Unnakaya/Kai Ada

Unnakaya/kai Ada

Ramadan Kareem to all…..During this holy month of Ramadan Islamic followers abstain from eating and drinking during daylight hours. They break their fast after sunset with an evening meal known as "Iftar”. An Iftar meal normally consists of wide varieties of traditional dishes. On this auspicious occasion I thought it would be nice to share a traditional recipe which originated from Malabar region of India. Malabar is famous for its wide varieties of rich tasty delicacies. Unnakaya is a sweet dish made with banana. A Malabar Iftar is incomplete without Unnakaya.Here goes the recipe...

Ingredients

2 semi ripe bananas boiled and mashed

¼ cup grated coconut

1 tablespoon chopped cashew nuts

1 tablespoon raisins

2-3 tablespoon sugar                                     

½ teaspoon cardamom powder
A pinch of salt                 

1-2 eggs

1 table spoon ghee

Oil/ghee for frying                            

Method

• Place bananas in a steamer and steam until it is well cooked and soft.
• Remove the skin and run a knife through the middle and remove the black seeds.
• Mash or grind in a blender without adding water and keep aside.
• Beat egg with sugar,salt and cardamom powder and keep separate.
• Heat 2 tablespoon ghee in a pan.               
• Fry cashew and raisins until golden brown.
• Add grated coconut  and  sauté for 2-3 minutes.
• Add the egg mixture to this and mix well for 2-3 minutes.
• Remove from fire and allow it to cool.
• Oil your palm lightly and take lemon size portion of banana dough and flatten it in your palm to small disc shape.
• Put a teaspoon of filling on the middle of it and close the edges, press lightly and roll it into the shape of unnakaya(as shown in picture).
• Heat oil in a pan and carefully slide the unnakaya and fry it until all sides become uniformly brown.
• Drain on to a tissue paper and serve hot.