Ela Ada is a popular South Indian delicacy made of rice flour, grated jaggery and grated coconut. The coconut-jaggery mix is covered with the rice paste. You can substitute jaggery with sugar also. This is a steam cooked snack. If you do not have plantain leaves wherever you live, you can substitute them with aluminium foil or parchment paper but it never gives the taste and aroma of steaming ada in banana leaves. It can be served as a snack or part of breakfast. My entire family loves this yummy snack.
Ingredients
- 1 cup Rice Flour, roasted
- Hot Water, as required
- Salt, to taste
- ¼ tsp. Cardamon powder
- Few Banana leaves
For Filling:
- 1 cup Coconut, grated
- ½ cup Jaggery, grated
- Salt, a pinch
- A pinch of coconut milk (optional)
Method
- Mix coconut, jaggery and cardamom powder with your hands until well combined and soft.
- Cut banana leaves into small pieces, wash and clean it. Pat it dry.
- Spread half tsp. of oil all over the leaf with the fingers.
- Make a dough of rice flour by adding hot water and salt. The dough should soft and not stiff.
- Place lemon size dough in the centre of the leaf, flatten it with finger and spread the filling on it. If the dough sticks to your fingers, dip your hand into water before flattening.
- Fold the leaf in half and tuck the ends of the leaf.
- Place the adas in a steamer/idly cooker and steam it for 10 minutes.
- Ela Ada is ready to serve warm or after it cools down.