BABYCAKES UNNIYAPPAM

  

I love unniyappams. When I was working, I used to buy and eat unniyappams from the store. Here in Seattle, I cannot do that. So, I am left with no choice other than to make them. And I am too lazy to spend my time frying the unniyappams, waiting for them to cool, and figuring out what to do with leftover fried oil. I want instant gratification, which I get from Babycakes Unniyappams.

If you don't have a Babycakes maker, try my recipe for baked unniyappams.

INGREDIENTS 

1. 1 cup whole wheat four 
2. 125 gms. jaggery boiled in 1/3 cup water 
3. 1/2 tsp cardamom powder 
4. 1/2 tsp salt
5. 2 Tbsp. solid butter 
6. 1/4 cup thinly sliced coconut pieces 
7. and a pinch of baking soda
8. water for diluting (3/4 cup)

METHOD 

• Boil the jaggery and water till the jaggery is completely diluted. Turn off the stove and let it cool. You do need to make it into a syrup consistency.

• Meanwhile, in a bowl, take the flour and whisk in the salt and cardamom powder. When the jaggery syrup cools down, add this to the flour and gradually add water to make a pourable batter.
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  

• Cover the bowl with a lid and keep the batter to ferment overnight. It need not double up in volume the next day, like idly batter. 
• Heat a pan on medium-high heat and add 2 Tbsp. Butter/ghee/oil. When the butter is hot, add the coconut slices and fry until brown.
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  

• Add this to the batter. Yes! You can add this without waiting for it to cool down; just make sure that the hot butter does not come in contact with the sides of the bowl if it's a plastic bowl.
• Add a pinch of baking soda to the batter and gently mix the batter using a whisk.
  
  
  
  
  
  

• Pre-heat the Babycakes maker till the green light turns on.
  
  
  

• Using a spoon, pour the batter into the molds. You should hear a sizzling sound when you pour the batter. Close the lid and cook for 5 minutes. 
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
• After 5 minutes, open the lid using a kitchen towel, or the steam will burn your hands. 
  
  
• Using a wooden skewer, take out the unniyappams from the molds.

 

• There is enough batter for one more batch; pre-heat the maker for 3 minutes before pouring the next batch. You should hear the sizzling sound when you pour the batter; that's why the babycakes maker needs to be pre-heated again.

NOTES

• Can soda powder be skipped? The answer is "NO". It's just flour; hence, that uplift is required, which can be brought about only by a leavening agent. I tried skipping the soda powder and letting the batter sit for 24 hours to lightly ferment, but it did not produce the effect a leavening agent provides. Instead of soda, yeast can be used. 
• Also, soda powder gives that dome-shaped lift in the center.
• I get it; soda powder gives the lift, but what if I want to use as little soda powder as possible? Fermentation by keeping the batter overnight incorporates the air bubbles for the sponginess and lift of the unniyappams. It comes out perfectly in the first batch of the unniyappams even without adding the soda powder, but for the next set, by stirring several times to prepare and pour the first batch, gives out all the air bubbles incorporated, and while baking, the second batch of unniyapamms becomes dense. So, if you want to reduce the amount of soda powder, skip it while making the first batch of unniyappams and put the soda powder in the batter before pouring it into the second batch.

PAZHAM UNNIYAPPAM

This is a spinoff of the banana pancake. I make the banana pancake when bananas ripen beyond the point that it can be eaten as a fruit. 

1. 4 overripe bananas((I have used the robusta banana weighing about 160 gms.)
2. 4 Tbsp. grated coconut or coconut slices
3. 1/2 cup whole wheat flour
4. 1/4 tsp salt
5. 1/4 cup thick jaggery syrup(the amount depends on how ripe the bananas are)
6. 2 Tbsp. butter or ghee

METHOD

• Mash the bananas with salt, jaggery syrup, and grated coconut(If using coconut slices, use them later). Then, fold in the flour gently. The batter should be loose enough to aid in fermentation. 
• After the flour is gently incorporated, using your hands, whip the batter gently to incorporate air so that it aids in fermentation. 
• Keep the batter in the oven for 8 hours with the oven light turned on to ferment. 8 hours is the maximum time OR in the instant pot with yogurt setting for 4 hours. 
• After 8 hours, take the batter out and add more flour so the batter is tight enough to hold its shape while baking. Rice flour can also be added to make the batter tight. Rice flour gives the unniyappam a crispier texture.
• Use it right away, or keep it in the fridge. I like to make the unniyappams the next day. 
• Before making the unniyappams, heat and brown the butter in a pan, add it to the batter, and make unniyappams following the method in the above recipe. If using coconut slices instead of grated coconut, fry the slices in the butter or ghee.