Ms. Asha Krishnakumar shares her recipe for Elai Adai, a lip-smacking breakfast staple during Onam.

Elai Adai is a delicacy popular in Kerala. Essentially steamed dumplings, filled with sweetened coconut or during summers, jackfruit. This is the basic recipe, with aval, coconut and jaggery.

Elai Adai

Raw rice flour – 1 cup
Red aval – 1/2 cup
Grated coconut – 1/2-3/4 cup
Jaggery – 1 cup
Oil for greasing the plantain leaf
Cardamom powder – 1 teaspoon

Preparing the Adai dough:
Boil 2 cups of water, add a pinch of salt and 2-3 drops oil.
To the boiling water, add the raw rice flour and mix it well to form dough

For the filling (poornam):
Take a pan, boil water, add jaggery and allow it to dissolve.
Add red aval, grated coconut, and cardamom powder to the water.
Stir it till it becomes thick poornam.

Getting the banana leaf ready :
Take nice flat broad plantain leaves. Place the leaf on a low flame on the stove, turn sides and move it around the flame so all sides are heated. This is done so that while making Adais the leaf does not get torn.

METHOD

1. Take the banana leaf, apply few drops of oil evenly.
2. Make the rice dough in to small round balls and flatten them with greased hands.
3. Place a small filling in the flatten rice dough and fold it with the leaf.
4. After making all the pieces ready, steam it in the Ultra Pressure Cooker for 10-15 minutes.
5. Instead of Aval you can also add boiled moong dal or jackfruit.
5. This delicious dish will evoke memories of grandmothers in summer, especially if you add chopped jackfruit to the filling.