Ela Ada

Ela Ada( steamed rice cakes) is one of my favourite Kerala recipe. It is healthy and yummy as most breakfast and snack recipes of Kerala.This was one of the treats my mother prepared for evening snacks and festivals. Having lived outside Kerala, all my life, banana leaves were bought only during festivals and occassions, so this recipe is always associated with the onam/ vishu time! :)

It happens to be one of my DH's favourites too, so whenever I get some banana leaves,  I always ensure that he gets this sweet treat! :)

Here goes the recipe:

Ingredients:

1. Rice flour- 2 cups

2. Boiled water as per requirement

3. Salt to taste

4. Jaggery- half cup

5. Grated coconut-1cup

6. Cardamom powder- a pinch

7. Banana leaf- cut into square small pieces

Method:

1. Take the rice flour in a large mixing bowl, add salt and keep aside.

2. Wash and clean the banana leaves and make small pieces of the same and keep aside.

3. Melt jaggery with 2-3 tbsp water over with 2 -3 tbsp water over medium low heat.switch off the stove and add grated coconut and cardamom powder. Mix well and keep aside.

4. Boil some water and add this slowly to the rice flour and mix evenly with a spoon(wooden preferably) until you get a dough like consistency. Wait for a few minutes and once it cools a little, use your hands and knead well to make a soft dough.

5. Take lemon sized portion of the prepared dough and place it onto a piece of banana leaf and flatten it suing your ginger tips to form a thin and even layer of dough on it.(if the dough is sticking to your fingers, dip in water once in between). It would be easier if you smear the banana leaf with some ghee, so that the steamed cake comes off easily later.

6.  Place a tablespoon of the prepared filling onto one half of the prepared layer and fold over the other half and press the sides gently to seal the edges. Repeat the process with the rest of the dough.

7. Place this in a steamer and steam for about 10 to 12 minutes. Allow it to cool slightly before serving.

Alternatively you could mix all the ingredients with the dough and then make the lemon sized balls and repeat the process too, but I prefer the soft filling, as it gives more taste. You could add some mashed jackfruit or bananas along with the grated coconut to give more flavour. In any way this tastes really awesome and I am sure anybody would enjoy this recipe...so Enjoy! :)