Unnakaya/ banana fritters

 

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Unnakaya is a malabar special evening time snack. Unnam means cotton in Malayalam. Kayu means fruit. Since the shape of unnakaya snack is that of cotton fruit, it has this name.
The option 1 given in the below recipe is the real unnakaya recipe. But I usually go with the option 2 as it is easier to make and tastier for my taste buds.

Ingredients :

1. Plantain, sweet and not too ripe - 2
2. Coconut , shredded - 5 tbs
3. Sugar - 2-3 tbs
4. Raisins - 10
5. Cashew nut , broken - 2 tbs
6. Cardamom powder - a pinch
7. Oil for deep fry

Note

• Plantains must be just ripe. It shouldn't be mushy at all
• I would like to keep unnakaya balls in fridge for at least 30 minutes before frying. 

Method:

1. Steam cook the plantains
2. Once cool, grind it into paste, don't add water for grinding.

Option 1

1. Fry raisins and nuts
2. Mix coconut with sugar , raisins , nuts and cardamom powder
3. Make a ball of plantain paste
4. Make a hole in the center and fill a teaspoon of coconut mixture in it
5. Close the hole well and slightly elongate the ball shape to form oval/ egg shape. 

Option 2

1. Mix coconut, sugar, cardamom powder, nuts and raisins to plantain paste
2. Make balls out of it

3. Fry unnakaya/ plantain balls in hot oil in medium to high flame till all sides turn light brown in color
4. Place the fried unnakaya in kitchen tissue to soak up the extra oil

Serve it warm