ELANCHI/CREPES

My hubby loved this when I made it for the first time. This is a Kerala snack and is very easy to prepare.

It is a form of pancake made from eggs and flour. Filling is made out of coconut, aval/poha and sugar. The sweet and salty combination and the use of Indian spices gives this dish a unique taste and flavour.

INGREDIENTS

Maida/all purpose flour  1 tea cup
Water                                       1  1/4 tea cup
Egg                                             1
Turmeric powder                1/4 tsp
Salt to taste

For stuffing

Aval/flattened rice/poha   1 teacup
Grated Coconut                      1 teacup
Water                                         1/2 tea cup
Sugar                                          1  1/2- 2 tbsp
Cardamom powder               1/2 tsp

METHOD 

In a bowl add 1 teacup aval/poha and sprinkle 1/2 teacup water. Add freshly grated coconut, sugar and cardamom powder. Cover and keep it aside. Let it rest for half an hour.

In another bowl break an egg and beat it well, add salt, turmeric powder and flour. Whisk it well and make a smooth batter . The batter should be thinner than dosa consistency.

Heat a flat nonstick pan and on medium flame add a spoon of  batter in the centre,  spread with the back of the spoon to a thin round disk  like a dosa.

When it is cooked on one side, take it out and keep on a plate. Place 1-2 tbsp coconut filling on one end of the pancake and roll it as shown above.

Repeat the process with rest of the batter.

Transfer it a serving dish. Serve hot.

UNNIAPPAM KERALA STYLE

Unni appam is a traditional, tasty and popular snack of Kerala (south India). Unni means small and appam means rice cake. Unni appam is prepared from rice,jaggery, banana, cardamom powder, ghee and coconut pieces.

For making unni appam you need special vessel/ebelskiver/ paniyaram moulds. Bananas and cardamom powder with small bits of coconut pieces fried in ghee brings out a unique taste and flavour. My whole family loves this snack, specially my son and it is our favourite evening snack.

INGREDIENT

Boil rice                         1  1/2 teacup
Bananas(small)            3
Jaggery                          1 teacup
Cardamom                    2-3
Coconut thin bits or
Cashew raisins             2 tbsp
Ghee
Oil

METHOD

Rinse and soak rice overnight in water.

Drain the water from the rice. In a blender add the rice, powdered jaggery, bananas and cardamom pods and blend into fine paste.

Fry the coconut bits or cashew raisins in ghee till golden brown in colour and add to the batter.

Let it rest for 2-3 hours.

Heat oil or ghee(clarified butter) in a paniyaram pan/ unni appam pan, almost half the mould should be covered in oil.

When the pan becomes hot, lower the fire to low heat and add a tablespoon of batter, it should cover 3/4 th of the mould.

When the unni appam becomes golden brown, turn the unni appam with a spoon or wooden stick and cook the other side to a golden brown.

Once cooked remove and drain in a kitchen towel.

Add oil in the mould and again repeat the same process with the rest of the batter.

Tasty unni appam are ready and can be served as evening snacks.