Unnakkaya | Recipe

Unnakkaya is a very famous Thalassery dish. A steamed plantain which is filled with sauted coconut,sugar,cashews,resins and deep fried in oil. The dish looks complicated ,but it is a very easy recipe to make even for those who don't know cooking much.

Ingredients :

1. Ripe plantains/Nenthrapazham - 5
2. Sugar - 3 tbspn
3. Grated coconut - 1cup
4. Raisins - 2 tbspn
5. Cashew nuts - 4 tbspn
6. Salt - 1 pinch
7. Ghee - 1 tbspn
8. Cardamom powder - 1 tsp
9. Oil (for deep frying)

Preparation :

1.Cut each of  the bananas into half and also, steam the bananas until cooked soft. Do not over cook the bananas as it becomes too loose and won't be able to roll it right.
2.Cool it for sometime and peel off the skin and cut into small pieces.Remove the black seeds also.
3.Now mash it using a wooden spoon or with your hand into a very smooth dough and keep is aside.

4.Heat the ghee in a pan, fry the resins and keep it aside.
5.Add grated coconut and saute it for 5 minutes till the color becomes light golden.
6.Add some sugar,raisins,cashews and cardamom powder into the grated coconut.Remove from heat and keep it aside for sometime.
7.Now we have to stuff the filling in to the plantain. First ,grease your palm and take little banana mixture and flatten it with your thumb. Place a 2tsp of filling inside,seal the edges and roll into cylindrical shape with elongated edges. Shape the remaining the same way.

8.Heat oil in a deep bottomed pan for deep frying. Deep fry it till the color becomes golden.Fry both the sides.

9.Serve it to your loved ones.