Pazham Unda / Undapori

                                                Whenever I have very ripe, ready to wilt bananas on the kitchen counter; the 'no wasting' bell as well as the 'recycling' bell rings in my mind, loud enough to jolt me into some kind of kitchenantics. Two  options rush to my mind all the time. One is the Moist Banana Cake, which the boys are crazy about and the other is this easy peasy old snack of mom, Pazham Unda, which the spouse is quite fond of.

                                        Nowadays, I usually opt for the second; as it is quicker and more easier to make. No need of all those whisking, beating and folding fuss. It can be mixed up in a couple of minutes and prepared in a quarter of an hour. It was one of the easiest tea time snacks mom used to make when we were kids. Back at home, mom used to make it with really ripe 'cheru pazham', the small bananas which is abundantly available in Kerala. I tried it with the chiquita bananas here and it turned out quite as good.

Here is the recipe...



Things you need:

5-6 very ripe chiquita bananas / 10-12 cheru pazham
1/4 cup rice flour
1 tbsp white flour /maida
1/4 tsp salt
3/4 cup melted jaggery/ according to taste
1/4 tsp cumin powder
1/2 tsp cardamom powder
A pinch of baking soda
Oil for deep frying

Method:

Peel the bananas (they should be really ripe and ready to wilt) and mash them in a bowl using fork or hands. Add all the other ingredients and mix well with a spoon. The batter should not be too thick nor runny.
      Heat oil in a sauce pan or kadai. Oil should be in medium heat.Too hot oil makes the balls brown quickly leaving the center uncooked. Take spoonfuls of batter, briefly ball them with your hand and drop into the hot oil one by one. Turn to other side after about 3 minutes, when one side has browned. Cook both sides for about 3 minutes and then remove from oil with a slotted spatula. Transfer to a plate lined with kitchen tissue.Repeat with the rest of the batter. Break one unda and check if the center is cooked well.
 The outer part will be a little crispy and the inner, soft. Enjoy with tea, hot or cold.