Ela Ada – A Kerala delicacy
This Kerala delicacy – rice parcels wrapped in banana leaves and stuffed with an addictive filling of coconut and jaggery, is made with so much love and evokes nostalgic memories that the Ela Ada has now become more comfort food than delicacy.
The Ela Ada or Ada as it is simply called, evokes nostalgic memories – of ammumma (granny in malayalam) carefully mixing coconut and jaggery for the filling, of waliamma’s (aunt) prepping the banana leaves, mixing the dough, scraping the jaggery peppered with their banter and laughter. The sounds and aromas wafting from the kitchen – scraping coconut, kneading the rice flour dough, the smell of jaggery while it is grating….We cousins would watch & admire how their wrinkled hands expertly mixed, grated and kneaded without requiring any measuring tools or equipment. They knew the precise weight by just holding it in their hands – no weighing scales – just by touch. This is exactly why it is so difficult to replicate their amazing recipes, as they cannot provide precise measurements. “A little bit of this, a touch of that, a splash of this”…. that is how you would get a recipe😄. Thankfully I have seen the Ela Ada being made numerous times that I could attempt to recreate it .
The humble Ela Ada is not just the taste of it’s simple flavours transformed, it is the memory, the experience, the love wrapped in those delicate parcels. My waliamma still makes the best ada I have ever tasted. She makes it over the pan, the banana leaves infusing a smoky flavour and crispness to the Ada. Everytime we visit Kerala, she will always make the Ela Ada for us especially my husband who loves it. Our family believes and it is true that she has inherited our granny’s “kai punyam”, divine gift of making the tastiest food.
The Ela Ada symbolizes everything local to Kerala Cuisine- the banana leaves, rice & coconut! Isn’t’ it a beauty how our ancestors knew how to transform simple local ingredients into these amazing delicacies that showcase and herald their importance while standing strong against the test of time. Similar to Ela Ada is the Patoli which is part of Konkani cuisine . The difference between the Ela Ada & the Patoli is that , the Patoli is made on turmeric leaves. As with many coastal recipes, there are so many dishes spread out in India’s various states that go by different names but share similar recipes. 🙂
Traditionally the Ela Ada is served as is as a parcel to be opened – like a child unwrapping their birthday present. Ignoring the burn from the hot banana leaves and paying no heed to the steam that is promising to sear your fingers, one would peel off the leaf from one side to discover the heady aroma of coconut and jaggery. Obviously there is no more waiting, break off a piece and savour it.
There are 2 methods of making Ela Ada – One where the dough is mixed using hot water and then smeared over banana leaves and pan fried. These can be steamed as well, however my side of the family in Thrissur prefer the pan fried version. This helps the Ela Ada develop a lovely smokey flavour from the banana leaves and a slight crispness. The second method is where instead of making the dough, the rice flour is mixed with warm water to make a thick batter. It is spread over banana leaves and gently steamed to create a soft Ela Ada where the rice flour is almost translucent. This is a matter of personal preference – some like it soft, some like it…. crispy 😉😄. Personally I prefer the batter method which gives a soft Ela Ada.
Ela Ada can be served hot or warm, you can choose to peel the banana leaves completely and cut into slices for individual serving as well. Serve with a hot cup of chai and loads of love & smiles !!
Ela Ada – A traditional Kerala sweet dish
Ingredients
- 1 cup rice flour
- 2 cups grated coconut
- 1 cup jaggery shredded
- 1 tsp cardamom powder
- 1 tsp ghee + extra for greasing leaves
- 1 cup water
Instructions
- Method 1 In a bowl, add rice flour and slowly add the warm water in stages. Keep mixing until you have a smooth lump free batter
- In another bowl, mix the grated coconut, jaggery and cardamom powder
- Set a steamer on the stove to heat up
- Cut out the ribs from the banana leaves and divide them into approximately square sized pieces. Grease them with little ghee
- Spread the batter onto the leaves in a circular motion staying clear from the edges
- add a couple of spoonfuls of the coconut jaggery mixture on the centre of the dough and fold the leaves in half (Refer video to see how to do this)
- Set the banana leaves on the steamer and cover. Let it steam for 15-20 minutes until the batter looks transluscent
- Carefully take it out from the steamer and serve warm. Traditionally this is served by peeling off just one side of the banana leave. If you wish you may peel it out from the leaves and cut into bite sized pieces
- Method 2
- Add a cup of water in a pot and set it to boil . Add ghee and salt to taste
- When the water comes to a rolling boil, switch off the flame and add the rice flour
- Mix it until all the water has been absorbed into the dough. Do not worry the dough will still look dry and crumbly at this stage. Set aside until it is cool to handle
- Knead the rice flour mixture until it is soft and springs back on touch
- Take a golf-sized ball of the dough and flatten it out on the leaf. Try to make it as even as possible. Do not cover the entire leaf, stay clear off the edges, leave an inch off the sides.
- Similar to the above method, add the coconut jaggery mixture in the middle and fold the leaf
- Take a wide fry pan and heat it over medium flame
- Put the rice and leaf parcels over the pan and let it fry for atleast 3-4 minutes on each side. The banana leaves will start to turn brown and charred.
- Serve warm with a cup of chai and loads of love and smiles.
