Ela Ada (valsan), a typical Kerala sweet recipe, traditionally made of rice floor. Grated coconut mixed with jiggery (brown sugar) is filled inside the rise dough, which is layered on a banana leaf. It is then steam cooked in an idly maker or steamer. In this preparation here I used wheat flour instead of rice flour, but the rest of the steps remain same.
For 7 Adas
Ingredients
- Wheat flour : 2 cups
- Water : 1 ¼ cup
- Salt a pinch
For filling:
- Grated coconut : 2 cup
- Aval (rice flakes ) : ¼ cup
- Jaggery : 1 cup
- Cardamom powder : ¼ T-sp
- Banana leaves
Method:-
- In a bowl add the wheat flour, salt and add little water at a time and make a soft dough (little looser than chapati dough).
- In another bowl, add the aval and sprinkle some water and mix it.
- Then add the jaggery , coconut and cardamom powder and mix it.
- Wash the banana leaves and wipe it with a kitchen towel.
- Divide the dough according to the size of the banana leaves.
( I got frozen banana leaves, so most of the leaves are broken, I had to cut it into 7 different sized balls). - In the center of the leaf place the dough and flatten it with fingers, dip the hands in between for making flattening easy avoiding the dough sticking the fingers.
- Then layer the filling (see the pic) and fold the leaf.
- In a steamer add enough water and allow it to boil.
- Once it’s boiled well, place the adas and wait for cooking it . Typically takes 15-20 minutes.
- Can see the color of the leaves changed .
- Switch off the stove and wait for the steam to settle, before taking the adas out.
