Pazham nirachathu and unnakkaya – two recipes, one blend

An any-time snack, unnakkaya is truly a delightful treat. Easy-to-make, this fried dumpling is also used to be a typically Malabari bite. It has its variations in Thalassery, Kannur and Malappuram. Today, unnakkaya has crossed borders and has turned into an evening snack, savoured by all. While unnakkaya is made with a coconut and flour, the same blend can be used to make stuffed bananas also. Same ingredients, just different making. Here’s how to make pazham nirachathu and unnakkaya:

Ingredients
7 ripe bananas
200 gm scraped coconut
3 eggs
4 tsp ghee
100 gm cashew nuts
50 gm raisins
4 shallots
100 gm sugar
1 tbsp cardamom powder
200 gm maida
1 teaspoon salt
Oil
Edible food colour

Preparation
Lightly fry raisins and cashew nuts in ghee and set aside.
Saute scraped coconut lightly in ghee and mix in the eggs.
Add shallots, sugar and the sauteed raisins, nuts and powdered cardamom.
For pazham nirachathu
Split bananas lengthwise, tuck in the prepared mix.
Dip bananas in maida mix and deep fry.
For unnakkaya
The same mix becomes unnakkaya when the bananas are boiled, mashed, rolled out and filled in with the mix.
The bananas are then folded, dipped in maida and deep fried. 
Click here to read this recipe in Malayalam