Being home in lock down has given us time to explore different cuisines. Couple weeks ago my friend posted a picture of a dish her young daughter had made. It is fried ripe plantain stuffed with coconut, nuts, raisin, and sugar. It is called Unnakaya. It literally means cotton pod. The dish looks like one, hence the name. Unnakaya is a popular dish in the Muslim community in Malabar, Kerala, made during Ramadan. I have had plantain fritters, never heard of Unnakaya. It sounded like an interesting snack from what I heard from my friend. I went and bought some plantains and let them ripe well. I made the healthy version by air frying. Family loved it.
Ingredients:
2 Ripe plantain (Nendhram)
1/4 Cup grated coconut
1 Tablespoon cashew nuts, roasted and broken
10 raisins
5 Tablespoons sugar
1 Tablespoon ghee
1 teaspoon cardamom powder
coconut oil or ghee for frying
Method:
1. Steam cook plantain. I steamed them in pressure cooker for 10 minutes. Allow to cool. Peel plantain and mash them well in a bowl. Add a little rice flour(2 Tablespoon or as required) if the plantain is too sticky.
2. Heat 1 tablespoon ghee in a small pan. Add coconut, cashew nuts, raisins and sugar. Stir together. Remove from stove. Mix powdered cardamom.
3. Divide mashed plantain into balls. Take a ball in hand. Make an indention with the center.
4. Fill with teaspoon of the filling. Close it and shape it like a spindle. Repeat process with remaining plantain.
5. Heat a tablespoon coconut oil in a pan. Place one or two unnakaya in the oil and shallow fry on slow flame to golden brown. You can cook them in air fryer at 370 degree for 10 minutes. Spray them lightly with oil before cooking.
6. Serve warm with tea.
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