Homemaking mothers often ponder on what dish to prepare for their hungry kids coming back from school at four in the evening. Rava unniyappam is an excellent treat which you can cook easily and is always loved by children and adults alike. The batter can be prepared at noon and the rava unniyappams can be fried in the evening. The fragrant mouthwatering aroma will draw the children into the kitchen and you will see the unniyappams disappear in a trice. Traditionally, unniyappams are made using rice powder and they are a bit harder than rava uniyappams. These, however, are quite light and soft. The crunchy bits of coconut kernel which you get to bite here and there in the unniyappams lend them a fascinating texture and taste. Rava unniyappams are excellent for people who are on a rice-free diet or are on a no-rice fast and they also make fine Naivedya (offerings to the divine). You need a unniyappa chatti or a kuzhiyappa chatti to fry the unniyappams.
Cast-iron and non-stick unniyappa chattis
Traditionally, these thick bottomed frying pans with a cluster of semi-spherical depressions inside were cast in bronze or in iron. These days, however, non-stick unniyappa chattis are available in anodized aluminum alloys too. The traditional bronze ones have become quite rare. I prefer the cast-iron chatti as the rava unniyappams come out tastier and are healthier. Do cook and enjoy!
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| Prep Time | 30 minutes |
| Cook Time | 75 minutes |
| Passive Time | 4 hours |
| Servings | people |
- 400 gm fine wheat semolina (Bombay rava)
- 100 gm maida (refined white wheat flour or all-purpose flour)
- 300 gm jaggery (unrefined cane sugar)
- 6 pods cardamom
- 75 gm grated coconut
- 50 gm coconut kernel pieces
- 200 ml coconut oil to fry
Ingredients
| |
- Set a wok or pan on high heat.
- Tip in the semolina (rava) and stir continuously for 5 minutes so as to roast it uniformly. Switch off the heat and set aside.
- Set a small pan on low heat. Tip in the jaggery and pour in a cup (250 ml) of water. Stir occasionally.
- Meanwhile, shell the cardamoms and crush the seeds to powder. Set aside.
- The jaggery should have dissolved by now. Switch off the heat. Sieve the melted jaggery and set aside.
- Put the grated coconut into your food processor. Pour in a cup (250 ml) of water and grind to fine paste.
- Transfer to a mixing bowl. Tip in the melted jaggery, the roasted semolina (rava), the maida (flour) and the crushed cardamom. Pour in the remaining water (500 ml).
- Chop the coconut kernel to fine bits (1 cm x 1 cm x 2.5 mm or 3/8" x 3/8" x 1/8" would be ideal) and tip them in. Mix thoroughly, cover with a lid and set aside to rest for 3 to 4 hours.
- Set the unniyappa chatti on high heat. Pour in enough cooking oil to half-fill each depression.
- As soon as the oil is hot (it should not smoke), mix the batter thoroughly and pour in enough to fill just up to the brim of the depression.
- After filling all the hemispheres (pits), cover the appa chatti with a lid to trap the steam inside. 20 seconds later, lower the heat and continue to fry for 4 minutes and 40 seconds (a total of 5 minutes).
- Remove the lid and gently turn over the rava unniyappams using a small spoon or a little wooden spatula.
- Continue to fry on low heat for 4 more minutes. Lift out the beautifully done unniyappams. You can see that they are lightly roasted on the outside and soft in the inside. Drain off the excess oil and set aside to cool.
- Now pour a bit more of the cooking oil into the appa chatti and continue until all the delicious unniyappams are done. Enjoy warm or cold.
Rava unniyappams keep well for a couple of days at room temperature and up to a week if refrigerated. Refrigerated unniyappams can be reheated in your oven, prior to use.
Variety item. Good
Thank you Rajesh!