Ela Ada - A traditional Kerala sweet dish
Ela Ada - A sweet dish from Kerala. Made with rice flour - this is either steamed or fried on banana leaves(ela) with a simple but tasty filling of coconut and jaggery. Such a healthy sweet dish too - what's not to love! :)
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.