Unniappam

Ingredients:

1. Rice flour - 2 cups
2. Grated jaggery - 1 cup
3. Banana - 2 small (Palayan kudan pazham preferred)
4. Coconut pieces - 1/4 cup
5. Water as required
6. Ghee - 1 tbsp
7. Black sesame - 1/2 tsp (optional)
8. Cardamom powder - 1/4 tsp (optional)
9. Baking soda - 1/4 tsp
10. Oil for deep frying

Method:

1. Melt grated jaggery in about 1 cup water. Allow it to cool completely. Strain for any impurities.
2. Grind the  banana and keep aside.
3. In a mixing bowl, take rice flour. Add the melted and cooled jaggery and the pureed banana to it. Mix it gently. Add water little by little if required to make an idli batter consistency.
4. Fry the coconut pieces in ghee till it is golden brown . Then add this to the above batter and mix well.
5. Finally add the baking soda, black sesame seeds and cardamom powder, if you are using, to the mixture and mix well.
6. Keep this aside in a warm place for around 5-6 hours.
7. After the batter is kept for 5-6 hours, check for the consistency.If it is too thick, add a little water.
8. Now heat oil to the unniappam chatti . When the oil is hot , reduce it to medium and add about a tbsp of batter to each of its hole. The batter should fill up only till 3/4th of each hole. Deep fry for about 2-3 minutes and flip it with a fork and fry till both sides are golden brown. Remove it into a paper towel.