elayappam recipe | ela ada recipe | ila ada | kerala valsan with detailed photo and video recipe. an authentic and traditional kerala delicacy made with rice flour, jaggery and coconut. it is a traditional dessert recipe is made during the festival season and particularly for ganesh chaturthi. at the same time, it can also be made and served for morning breakfast or even for evening snack with a cup of tea or coffee.
well, to be honest, i started planning to make a traditional south canara or udupi delicacy which is known as turmeric leaf appam or gatti. but unfortunately i did not have access to the turmeric leaves and i was able to get hold of a frozen one. basically, the ela ada recipe, sweet kadubu and turmeric leaves gatti are very similar the way it is made and also with the ingredients. but the use of banana and turmeric leaves adds a unique flavour for each dish. personally, i like both the dishes and i do not have any reservations for either one of them. having said that ila ada is much easier to prepare as you should not have any issues finding a banana leaf.
anyway, i would like to add some tips, suggestions and variations to elayappam recipe. firstly, i always recommended using fresh and tender coconut grate to make the coconut pooran. i have used desiccated coconut mixed with some water and jaggery to have the same result. secondly, the rice flour dough has to be smooth and use hot water to make the dough. it has to be soft dough and easily spread on the banana leaf. lastly, while steaming in an idli cooker or pressure cooker, do not overcrowd it with too many appam’s. also, make sure to have small-sized banana leaf used for this dessert as we do not want to block the steam.
finally, i request you to check my other detailed indian sweet recipes collection with this post of elayappam recipe. it mainly includes recipes like aate ki pinni, moong dal ladoo, peanut ladoo, boondi ladoo, gond ke ladoo, dates ladoo, besan ladoo, motichoor ladoo, rava ladoo, atta ladoo. in addition to these, i also request you to check my other detailed recipes collection like,
elayappam video recipe:
recipe card for elayappam recipe:
elayappam recipe | ela ada recipe | ila ada | kerala valsan
Ingredients
for stuffing:
- 1 tsp ghee / clarified butter
- ¾ cup jaggery / gud
- 1 cup coconut, grated
- ¼ tsp cardamom powder
for dough:
- 1 cup rice flour, fine
- 1½ cup water
- 1 tsp ghee / clarified butter
- ½ tsp salt
Instructions
stuffing preparation:
- firstly, in a pan heat 1 tsp ghee, ¾ cup jaggery and 1 cup coconut.
- saute for 5 minutes or until jaggery melts completely.
- the stuffing need to be sticky and aromatic.
- now add ¼ tsp cardamom powder and mix well.
dough preparation:
- firstly, roast 1 cup rice flour on low flame for 5 minutes.
- transfer to the bowl and cool completely.
- in a saucepan take 1½ cup water, 1 tsp ghee and ½ tsp salt.
- get to a boil for 2 minutes.
- pour the hot water over flour and mix using a spoon.
- once the water is absorbed and the dough has cooled slightly start kneading with your hand.
- knead to a smooth non-sticky dough by greasing little ghee to hand.
assembling and steaming:
- firstly, warm the banana leaves so that it will easy to fold.
- grease the leaf with ghee. you can alternatively use baking paper.
- take a ball sized dough and flatten over a banana leaf.
- place a tbsp of prepared stuffing and spread uniformly.
- fold half and seal the sides by pressing gently.
- place in a steamer and steam for 15 minutes or until it is cooked completely.
- finally, elayappam / ela ada is ready for prasadam.
how to make ela ada with step by step photo:
stuffing preparation:
- firstly, in a pan heat 1 tsp ghee, ¾ cup jaggery and 1 cup coconut.
- saute for 5 minutes or until jaggery melts completely.
- the stuffing need to be sticky and aromatic.
- now add ¼ tsp cardamom powder and mix well.
dough preparation:
- firstly, roast 1 cup rice flour on low flame for 5 minutes.
- transfer to the bowl and cool completely.
- in a saucepan take 1½ cup water, 1 tsp ghee and ½ tsp salt.
- get to a boil for 2 minutes.
- pour the hot water over flour and mix using a spoon.
- once the water is absorbed and the dough has cooled slightly start kneading with your hand.
- knead to a smooth non-sticky dough by greasing little ghee to hand.
assembling and steaming:
- firstly, warm the banana leaves so that it will easy to fold.
- grease the leaf with ghee. you can alternatively use baking paper.
- take a ball sized dough and flatten over a banana leaf.
- place a tbsp of prepared stuffing and spread uniformly.
- fold half and seal the sides by pressing gently.
- place in a steamer and steam for 15 minutes or until it is cooked completely.
- finally, elayappam / ela ada is ready for prasadam.
notes:
- firstly, roast the rice flour on low flame as it prevents dough from turning sticky.
- also, the stuffing can be varied to your choice by adding dry fruits.
- additionally, shape or design the kadubu to your choice.
- finally, elayappam / ela ada tastes great when topped with ghee.