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Be it any festival, every region of India has its own way of celebrating it with special rituals and delicious dishes. When it comes to Eid Ul-Fitr, also known as Meethi Eid, the presumption is that Indian Muslims eat Sewai or vermicelli dishes. While this may be true for large parts of India, Kerala’s Moplah or Mappila community stands out with sweet dishes that are prepared with local ingredients and techniques. So, instead of Sewai, Moplah Muslims of Kerala indulge in sweet dishes like Muttamala and Unnakai.
For those who are unaware, Unnakai is one of the most popular sweet snacks made in the Malabar region of Kerala. Also known as Unnakaya, Kai Ada, Unnakka and Kai Porichathu, this dish is a spindle-shaped, deep-fried and sweet banana-packed treat that is served during weddings, Iftar and Eid. What makes this dish even more special, and an example of Malabari Moplah cuisine is the fact that the bananas used as stuffing are the locally grown Nendram Pazham bananas.
Nendram Pazham is a long and large variety of Kerala bananas which remains firm even after turning ripe. This makes the banana the number one choice for dishes like Unnakai and Pazham Pori. What’s more, those famous Kerala banana chips you love to indulge in are also made with this specific variety of banana. Of course, to get a true taste of Kerala, it is best to get Nendram Pazham bananas to make Unnakai at home. If you don’t have access to Nendram Pazham bananas, use good-quality seedless and ripe bananas.
Video courtesy: YouTube/Kavitha's Sugar and Spice
To make the Unnakai, the bananas are first steamed with their skin on. Then, the stuffing is made with sugar, coconut, cashews, raisins and ghee. The bananas dough is then stuffed with the coconut stuffing and the Unnakai are then given a spindle-like shape, then deep-fried to perfection. Whether you serve them hot or just warm, these Unnakai can be quite the sweet delight that you can enjoy on Eid for breakfast or as a snack. Here’s the recipe.
Ingredients:
2 ripe bananas
½ cup coconut, grated
5-7 cashews, chopped
7-8 raisins, chopped
½ tsp cardamom powder
1 tsp ghee
1 tsp coconut oil
Oil, for frying
Image used for representative purpose. Image courtesy: sujiscooking.com
Method:
1. Cut the bananas into halves, then place them in a steamer.
2. Steam the bananas for 10-15 minutes, then remove from the steamer.
3. Let them cool down a bit, then remove the skin and place the steamed flesh in a large bowl.
4. Mash the bananas and make a soft dough.
5. To make the filling, heat the ghee in a pan.
6. Add the chopped cashews, raisins and grated coconut.
7. Roast them until they turn a golden brown colour, then switch off the flame.
8. Transfer the filling into a bowl, then add coconut oil and cardamom powder.
9. Mix well and let the stuffing cool down.
10. Grease your palm with some oil, place a bit of the banana dough and flatten it.
11. Add a spoonful of the filling and seal the edges of the dough and give it a spindle shape.
12. Prepare all the Unnakai like this.
13. Heat oil in a wok and deep fry the Unnakai until they turn golden brown.
14. Serve the Unnakai hot or warm as per your choice.
