Rava Unniyappam
An easy to cook recipe for a delicious, sweet and soft, deep-fried, vegan evening snack.
Servings Prep Time
8people 30minutes
Cook Time Passive Time
75minutes 4hours
Servings Prep Time
8people 30minutes
Cook Time Passive Time
75minutes 4hours
Ingredients
  • 400gm fine wheat semolina(Bombay rava)
  • 100gm maida(refined white wheat flour or all-purpose flour)
  • 300gm jaggery(unrefined cane sugar)
  • 6pods cardamom
  • 75gm grated coconut
  • 50gm coconut kernel pieces
  • 200ml coconut oilto fry
Instructions
To prepare:
  1. Set a wok or pan on high heat.
  2. Tip in the semolina (rava) and stir continuously for 5 minutes so as to roast it uniformly. Switch off the heat and set aside.
  3. Set a small pan on low heat. Tip in the jaggery and pour in a cup (250 ml) of water. Stir occasionally.
  4. Meanwhile, shell the cardamoms and crush the seeds to powder. Set aside.
  5. The jaggery should have dissolved by now. Switch off the heat. Sieve the melted jaggery and set aside.
  6. Put the grated coconut into your food processor. Pour in a cup (250 ml) of water and grind to fine paste.
  7. 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).
  8. 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.
To cook:
  1. Set the unniyappa chatti on high heat. Pour in enough cooking oil to half-fill each depression.
  2. 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.
  3. 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).
  4. Remove the lid and gently turn over the rava unniyappams using a small spoon or a little wooden spatula.
  5. 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.
  6. 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.
Recipe Notes

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.