Easy Unniyappam with Rice flour | Instant Unniyappam
Kerala style unniyappam | Instant Unniyappam is a traditional sweet snack from the southern Indian state of Kerala. It is typically made from a batter consisting of rice flour, jaggery (a type of unrefined sugar), mashed bananas, grated coconut, and spices like cardamom. The batter is poured into special molds and deep-fried until golden brown, resulting in small, round, and fluffy dumplings with a soft and slightly crispy texture.
Unniyappam is often prepared during festivals and special occasions in Kerala, such as Onam and Vishu, and is also offered as a prasadam (religious offering) in temples. It is enjoyed as a popular tea-time snack or dessert, either on its own or paired with a hot beverage like tea or coffee.
The distinctive flavors of Kerala style unniyappam, with hints of banana, coconut, and jaggery, make it a beloved treat among locals and visitors alike, showcasing the rich culinary heritage of Kerala cuisine.
Easy Unniyappam with Rice flour
Ingredients
- 1 1/2 cups roasted rice flour
- 1/2 cup all-purpose flour
- 2 tablespoons rava semolina
- 1/4 teaspoon salt
- 1/4 teaspoon baking soda
- 1 1/4 cups crushed jaggery about 400 grams
- 1/4 cup thinly sliced coconut
- 2 small bananas
- 5 cardamom pods
- 1/2 teaspoon cumin seeds
- 1 teaspoon sesame seeds
- 2 tablespoons ghee clarified butter
- Oil for frying
Instructions
Preparing the Batter:
- In a mixing bowl, combine the roasted rice flour, all-purpose flour, rava, salt, and baking soda. Mix well.
- In a saucepan, melt the jaggery with 1 1/2 cups of water. Once it boils, turn off the heat and strain the syrup to remove any impurities.
- Pour the hot jaggery syrup into the flour mixture. Mix thoroughly until the jaggery syrup and flour are well combined.
- Gradually add more water to the mixture to achieve a batter slightly thicker than idli batter, but with a flowing consistency.
Preparing Flavorings:
- In a small pan, heat 2 tablespoons of ghee. Add the thinly sliced coconut and fry until golden brown. Remove from heat and set aside.
- Crush or grind together 1 tablespoon of sugar, cardamom pods, and cumin seeds.
- In a blender, grind the bananas into a smooth paste.
Mixing and Frying:
- To the rice flour mixture, add the fried coconut with ghee, banana paste, and the crushed cardamom-cumin-sugar mixture. Also, add sesame seeds. Mix all the ingredients together until well combined.
Making Unniyappam:
- Heat enough oil in an unniyappam chatti (special pan for making unniyappams). When the oil is hot, reduce the flame to medium heat.
- Using a spoon, pour the batter into each of the chatti moulds until they are 3/4 full.
- Cook until the base of the unniyappams turns golden brown, then flip them over a couple of times to ensure even cooking.
- Once all sides of the unniyappams are brown, remove them from the oil and place them on a kitchen paper towel to absorb excess oil.
- Repeat the process for the remaining batter, adding more oil between batches if necessary.
Serving:
- Serve the Unniyappams warm with tea or coffee. Enjoy this delightful South Indian treat!
Variations to Unniyappam Recipe
Variations in unniyappam recipes can be attributed to a few reasons. Firstly, different regions might have their own unique take on the dish, influenced by local ingredients and cooking methods. Additionally, individual preferences play a big role; some may opt for sweeter versions with more jaggery, while others might prefer a spicier kick with added ginger. Sometimes, it’s just about creativity and innovation in the kitchen, as cooks experiment with ingredients to create new flavors. And of course, health considerations and dietary restrictions can also lead to tweaks in recipes.
Here are some of the most common variations to this recipe you will find!
Kerala Style Unniyappam with Rice Flour
Ingredients:
- 1 cup roasted rice flour (150 gm)
- 1 cup crushed jaggery (150 gm)
- ¾ cup water
- ¼ cup wheat flour
- 3 small bananas or 1 robusta banana, mashed (Palayankodan/Robusta/Kathali) (150 gm)
- ¼ teaspoon cumin seeds
- 4 cardamom pods
- 3 tablespoons thinly sliced coconut
- ¼ teaspoon salt
- Coconut oil for frying
Instructions:
1. Preparing the Jaggery Syrup:
- In a saucepan, melt the jaggery with ½ cup of water and bring it to a boil.
- Once boiled, turn off the heat and let it cool down. It should yield about 1 cup of jaggery syrup.
2. Preparing the Batter:
- Mash the bananas into a fine paste.
- In a separate pan, heat 2 tablespoons of ghee and fry the thinly sliced coconut until golden brown.
- In a mixing bowl, combine 1 cup of roasted rice flour, ¼ cup of wheat flour, and the mashed banana paste.
- Gradually pour the jaggery syrup into the bowl and mix well until you achieve a batter slightly thicker than idli batter consistency. Adjust with water if necessary.
- Cover the bowl with a lid and ferment the batter for 6-8 hours.
- After fermentation, add crushed cardamom pods, cumin seeds, fried coconut, and ¼ teaspoon of salt to the batter. Mix thoroughly.
3. Making Unniyappam:
- Heat coconut oil in an unniyappam chatti (special pan for making unniyappams).
- When the oil is hot, reduce the flame to medium heat.
- Using a spoon, pour the batter into each of the chatti moulds until they are ¾ full.
- Cook until the base of the unniyappams turns golden brown, then flip them over a couple of times to ensure even cooking.
- Once all sides of the unniyappams are brown, remove them from the oil and place them on a kitchen paper towel to absorb excess oil.
- Repeat the process for the remaining batter, adding more oil between batches if necessary.
- Serve the unniyappams warm with tea or coffee. Enjoy!
Instant Unniyappam with Maida and Rava
Instant Kerala style unniyappam is a quick and easy variation of the traditional unniyappam recipe, designed for those who want to enjoy this delicious snack without the need for fermentation or long preparation times.
In this instant version, typically rice flour or semolina (rava) is used instead of soaking and grinding rice, and baking powder or baking soda is used as a leavening agent instead of fermentation. The batter is quickly mixed and fried to make soft and fluffy unniyappams in a short amount of time.
Ingredients:
- 400 grams jaggery
- 1 cup rice flour
- 1/2 cup wheat flour
- 1/2 cup all-purpose flour
- 2 tablespoons rava (semolina)
- 1/4 teaspoon salt
- 2 Palayankodan bananas, mashed to a fine paste
- 1 1/2 cups water
- 1/2 teaspoon cardamom powder
- 1/4 teaspoon baking soda
- Fried coconut (for garnish)
- Oil (for frying)
Instructions:
1. Preparing the Batter:
- In a mixing bowl, combine rice flour, wheat flour, all-purpose flour, rava, and salt.
- In a separate saucepan, melt the jaggery with 1 1/2 cups of water until it forms a syrup. Strain the syrup to remove impurities.
- Pour the hot jaggery syrup into the prepared flour mixture.
- Add banana into blender and grind it to smooth paste
- Add banana paste, and cardamom powder to the batter.
- Mix everything together until you achieve a batter slightly thicker than idli batter. It should have a flowing consistency from the spoon.
- Add fried coconut and baking soda to the batter, and mix thoroughly.
2. Making Unniyappam:
- Heat enough oil in an unniyappam chatti (special pan for making unniyappams). When the oil is hot, reduce the flame to medium heat.
- Using a spoon, pour the batter into each of the chatti moulds until they are 3/4 full.
- Cook until the base of the unniyappams turns golden brown, then flip them over a couple of times to ensure even cooking.
- Once all sides of the Unniyappam are brown, remove them from the oil and place them on a kitchen paper towel to absorb excess oil.
- Repeat the process for the remaining batter, adding more oil between batches if necessary.
- Serve the Unniyappams warm with tea or coffee. Enjoy!