Instant Unniyappam | Kerala Unni Appam | Onam Sadya Recipe

Unniyappam/ Unni appam, a delicious sweet balls made from the rice flour, jaggery & banana and flavored with coconut, cardamom and sesame seeds. Though it's one of the traditional sweet from Kerala, India, we often make them at our home as snack. 

Unni appam is a variation from neiyappam recipe. In unni appam, mashed banana is added additionally and it gives such a nice aroma and taste to this recipe. Unni appam can be prepared by either deep frying or just like me, you can use the appe pan  to control the over use of ghee/ oil.

Whenever i have well ripened bananas in hand, this unni appam or wheat flour appam or banana bread would be my chance to finish off the banana without wasting them. Though I often make this unni appam at home, i'm wondering why I haven't posted the recipe here. 

As onam festival is near by, I thought it would be the right time to post this unniappam (it's one of the dishes on the sadya menu) and made this as a snack for yesterday evening and here i'm with the post. Let's check out how to make this yummy sweet.

Related : How to make Rava Maida Paniyaram 

Instant Unniyappam | Kerala Unni Appam

Preparation Time : 30 mins | Cooking Time : 20 mins | Serves : 18 small appam 
Recipe Category: Sweet | Recipe Cuisine: Indian
Instant Uniiyappam, Kerala Unni Appam, Unniappam,Snacks Unniyappam/ Unni appam, a delicious sweet balls made from the rice flour, jaggery & banana and flavored with coconut, cardamom and sesame seeds.

Sandhiya https://www.facebook.com/SandhiyasCookbook https://www.instagram.com/sandhiyascookbook/

Ingredients
Rice flour - 1/2 cup
Banana - 1/2
Jaggery - 1/4 cup
Cardamon - 2 
Baking soda - 2 pinch
Coconut bits - 1 tbsp
Sesame seed - 1 tsp
Ghee - as needed

Procedure

First add the banana into mixie jar and make it as puree and transfer into the bowl.

Next add the jaggery in a pan with couple of spoon of water. Heat the mixture and let the jaggery melts completely.

Once the jaggery is melted, strain the impurities and add into the banana puree, mix it well.

In a pan, heat 1/2 tsp of ghee and add the coconut bits, roast till it starts to change its color, remove from the heat and transfer into banana jaggery mixture.

In the same pan, roast the sesame seeds until it starts to pop up and add into the banana jaggery mixture.

Then add the rice flour into it and mix it all well together.

If needed add the water and make it as thick batter like idly batter.

Let it rest for 30-40 mins and then add the cardamom powder and baking powder and mix it well.

Heat the paniyaram pan and fill half of it with ghee, then pour the batter in each hole. Let it cook on low flame for 3-4 mins and then gently flip on to the other side.

Cook till they are golden brown on both sides and remove it from the heat. Do the same for the remaining batter.

Yummy Unniappam is ready to serve.

Related : How to make MuttaiKose/ Vettu Cake

Related : How to make Madagascar bread using appe pan

Notes:

• Here i'm using big variety of banana, so i have added only 1/2. If you're using small variety, you can add one whole banana.
• Make sure that the banana is ripen well.
• Instead of completely using ghee, you can use mixture of ghee and oil or just oil too.
• If you have time, let the batter rest for 4 -6 hrs, it ferments well then, so no need to add baking powder.
  

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Ellu Urundai | Sesame Seed Ladoo | Ladoo Recipe

Ellu Urundai, a delicious sesame seed balls sweetened with jaggery syrup. I have been thinking of posting this recipe for a very long time and yesterday when I was browsing through pinterest, I found out that the ellu urundai is one of the dishes prepared for ganesh chathurthi. 

In our family, we make kozhukattai/mothagam and sundal for ganesh chathurthi, never remember of making ellu urundai on this particular day, later when i talked to Amma, she mentioned that even in some part of tamilnadu, ellu urundai is prepared for ganesh chathurthi. 

With all that being said, thought it's the right time to post this recipe since ganesh chathurthi is just a few days away, today morning i have prepared this ellu urundai. It's such a simple recipe to make in no time during this festive season.

Now coming to the recipe, the cooking part of making this ellu urundai is so simple if you got the correct syrup consistency. When it comes to shaping them, I find it a little difficult to bear the heat. 

If you're like me who can't bear the heat and have sensitive hands(the heat from the jaggery syrup would easily burn the palm slightly, nothing to scare but still it hurts a little.), I would suggest making them as burfi instead of balls.

Once the mixture is ready, pour it on the greased plate and let it cool for mins and then you can cut into desired shape.Now let's see how to make this delicious sesame ladoo.

Ellu Urundai | Sesame Seed Ladoo

Preparation Time : 5 mins | Cooking Time : 10 mins | Makes : 8  
Recipe Category: Sweet | Recipe Cuisine: Indian
Ellu Urundai, Sesame Seed Ladoo, Sesame Seed Balls Ellu Urundai, a delicious sesame seed balls sweetened with jaggery syrup.

Sandhiya https://www.facebook.com/SandhiyasCookbook https://www.instagram.com/sandhiyascookbook/

Ingredients
Sesame Seed - 1/4 cup
Jaggery - 1/4 cup
Cardamom -1 
Water - 1/4 cup

Procedure

First heat a pan and dry roast the sesame seed until it starts to burst, remove it from the heat and transfer into the plate.

In the same pan, add the jaggery and water and let the jaggery melts completely.

Strain the jaggery syrup to remove the impurities and pour the syrup back into the pan(make sure to clean the pan before using) and add powdered cardamom & bring into boil again.

Once the syrup starts to bubble, pour few drops of syrup in the water and check the consistency.

The syrup should form a soft ball consistency, that means you can take the syrup from the water and able to form a ball. That's the correct stage, add the roasted sesame seed and mix it well.

Within few seconds, it forms together a ball, remove from the heat and start making small balls.

Tada, Yummy Sesame balls/ Ellu Urundai is ready.

Related: How to make Poori Urundai / Puffed Rice Balls

Notes:

• The syrup consistency is important to form the ball shape, so keep the flame in low when the syrup is about to reach the consistency to make sure that you don't miss the correct stage.
• Apply a few drops of ghee in your hands, it will helps to roll smoothly.
• You must roll them when the mixture is hot, if you can't bear the heat, simply layer it on the tray and cut into pieces.
• Instead of white sesame seed, you can used black sesame seed also.
  

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Double Layered Coconut Burfi | Coconut Burfi with Milk Powder

Double Layered Coconut Burfi, a delicious and easy to make burfi with coconut and milk powder. I have a vivid memory of eating coconut burfi from the petti kadai(small shop) during my school days.

In those days, these coconut burfi and porivilangai(roasted chana dal ladoo) were my favorite after lunch snacks and those were 50 paise/ piece then. In petti kadai, the coconut burfis were in two colors (white & pink) and I have a long term wish to make them at home.

Instead of making them in two colors separately, I thought of making them in layers, but I'm not sure about the flavors that go into that petti kadai coconut burfis, I remember only the colors, not the flavors. It's really a  long time since I have. 

Therefore, I went with my favorite flavors, cardamom for white layer and rose essence for pink layer and also I have added a small amount of milk powder(I'm sure that this was not included in the petti kadai burfi recipe) for extra richness and taste. To my surprise, it turned out so soft and delicious. 

Before checking out the recipe, here is a quick update[as of Dec 18], we're moving to the new place again, those who know me personally would have known that how many times we have moved since we got married, sometimes, it kinda feels like a modern nomadic life. 

As much as we like to move to new places, at times, it's kind of tiresome to start from scratch again & again. Is anyone related to it ??? So, coming to the point, since we're moving, there will be a lack of post for a while until I get my own kitchen again. Meantime, enjoy your time here. Merry Christmas and Happy New Year to all. 

Double Layer Coconut Burfi

Preparation Time : 10 mins | Cooking Time : 20 mins | Makes : 12 
Recipe Category: Sweet | Recipe Cuisine: Indian
coconut burfi, Double layer coconut burfi, Double Layer Coconut Burfi, a delicious and easy to make burfi with coconut and milkpowder.

Sandhiya https://www.facebook.com/SandhiyasCookbook https://www.instagram.com/sandhiyascookbook/

Ingredients
For Cardamom Layer
Coconut flakes(unsweetened) - 3/4 cup
Milk Powder - 1/4 cup
Sugar - 1/2 cup
Cardamom - 2(crushed)
For Rose Layer
Coconut flakes(unsweetened) - 3/4 cup
Milk Powder - 1/4 cup
Sugar - 1/2 cup
Rose essence - 2 drop
Pink food color(gel) - 1 drop(optional)

Procedure

First let's make the cardamom layer, take the sugar in a pan, add water just enough to cover the sugar and let it melt completely. 

Let it boil until the sugar syrup reach one string consistency, then add the coconut flakes and milk powder.

Mix it well without any lumps and then add the crushed cardamom.

Cook till the coconut mixture leaves the sides of the pan and then transfer the mixture into the ghee greased/ lined tray and flat the top with the ghee greased spoon/spatula.

Next let's make the rose layer, take the sugar in a pan, add water just enough to cover the sugar and let it melt completely. 

Let it boil until the sugar syrup reach one string consistency, then add the coconut flakes and milk powder.

Mix it well without any lumps. 

Then add the rose essence and food color into it and mix it well. 

Transfer the mixture on top of the cardamom layer and smooth out the surface on the top. Let it cool a bit and cut into squares.

Let it cool  completely and store it in air tight container. Delicious Coconut Burfi is ready.

Related : How to make Maida Burfi

Related : More Sweet Recipes

Notes:

• Instead of doing it in batches, you can make it in one shot and in the end divide the mixture into half and add the different flavoring into each one. 
• If you're doing like me, make each layer separately, then you have to super quick in making the second layer before the first one sets. Other wise the layers cannot stick together. 
• While making the second layer, keep the first layer near the stove itself, that way it won't set immediately.
• Milk powder gives richness to the burfi.
• You can add upto 1/3 cup of milk powder for this burfi.  
• I have pulsed the coconut once in a mixie for fine texture. But it's optional.
  

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Lavariya | Srilankan Sweet Dumpling | Sweet Recipe

Lavariya, a Srilankan sweet dumpling which is  made from the sweet coconut stuffing wrapped by the lacey rice flour outer layer. When i was browsing for Srilankan recipe, this lavariya(nice name for a recipe, right?) recipe caught my attention. 

It's like our poornam kozhukattai(modak) in an artistic way or we can say it's a merger of idiyappam and kozhukattai. Whatever it is, I really love the way it's made . So far, I have prepared this twice in the past 15 days, now you know how much I like this. They are so fun to make and most importantly it's absolutely delicious !!!

The basic recipe of the filing has been made with coconut & jaggery and flavored with cardamom powder. But I had seen a lot of recipes using cooked moong dal in addition to the coconut, so I tried both ways and liked them. Hence you can try this lavariya with moong dal stuffing or as simple as coconut stuffing.

The recipe that I'm sharing here has moong dal in it, but as said before, it's purely optional. And one more thing to mention here is that if you're making this for the first time, definitely it is gonna take a lot of time for shaping this lavariya,but I guess with little practice, it can be done in much less time.

Lavariya

Preparation Time : 1 hr | Cooking Time : 20 mins | Makes : 6-8 
Recipe Category: Sweet | Recipe Cuisine: Srilankan
Lavariya, Srilankan Sweet Dumpling, Srilankan Sweet Lavariya, a Srilankan sweet dumpling which is made from the sweet coconut stuffing wrapped by the lacey rice flour outer layer.

Sandhiya https://www.facebook.com/SandhiyasCookbook https://www.instagram.com/sandhiyascookbook/

Ingredients
For dough
Rice Flour - 1 cup
Water - 3/4 cup
Sesame Oil - 1 tsp
Salt - to taste
For filling
Grated Coconut - 1/2 cup
Moong dal - 3 tbsp
Jaggery - 1/2 cup
Cardamon - 2

Procedure

First let's make the filling.
Soak moong dal for 30 mins, then add into pan along with enough water, bring into boil.

Close the pan with lid and cook till dal is soft. If you press the dal between your fore finger and thumb, it should be mashed, that's the correct stage.

Drain the extra water and keep it aside, in a pan add the jaggery and water just enough to immerse the jaggery.

Let the jaggery melts completely, drain the jaggery syrup and discard the impurities. Pour the syrup again into the pan and turn on the heat.

Add the grated coconut, cooked dal and crushed cardamom.

Let it cook until all comes together as a thick mass. Turn the heat off and let it cool.

Now for the outer filling,heat the water in a sauce pan along with salt and oil.

Let the water comes to boil, switch off the flame and immediately pour into the measured flour.

Mix it with spatula vigorously until all comes together. Now take the idiyappam maker, take a log of dough and add into the idiyappam maker.

Take a piece of banana leaf/butter paper and squeeze the dough into concentric circle just like idiyappam, then place a tbsp of  filling in the center.

Now gently fold the banana leaf so that the outer layer covers the inner filling. Now hold the banana leaf on both sides and gently roll it from one side to other side for few times, it helps the dough to stick together and form a cylinder shape. 

Place it on the greased steamer plate and steam it for 6-8 mins.

Tada, Tasty Lavariya is ready. Serve it with a cup of tea. 

Related: How to make Srilankan Mani Pittu

Notes:

• While shaping the lavariya, be gentle, otherwise the string would merge and you can't see the lace like texture on the outside
• You can vary the proportion of moong dal and coconut as per your liking.
• Taste best when it's hot.
• You can cook the dal in pressure cooker too, but make sure that it doesn't turn into mushy.

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