger powder will enhance the taste).

 Heat unniyappam kadai / appekayli on a medium heat. Sprinkle each mould with 1/2 teaspoon ghee.

Pour batter in each mould (up to 3/4th level).  Sprinkle little ghee again over batter. Cover with a lid and cook on a low - medium heat for 8 - 10 minutes till crisp and sides turn golden colour (until the edges separate from the kadai moulds and you start getting a nice aroma). Flip them over (to cook the top side) with the help of stick and cook again for 8- 10 minutes or until  underside well cooked / golden color. Serve as snack.