Unniyappam

Recipe No: 283
Traditionally Unniyappam is made with fresh Rice Flour. But as making/ getting fresh Rice Flour is a bit hard here in US, this is the best alternative. Well, I don’t think that the word ‘alternative’ do justice to these Unniyappams as it is far too easy to make and at the same time tastier and softer than the traditional ones. Oh… forgot to mention one important thing… I consider this as one of the best ways to use those black skinned overripe Bananas… Isn’t it wonderful? My friend who is from the North of Kerala says they call this ‘Kara Appam’ (As these are made in a ‘Kara’/ ‘Unniyappa Kara’).

Ingredients                               Makes around 40 small ones

• Long Grain Rice……1 Cup (Pachari)
• Banana………………..1 Big/ 2 small (1/2 cup mashed)
• Jaggery……………….1 Cup (cut into small pieces)
• Ghee……………………1 1/2 Tablespoons
• Coconut Pieces…….2 Tablespoons (Cut into very small pieces)
• Cumin Seeds………..1/2 Teaspoon (Optional)
• Sesame Seeds………1/2 Teaspoon
• Oil for frying
• Unniyappa Kara or Paniyaram pan for making the Unniyappam.

Method of Preparation

1. Wash and soak the Rice for 5-6 hours.
2. Melt Jaggery in ¼ Cup Water on a medium low flame until the pieces are melted thoroughly. Strain it twice to remove the impurities. Let it cool completely.
3. Drain the Rice well and grind it together with Banana and the melted Jaggery into a course batter. (The consistency requires special mentioning… It doesn’t have to be smooth; if we touch the batter and rub it between fingers we should feel the small bits in it.)
4. Pour it into a container and let it rest/ soak for about 6 hours. (I keep this overnight. This step is very important and read the 'notes' part to know more.)
5. Heat Ghee in a shallow pan on medium heat and fry the Coconut pieces till it starts to brown. Add the Cumin Seeds; stir and off the heat immediately. Pour this into the soaked batter together with the Sesame Seeds and mix well. (Adjust the thickness of the batter at this stage; if poured from a height it should flow down easily; you may not have to add any more Water if you follow the recipe carefully.)
6. Heat an Unniyappam/ Paniyaram pan on a medium heat and add the Oil up to 3/4th of the indentations. (Please refer the picture) Let it heat up.

7. Pour a tablespoon full of batter into each indentation and let it cook on the bottom. Once cooked, the sides will detach from the pan and will start to rotate in the Oil. (Please refer the picture.)
8. Turn the Unniyappam so that the other side is also cooked. (I pour 1 Tablespoon batter each and it took a minute on one side and 30 seconds on the other…yes very fast…)
9. Remove it from the Oil and let the excess Oil drain on a paper towel.
10. Serve warm or at room temperature. This will stay good at room temperature for 3-4 days; but will stay good for a longer period in the refrigerator. In the case of refrigeration, let it come to a room temperature or slightly warm it up before serving.

Notes:

• I used the dark Kerala type Jaggery, so using alternatives can reduce the color of the Unniyappam. Also it was broken into small pieces. Grating may change the level of sweetness of the dish.
• I used the common Robusta type Banana that is available in US. These are big ones, so if you are using small variety you may have to use 2 or 3 depending on the size.
• This batter will be a little bit thinner than the Dosa batter.
•  Letting the batter rest for at least 6 hours is very important, as it helps the Rice particles soak making the Unniyappam rise; take into consideration that we are not adding any Baking Soda. Please note the bottom picture to see how much it rises without any leavening agents; this will happen only if you allow the batter to rest.
• To reduce the amount of batter sticking on to the 'Kara', let the pan heat up a bit before adding the Oil. Let the Oil heat again before adding the batter.
• The level of the Oil in the pan will rise with the addition of the batter; consider this when you pour Oil into the pan.
• Using a wooden skewer or an elongated rod with a pointed end is better to turn the Unniyappam and to take them out of the Oil.
• I put the gas stove on medium heat (on 5) throughout the whole process of making Unniyappam.(No increasing or decreasing the heat) Find a suitable moderate heat level on your stove for the process. Too high heat will burn the Unniyappam without cooking the inside and too low heat will make the Unniyappam absorb a lot of Oil.
• This recipe can be easily doubled.

 




Make it enjoy the deliciousness and 
serve it to your family with love…