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Unnakaya
Plantain-wrapped sweet egg fritters
ഉന്നക്കായ: ripe plantain dough wrapped round a sweet egg, coconut and cashew filling and fried, the Malabar iftar snack
IndianUnnakaya are named after the spindle-shaped pods of the silk-cotton tree, and the shape is the giveaway: torpedo-like rolls of mashed ripe nendran banana with a sweet surprise inside. In Thalassery, Kannur and Kozhikode, they are one of the dozens of sweet and savoury snacks laid out for nombu thura (breaking the fast) during Ramadan, and they also appear at Muslim weddings in Malabar. The filling is egg scrambled with sugar, grated coconut, cashews, raisins and cardamom in ghee, so this is a vegetarian-with-egg snack, not vegan. Fried in coconut oil, they come out caramel-brown and crisp, with a soft, fragrant inside. Some cooks fill with sweetened coconut only, so leave the egg out for an egg-free version. The usual mistake is using plantains that are not ripe enough: the dough stays starchy and cracks. Chef's tip: choose nendran that are black-spotted and soft, steam them whole in their skins and remove the black seeds from the centre, or the dough tastes gritty.
- Total time
- 50 min
- Difficulty
- medium
- Serves
- 6
Ingredients
For the plantain dough
- 3 ripe nendran plantainsabout 600 g, well spotted
- 1 tsp ghee
For the filling
- 1 tbsp ghee
- 10 cashewschopped
- 1 tbsp raisins
- 2 eggsbeaten
- 3 tbsp sugar
- 2 ⅛ oz fresh coconutgrated
- ½ tsp ground green cardamom
For frying
- 1 ¾ cups coconut oil for frying
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Method
0/8 doneStep 1: Cut each of 3 ripe nendran plantains in half and steam in their skins for 12–15 minutes until completely soft.
15 minStep 2: Peel, split lengthwise and pull out the thin line of black seeds. Mash with 1 tsp ghee to a smooth dough while still warm. Let it cool enough to handle.
5 minStep 5: Add 2 ⅛ oz fresh coconut and ½ tsp ground green cardamom and cook for 2 minutes until the mixture is dry and loose. Cool.
2 minStep 6: Grease your palms, take a lemon-sized ball of plantain and flatten it into an oval. Put a spoonful of filling in the centre, close it and roll into a spindle about 8 cm long with tapered ends. Make 12.
15 minStep 7: Heat 1 ¾ cups coconut oil for frying in a kadhai over a medium heat. Fry 3–4 unnakaya at a time for 4–5 minutes, turning gently, until deep golden brown all over. Drain on paper.
15 minStep 8: Serve warm or at room temperature with tea.
Nutrition per serving
- Calories
- 260 kcal
- Protein
- 5 g
- Carbs
- 33 g
- Fat
- 13 g
- Fibre
- 3 g
Nutrition values are estimates.
KrazyBadal
Good to know
- How long does unnakaya take?
- About 50 minutes in total: 25 minutes to prepare and 25 minutes to cook.
- How many people does it serve?
- 6 as written. Change the servings above the ingredients and every amount scales to match.
- Is it vegetarian?
- Yes. It has no meat or fish.
- What can I use instead of ghee?
- Butter, same amount (keep the heat a little lower, butter burns sooner).
- What can I use instead of ghee?
- Butter, same amount (keep the heat a little lower, butter burns sooner).
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