Unnakaya or Stuffed Plantain Fry
 
Prep time
Cook time
Total time
 
Author:
Recipe type: Appetiser
Cuisine: Indian
Serves: 7
Ingredients
  • Plantains- 2 ( try to get the right plantain, not too ripe and not too raw)
For making the filling
  • Grated coconut- 1 cup
  • Cashew nuts or almonds, chopped- 2 tbsp
  • Raisins- 1 tbsp
  • Egg, beaten-1
  • Sugar-2 tbsp
  • Cardamom powder-1/4 tsp
  • Ghee or butter-3 tbsp
Instructions
Make the filling
  1. Place a non-stick pan over medium heat, add 2 tbsp ghee, add the grated coconut and the sugar, roast till the coconut turns golden in color.
  2. Crack an egg into a bowl, beat with a fork or whisk.
  3. Add the egg to the coconut, scramble it.
  4. Add cashew nuts and raisins, stir fry for 2 minutes.
  5. Add cardamom powder, combine well.
  6. Stuffing is ready, allow it to cool down.
  7. For making this, plantains should not be too ripe nor too raw, should be some what in between.
  8. Steam cook the plantains in an Instant pot pressure cooker for 2 minutes or in a steam cooker.
  9. After it's steam cooked, remove the plantains from the steamer and let cool down.
  10. Peel off the skin, cut the plantain into two halves and remove the black seeds from the center.
  11. Mash the plantain using your clean hand or a potato masher or with a wooden spoon without any lumps.
  12. If there are any lumps, you can also mash in a food processor.
  13. Make into a soft dough and make medium-sized balls out of the dough.
  14. If the dough is too smooth, add 2 tablespoons of rice flour to make it slightly firm, the end result should be a soft dough.
  15. Grease the palm of your hands with ghee, fatten the plantain dough ball like a patty.
  16. Place 1 tbsp of stuffing on the plantain dough, the dough is very soft so it's easy to glue the edges and make into an oval shape.
  17. Or spread water to paste the ends.
  18. Place a frying pan over medium heat, add oil for frying & let oil turn hot.
  19. Place the stuffed plantains in oil & deep fry till golden brown in color.
  20. Transfer to a plate.
  21. Enjoy this delicious unnakaya or stuffed plantains along with the sweet coconut-egg filling in it.
  22. The filling by itself tastes delicious, any leftover filling can be topped over the unnakaya.
Notes
For hardcore veggies: You could make the stuffing without the eggs, it tastes yummy.
Recipe by Cooking with Thas - Wholesome Homemade Recipes at https://thasneen.com/cooking/unnakaya-or-stuffed-fried-plantain-with-sweet-coconut-filling-popular-malabar-snack/