Unnakayi/Sweet Cotton Pods(Malabar Special)

When we went to wayanad we happened to taste this sweet dish at one of H's friend's house.It was so yummy that we could not tell the stuffing was scrambled sweet egg.She made 2 versions of it.One with the egg stuffing and the other with the non-egg one.Both tasted equally good.

 

I was held up with my younger kid yazhini's admission for the last one week.Finally she topped 2nd in the whole lot of kiddies who attended the interview .Was much overwhelmed when they announced the result.She loved this sweet dish and thought I should congratulate her with her favourite sweet!!

 

Coming the the sweet.Unnakayi in malayalam means Cotton Pods.Since the sweet resembles (Don't look at the shape I had made!!I am a beginner!!) Cotton it is named as Unnakayi.It is an authentic sweet dish of Moplahs of Kerala(Muslims of northern part of Kerala).This sweet, they make during the holy month of ramadan to break the fasting..Ramadan is a holy month for muslims because it is in that month that Prophet Muhammed received revelations from God then it became the holy book,Quran.During Ramadan from dawn to dusk they abstain from taking food,water and all pleasures.Only 2 meals one Souhoor, the food taken before dawn and Iftaar the one taken after the sunset.

 

Unnakayi is a sweet dish made with steamed,mashed and stuffed plantains which are later deep fried..

 

For the recipe please press READ MORE...

 

INGREDIENTS:

 

2 Nos of plantains(Nenthrapazham/Ethakka)(It should be 3/4th riped)

Oil for shallow frying

 

For the vegetarian Stuffing:

 

1 Tbsp of cashewnuts chopped

1 Tsp of raisins(I didn' use it)

2 Tsp of ghee

1/4 Tsp of Cardamom Powdered

3 Tbsp of grated fresh coconut

2 Tbsp of sugar (Can increase if u need it more sweet)

 

For the egg stuffing(Non-Vegetarian)

 

1 No of Egg

3 and a 1/2 Tsp of Sugar

1 and a 1/2 Tbsp of grated coconut

1/2 Tbsp of chopped cashewnuts

1 Tsp of Raisins

1/4 Tsp of Cardamom Powder

2 Tsp of ghee

 

PROCEDURE:

 

 

 

 

Cut the bananas(Don't peel it.) into quarters.

Cook it in microwave at high for 3-4 minutes till the outer covering peels off.

If u don't have microwave then steam cook it till it gets cooked.It may take 10-15 minutes on low flame

After cooking leave it to cool off

 

 

 

In a bowl take egg and 2 Tsp of sugar.Beat it well till it becomes fluffy.

Heat a pan.Add 1 Tsp of ghee.

 

 

Then add the egg n sugar mixture and scramble well.Don't burn it to brown.

 

 

 

Transfer the scrambled egg into another plate

In the same pan add 1.5 Tsp of Sugar and grated coconut.

Heat it till the coconut and sugar mixes well so that a coating of sugar is on the grated coconut.

Take it from flame and transfer it on to the plate

 

 

In the same pan add some ghee and fry the cashews and raisins.

Then to the same pan add coconut mixture,scrambled egg mixture and mix well.

Remove it from flame and cool it.

 

For the vegetarian stuffing fry the coconut and sugar till the coconut gets coated with sugar.Then to it add fried cashews and raisins.Mix well.Cool it and use as stuffing

 

 

By then the bananas would have been cooled.

Peel the skin off

Slice each piece lengthwise so that it is easy to remove the seeds.

Remove the seed part

Then mash it so that there are no lumps

 

 

Mix the dough well.Don't add water to it.

Grease the hands with ghee(to avoid the bananas from sticking to the hand)

Make a ball with a portion of the dough.

Flatten it on on the palm by pressing it with fingers and make it into disc shape

Then add some stuffing onto the disc lengthwise.Don't overstuff it

Roll between your hands to make into a shape of the cotton pods.It has a bulge in the middle and tapers at the edges.

Make all the balls ready for shallow frying

 

 

Heat oil for frying.I had shallow fried it.Authentically it is deep fried in ghee!!

Fry it till it turns golden colour

Drain the excess oil on a kitchen tissue and serve it hot