Ela Ada with Jaggery

Steamed Ela Ada

Even if Ela Ada is a common snack in Kerala, its a breakfast item for us.

We really missed it when we moved to US. It was a real surprise when we found banana leaves in a local Chinese Store. And now, this is a weekend breakfast

We can make it with Sugar or Jaggery. This is the Jaggery version of the same

It can be either steamed or cooked in a tawa. Steamed one is my husband's favorite whereas i like the other one (seen below)

Ingredients

For Ada

Plantain Leaves

Rice Powder - 1 cup

Cumin Seeds - a pinch

Salt

Water

For the Filling

Grated Coconut - 1 cup

Jaggery - 125 gms

Melt the Jaggery and strain it. Add the grated coconut to this, mix well and keep aside

Roast the rice powder along with the cumin seeds and salt in a tawa for 2-3 mins

Add water to this slowly and mix till you get a consistency of that of chapati dough

Keep some water aside to use while pressing the dough

Take a plantain leaf, and press the dough with your hands to form a thin layer on it. You can dab your hands with little water so it will not stick in your hands

Add little filling mixture (as per your taste level) in the middle of the layer and spread it to one half of the dough layer.

Now carefully close the other half on top of this (You can see horizontal lines in the leaf, Always close to its opposite direction. Otherwise the leaf will tear off)

Do the same with the remaining leaves and dough mixture

Steaming

 Steam the ada for 15-20 mins

If the leaf comes out cleanly from the ada, then its cooked else steam it for some more time

On Tawa

Place a tawa and keep it in medium heat

Place one Ada and close it, let it cook for 2-3 mins. Then flip it to the other side. Check if the Leaf comes out cleanly. Otherwise cook for some more time

Repeat the same for the remaining Adas

Note:

The steamed one will be very moist whereas the tawa cooked one will be dry

Try both to see which one you like better

Try and let me know how it went for you

Happy Eating....