Unnakai/ Kai ada/ Unnaka/ Kai porichathu

I call this as grandma's recipe.. My grandma is quiet old now that she is banned to use these sweet kind dishes. But this was one among her master pieces. Whenever me and my cousins go for a sleep over at her place she would love to prepare this for us and would just sit and watch us hogging them like anything. She will be working on it till dinnertime. Then we all would just curl up under blankets to sleep..


This is a Malabar snack called with several names like unnaka, kai ada etc.


Requisites:-For 2 unnakai


Ripe Plantain /Naadan nenthrapazham-1
Coconut-3/4cup
Sugar-1tblspn or to taste
Ghee-1+2 tspn
Cardamom powdr-1/2tspn


Optional:
Cashews and rasins optional


Directions:-


The banana u use should not be too much ripened that they smash up. But they should have reached their maximum sweetness.

• Steam the banana for10min till they turn tender and cooked. Use a pressure cooker or a colander placed over boiling water closed with lid.
• Meanwhile heat pan with ghee in it. Saute cashews and raisins in ghee till the raisins pop up and cashews turn slightly brown. Add cardamom pwdr  and coconut to this. And it is quite optional that you roast the cashews and raisins in ghee, because many doesn't like that. 
• Now add sugar to this and roast these till the coconut starts turning slightly crispy and looks glazing.  This might take around 10min at medium flame. You would get a tempting aroma reaching your children playing in yard. This is the right consistency. When it cools make small oval balls out of it.
• Now take out the steamed banana and  let it cool. Smash them with hands very well. 
• Take half of it in your palm and roll them first, then flatten into an oval shaped patties. Place the coconut ball at center and join the sides of banana.
• Now heat 2 spoons of ghee in a pan and place them on it. Turn each side and let them turn slightly brown.
• You can also go for deep frying, if you like. But i chose a healthier version with less ghee, hence less fat.
• Thats it.. Your unnakai is ready to be served.

You can also scramble egg with sugar and mix up with the coconut for the filling.

ENJOY YOUR MEAL:)