Ela Ada or Elai Adai is a South Indian sweet and traditional Kerala delicacy. These are the steamed rice parcels where the outer dough is made of rice flour and the filling is sweet and steamed in a banana leaf and served as an evening snack or breakfast.
Rice flour, grated coconut, and jaggery are the main ingredients. In Kerala, this is prepared specially for Onam as Prashad to God. There are different methods of making Ela Ada. Instead of rice flour, whole wheat flour can be used in making outer dough. But traditional method calls for rice flour. This is also prepared in Tamil Nadu too.
Similarly, the filling can be either coconut jaggery, sesame jaggery, jack fruit jam, etc. There are so many endless possibilities. There are 2-3 methods of making the outer dough. I have already posted how to prepare the soft outer dough 3 ways. You can check the recipe here. Use any of the methods to make the soft dough. I have used store-bought idiyappam flour to prepare the outer dough. You can use homemade rice flour too. Check the recipe for homemade rice flour here. Now let us see how to prepare this recipe.
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- 1/2 cup Rice flour idiyappam flour
- 1 pinch salt
- 1/2 tsp Sesame Oil
- 1/2 cup Cold Water
- 1 cup Coconut grated
- 3/4 cup Jaggery powder
- 2 tbsp Water
- 1 tsp Cardamom/Elachi powder
- 1 pinch salt
- 2 tbsp Ghee
- Banana leaf as required
- In a pan, add water, salt, sesame oil and bring it to a rolling boil. Now turn the flame to low. Add the dough gradually and mix it thoroughly until it forms a soft dough. Switch off the flame. Close it and keep it for 5 mins.
- When the dough is warm enough to handle, apply oil to your palm and need the dough thoroughly. There should be no lumps and cracks at this stage. The dough should be soft and pliable.
- Close the dough with a damp cloth, so that the dough doesn't dry. Soft dough is ready.
- Heat a pan and add a tbsp of ghee. Once ghee melts, add coconut and saute for a min. To this add jaggery powder, 2 tbsp water, and cook on low flame until the filling is able to hold a shape.
- To this add salt, cardamom powder, add remaining ghee, and mix all thoroughly. Let the filling cool completely.
- Cut the banana leaf into pieces of equal square shapes and keep ready.
- Take a small lemon size dough and roll it into a ball. Flatten and place it on the center of the greased banana leaf. Pat the dough and flatten it gently.
- Now place a tbsp of coconut jaggery filling the center of the dough and spread it halfway as shown in the video.
- Fold the leaf gently and make sure all the sides are sealed properly by pressing down all the sides.
- Once all the ilai adai is done, place the adai in the idli pan or any steamer. While placing ilai adai water should be boiling.
- Do not overcrowd the adai and steam it for 12-15 mins only. Once done let it cool for a while and then serve. Ilai Adai is ready to serve God.
- You can increase or decrease the jaggery according to your taste.
- I have used store-bought idiyappam flour. Use any branded rice flour.
- For preparing rice dough either you can use a cup of boiling water or a cup of hot milk or half of the boiling water and half of the hot milk.
Delicious melt-in-the-mouth Ila Ada is ready to relish.
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