UNNIYAPPAM

It was my first Onam after getting married and we were away from home. Now, even though we generally do not fuss over Onam while we are at home and make do with a mini sadya and a payasam, being away from home and watching all the nostalgic memories being shared by celebrities on television, I wanted to do my bit for the festival too. Nothing too elaborate, considering that it was a working day in Hyderabad and a sadhya had at night would have taken a year to digest, but I still wanted to go out of my way to make the day special. Pal Payasam (thick milk & rice pudding - that recipe I'll post another day) was a given since no Onam is complete without payasam. In addition to that, I decided to make unniyappams and it turned out to be a hit with the neighbours as well as at home!

What Goes In:

Rice Flour – 2 cups

Jaggery (broken into small pieces) – ½ cup

Mashed Bananas / Jackfruit – 1 cup

Cardamom Powder – ¼ tsp

Dry roasted Coconut pieces (optional) – 2-3 tsp

Roasted Black Sesame Seeds (optional)  – ½ tsp 

Baking Soda (optional) – 1/8 tsp

Salt – ¼ tsp

 

The “How To”:

1.       Heat jaggery pieces by adding a little water, allowing it to melt completely. Strain to remove residue and keep aside.

2.       Mix all the ingredients (except the coconut pieces and the sesame seeds) and make a thick batter by adding a little water.

3.       Add the coconut pieces and sesame seeds, mix well and allow it to stand for 8-9 hours (it is ideal to keep it overnight).

4.       Heat the pan (the pan used for making unniyappams is the same as that used for making paniyarams) and fill oil into each impression so that they are 3/4^th full. When the oil is very hot, reduce the flame to medium heat and fill each impression with batter and cook slowly. Do not cover the pan.

5.       When one side is done, flip over and cook till golden brown. Drain onto absorbent paper.

Tip: Do not fill the impressions completely with batter. In order to allow space for the unniyappam to puff up, it is essential that the impressions are only 3/4^th filled with batter.