Unniyappam
Unniyappam is a popular South Indian snack, particularly in the state of Kerala. These sweet, deep-fried rice flour fritters are typically made with ingredients such as riceflour, jaggery (a type of unrefined sugar), ripe bananas, grated coconut,cardamom, and sometimes black sesame seeds.
Ingredients
1 cup = 250ml
- 1 ¼ cups raw rice 250gms
- 175 – 180 gms of jaggery or 1 1/2 cups of powdered jaggery
- 1 ripe banana, preferably palayamkottai banana variety
- 3 tablespoons grated coconut
- ¼ teaspoon cardamom powder
- ¼ tsp dry ginger powder
- A Pinch of salt
- 1 tsp black sesame seeds optional
- ¼ teaspoon baking soda optional, for a softer texture
- 2-3 tablespoons coconut pieces
- Water as needed
- Ghee or oil for frying
Instructions
Jaggery preparation
- Grate the jaggery or break it into small pieces. Smaller pieces melt more quickly and evenly.
- In a saucepan, add the grated or broken jaggery pieces.
- Pour 2 to 3 tablespoons of water and place the saucepan over medium heat.
- Stir the mixture continuously as the jaggery melts. This helps to dissolve the jaggery evenly and prevents it from sticking to the bottom of the pan.
- Continue cooking until all the jaggery has melted and you have a smooth, thick syrup.
- Once the jaggery has completely melted, you may notice some impurities or undissolved particles.
- Remove the saucepan from heat and strain the syrup through a fine-mesh strainer or cheesecloth into a clean bowl to remove any impurities.
- Let the jaggery syrup cool to room temperature before using it in your recipe.
- This method ensures you have a smooth and impurity-free liquid jaggery, which can be easily incorporated into various dishes.
Batter preparation
- Rinse the raw rice thoroughly in water.
- Soak the rice in enough water for at least 4-5 hours or overnight.
- Drain the soaked rice and grind it to a coarse paste using a blender or a wet grinder. Add the cooled jaggery syrup gradually as needed to achieve a coarse consistency.
- Add the ripe banana, cardamom powder, dry ginger powder, pinch of salt and incorporate them into the batter.
- Add the grated coconut and black sesame seeds (if using) to the batter. Mix thoroughly.
- If using baking soda, add it to the batter and mix well.
- The batter should have a thick, pouring consistency. If it's too thick, you can add a little water to adjust the consistency.
- Heat 2 tbsp of ghee in a pan, add the coconut slices and roast until golden brown. Add the roasted coconut slices to the batter and mix well.
- Let the batter rest for at least 1 hour to allow the ingredients to blend well and to slightly thicken the batter due to the rice absorbing some moisture.
Frying
- Heat ghee or oil in an appe pan (a special pan with cavities used for frying unniyappam) or a deep frying pan.
- Once the oil is hot, drop spoonfuls of batter into each cavity of the appe pan or into the hot oil if using a deep frying pan.
- Fry the unniyappam on medium heat until they are golden brown and cooked through. Flip them occasionally to ensure even cooking.
- Once done, remove the unniyappam from the oil and drain them on paper towels to remove excess oil.
- Serve the unniyappam warm as a snack or as part of a traditional Kerala meal.
- Enjoy your homemade unniyappam made with raw rice!
Notes
Consistency check
The consistency of the unniyappam batter is crucial for achieving the right texture and taste. The batter should be thick enough to hold its shape when dropped into the hot oil, but still pourable. It should not be too runny or too stiff.
The batter should be smooth without any lumps, ensuring even cooking and a uniform texture.
When you lift a spoon or ladle from the batter, it should coat the spoon evenly and drop off slowly, indicating the right consistency.
Adjusting the Batter Consistency:
If the batter is too thin:
Add rice flour gradually, a tablespoon at a time, and mix well until you achieve the desired thickness. The rice flour helps to thicken the batter and gives structure to the fritters.
If the batter is too thick:
Add a few tablespoons of water gradually, mixing well after each addition, until the batter reaches a thick, pourable consistency. This allows the ingredients to blend evenly and ensures the batter can easily coat the spoon or ladle.
- Both whole and powdered jaggery can be used in this recipe. However, both should be melted down into syrup.
- Adjust the jaggery quantity to suit your personal sweetness preference. The amount given in this recipe is typically a balanced measure, but it's always good to tweak it if you prefer it sweeter or less sweet.