Unniappam

Unniappam with baking soda

Unniappam is a very popular Kerala snack.

This unniappam recipe is one of the best of what I have tried and easiest as well. Make sure you use dark brown colored jaggery to get these golden colored unniappams. This can be made with or without baking soda and both the versions tastes equally good. Baking soda gives extra softness and fluffiness.

Unniappams tastes best when eaten the same day. They can be stored in air tight container for upto 5 days. Usually they tend to become little hard over time but reheating in a microwave makes them soft.

Unniappam without baking soda

Serving: Makes 35 unniappams

Ingredients:

1. Rice(Sona Masoori) - 1 cup

2. Jaggery grated- 1/2 cup 

3. Small banana/Cherupazham - 2

4. Cardamom - 1 pod

5. Wheat flour - 2 tablespoon

6. Baking soda - 1/2 teaspoon(optional)

7. Oil - for frying

8. Salt - a pinch

Method:

1. Soak rice in water for atleast 3 hours. 

2. Wash the soaked rice and grind it by adding 1/4 cup of water.

3. Add jaggery, bananas and cardamom to rice batter and grind again until all the ingredients are well combined. Transfer the contents into a bowl. 

4. Add wheat flour and a pinch of salt to rice batter and mix well. The batter must be thick. Thinner batter tends to absorb more oil.

5. Add baking soda and mix well. 

6. Heat oil in a unniappam pan on medium heat.

7. Reduce the heat to medium-low. Pour the batter in each of the holes so that they are 3/4th full.

8. Turn and cook on both sides till they golden color.

Unniappam pan

Cherupazham/Small bananas

Small bananas are best for unniappam but other varieties like Cavendish/Robusta can also be used.