Coconut Banana Fritters ( Unniyappam / Neyyappam) Recipe
INGREDIENTS :
Rice flour (lightly roasted) : 2 cups
Ripe Small Bananas : 3 nos
Jaggery (Molasses) : 1 cup /250 gms (more or less as to taste)
Black Sesame Seeds (Ellu) : 1/4 tsp
Coconut bits (Thenga kothu) : 1/2 cup or as needed
Cardamom : 3-4 pods
Salt : one pinch
Coconut Oil or Ghee for frying
Water : 1/4 cup
PREPARATION METHOD:
1). Melt jaggery with 1/4 cup of hot water and make a thick syrup out of it, Strain to take out any impurities and cool the syrup.
2). Lightly roast the rice flour and keep it aside.
3). Stir in the jaggery syrup, mashed bananas, coconut, salt and cardamom powder to the rice batter. Make sure all the ingredients are well combined into the batter.
4). Fry the coconut bits (thenga kothu) in 2 tsp of ghee (or oil) till it become light brown in colour and now add sesame, fry.
5). Now add the fried coconut bits and sesame seeds to the batter and mix well.
6). Keep this batter for 1-2 hour in a tight container.
7). Heat a pan (a pan with cup shaped depressions). Add a teaspoon of oil or ghee to each depression. Now drop in a large spoonful of Nei Appam / Unniyappam batter into each depression.
8). Allow it to cook for a few minutes until you notice that the top is getting steamed. You can optionally cover the pan to cook the top of the Nei Appam / Unniyappam faster.
9). Turn over after a few minutes to cook on the other side. Cook the Nei Appam / Unniyappam on medium heat, as you want the batter to get cooked evenly from the inside as well.
10). Once the Nei Appam / Unniyappam is browned well and crisp on both sides, remove from the pan and serve hot.
11). Serve the Kerala Style Recipe as a Tea time snack or even as a school snack box for kids.
* This can be made with wheat flour instead of rice flour