Air fryer recipe · Desserts & Bakes · Kerala
Kerala Unniyappam (Air-Fryer)
Little banana, jaggery and rice-flour rounds with ghee-roasted coconut bits, the much-loved temple sweet of Kerala and a good fit for any festive plate. This air-fried take bakes them in a mould, so they come out soft and cake-like rather than crisp-shelled.
- 40 minTotal time
- 170°CAir fryer
- 4Serves
- VegetarianDiet
- KeralaState
Part of the Diwali across India collection
Nutrition per serving
- 385kcal
- 3.2 gprotein
- 73.9 gcarbs
- 9.4 gfat
- 3.0 gfibre
Per serving, about 4 servings. Figures are estimates from standard ingredient databases, not medical, dietetic, or nutritional advice.
Ingredients
- Rice flour1 cup
- Ripe banana (small Kerala variety if possible)2, mashed
- Grated jaggery1/2 cup
- Coconut bits (thenga kothu)3 tbsp
- Ghee2 tbsp
- Cardamom powder1/2 tsp
- Baking sodaa pinch
- Wheat flour2 tbsp
Method
Melt the jaggery
Melt the jaggery with 1/4 cup water on low heat, then strain out any grit. Let it cool until just warm.
Make a thick batter
Mash the banana very smooth. Mix in the rice flour, wheat flour, jaggery water and cardamom to make a thick batter that drops slowly from a spoon. Rest it for 20 minutes so the rice flour softens.
Roast the coconut
Fry the coconut bits in 1 tbsp ghee until golden and crunchy, then stir them into the batter with the baking soda just before cooking.
Fill the moulds
Brush a silicone appe mould or mini muffin mould with the remaining ghee. Fill each cup three-quarters full, no more, so the batter has room to rise. The mould keeps the batter contained, so nothing drips into the basket.
Air-fry until set
Place the mould in the basket and air-fry at 170°C for 15 min, until the tops are deep brown and a toothpick comes out clean. Rest for 5 minutes, then pop them out and turn them upside down so the bottoms dry. Serve warm.
