Ottada, takes me back to my childhood days. My mom used to make this as a breakfast dish and sometime as an evening teatime snack. This semi-crispy and sweet dish ,prepared with wheat/rice flour goes well with the tea, or a breakfast dish without the need of any additional side dish or curry. The toughest part for making this dish for me was getting banana leaves, which I got during my last weekend shopping from a Chinese grocery market.

Ingredients

1. Wheat flour       : 1 cup
2. Grated coconut : 1 cup
3. Jaggery (grated)           : ½ cup
4. Salt      : a pinch
5. Water for kneading the dough
6. Banana leaves cut to ~ 8” square

Method

1. Mix the coconut and jaggery together.
2. In a vessel add the wheat flour along with the salt.
3. Add a little water at a time for kneading the dough and make a soft and smooth dough.
   The dough should be looser than chappathi dough.
4. Take lemon sized dough and keep it on the center of the banana leaf. Spread it with your fingertips (see picture). Dip the finger in water in between, this will make the flattening easier
5. Spread the coconut jaggery mix on top of the dough.
6. Fold the leaf (see picture) and seal well.
7. Heat a tawa/ dosa pan , once it is really hot keep the ottada.
8. Once the side is cooked – ie when the color of banana leaf will be changed to dark brown and banana leaves separates from the dough- flip it into the other side and wait for the same. 

Tips:- 

• Quantity of the coconut and jaggery will vary individual taste.
• It is customary to use sugar instead of jiggery, I prefer to use jiggery as its more healthy than sugar.