Malabar Unnakaya
This is one dish impressed me as soon as I came across it. Immediately I decided to give it a try, it is so easy and can be made with few ingredients which you have on hand. Kerala banana which we called as Ethan pazham is a staple in our house. We always have a bunch of ripe banana lying around the house. Typically we make nendrapazham roast, pazham pori or crispy stuffed banana. But this unnakaya has turned into my latest obsession. The recipe just uses few ingredients. I take all the shortcuts including microwaving the banana for 2 to 3 minutes with skins on to steam them. This is an easy way to steam nendran banana. And this dish has to be made with Kerala banana, other variety of banana will not work.
About Unnakaya
Kerala banana also known as nendran banana, Ethan pazham, ripe plantain or nendrapazham is a popular Kerala banana variety which is used to make many speciality from Kerala including this nendrapazham pradhaman and pazham neraichathu. This unnakaya also used the ripe plantain to make this dish. Unnakaya recipe is a malabar sweet made with Ripe Plantain Banana ,Coconut and Ghee. Bananas are steamed, mashed and stuffed with coconut filling and fried till crispy. This recipe is a malabar delicacy, there is another version of this dish, in which they add eggs in the filling. But I skipped egg and made it completely vegetarian. The recipe is super simple to make as well. You start by steaming the banana, mash it well and stuff with sweet coconut filling and deep fry them till golden brown. This taste great on its own, but if you enjoy it with a cup of Sulaimani tea, then it is next level.
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Watch Unnakaya Recipe Video
Unnakaya Ingredients
Ripe Banana - The only banana variety which is used to make this dish is Nendrapazham. This Kerala banana is steamed, mashed to create the outer coating. You can steam them in a steamer or use microwave to quickly steam it. Oil - for deep frying unnakaya, it is important to use coconut oil. This adds flavour and the unique taste. Ghee - I use ghee to saute the coconut which adds a sweet toasty flavour. You can use coconut oil instead of ghee as well. Coconut - use freshly grated coconut for the filling. If you are grating coconut, Make sure to pulse the coconut in a blender few times to coarsely crush them which makes them more even. Sugar - You can use either sugar or jaggery to sweeten the coconut. I prefer sugar before, it stays moist even when stuffed and fried. But I have shared the jaggery version in the recipe video. Cardamom Powder - The only flavouring used in unnakaya is cardamom. You have to add a pinch of crushed cardamom in the filling. Nuts & Dried Fruits - I used cashews and raisins. You can use badam or walnuts too.
Malabar Unnakaya in 3 Easy Steps
Steaming Banana - Cut the banana in half. Place it in steamer and steam for 10 to 15 mins.Now let the banana cool a bit, peel off the skin and mash it well. Divide it into equal portion and set aside. Filling for Unnakaya - In a pan, melt ghee, add in cashews and raisan and fry for a min. Add in coconut and toss well. Add in sugar and cardamom powder. Mix well till the sugar start to melts. Remove it to a bowl and let it cool a bit. Shaping & Frying - Now take one portion of the banana dough, flatten it and spoon some coconut filling in, cover it well and seal it. Deep fry it in oil till golden. Strain onto tissue. Serve
How to Make Unnakaya (Stepwise Pictures)
Steaming Banana
1)Take ripe Kerala banana also known as plantain or nendranpazham. Cut in half and place it in a steamer and steam cook for 12 to 15 minutes. Alternatively you can steam this with skins on in microwave for 2 to 3 minutes. 2)Now the banana is steamed. Let them get cool so you can handle them without burning your hands.
Preparing Mashed Banana
3)Peel off the skins from the banana, take them in a bowl. 4)Start mashing the banana using a potato masher or fork. 5)Now it is mashed really well. Make sure it is smooth. 6)Divide it into equal portion and set aside.
Make Filling
7)Heat ghee in a pan. Add in cashews and raisins. 8)Fry the nuts till golden. You can add chopped almonds or any nuts that you prefer. 9)Add freshly grated coconut into the pan. 10)Stir fry the coconut for 2 minutes on low. 11)Add in sugar and mix well. Instead of sugar, you can use jaggery as well. Cook the sugar for few minutes so it starts to melt. 12)Now add in cardamom for flavour and mix. 16)This is your filling. Set this aside so it cools.
Shaping Unnakaya
17)Take a small portion of the banana. 18)Flatten it slightly like this. 19)Spoon in the filling. 20)Bring the edges together and seal them well. 21)Now the unnakaya is sealed. 22)Shape them smoothly and set aside. 23)All the unnakaya is shaped well.
Frying Unnakaya
24)Heat coconut oil in a kadai. Add in the unnakaya and fry till golden brown. 25)Deep fry the unnakaya till golden brown. Strain and set aside. 26)Enjoy.
Expert Tips
Use Kerala variety banana which holds its shape and create an outer coating for the filling. You can sweeten the filling with jaggery or sugar. You can use poha in the filling like we use for pazham nerachathu. Coconut oil is preferred for frying, but you can use any oil of choice. You can shape unnakaya, however you like. You can shape it into small balls, pattice like too.
Storage & Serving
Shaped unnakaya can be stored in a container in fridge for upto 5 days. You can fry them whenever you need. Cooked unnakaya taste best when had piping hot with a cup of tea or coffee.
1)Can I use any other type of banana?
Unnakaya has to be made with Kerala variety banana, other variety of banana will not work. Plantain has less moisture content which helps with the binding.
2)Can I fry this in regular oil?
Even though coconut oil is recommended for flaovur, you can fry unnakaya in any oil. Any neutral oil like refined oil, sunflower oil can be used.
3)Can I use jaggery instead of sugar?
Yes, you can use jaggery in the filling instead of sugar. In the video linked, I have used jaggery.
More Banana Recipes to Try
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