Jackfruit Elayada | Chakka Appam

Jackfruit Elayada Meaning Ela Refers To Plantain Leaf And Ada Refers To The Steamed Flat Rice Cake. And It is Filled With A Mixture/Poornam Made Of Jaggery (Natural Product Of Sugarcane) , Ripe Jackfruit And Grated Coconut. Not Too Sweet And A Healthy Snack Too.

Jackfruit Health Benefits

There are soo many benefits from eating jackfruit. Some of the benefits are , It is a good source of fiber so it help you feels fuller for longer and helps keep your bowel movement regular (webmd).The nutrients in jackfruit may help lower your risk for some health issues, including: ulcer , Diabetes , High Blood Pressure , Skin Problems, Cancer and many more.

Other Jackfruit Recipe you can find here – Palakottai Pepper Fry | Jackfruit Seeds Recipe

Jackfruit Elayada | Chakka Appam is made with the sweet bits of Ripe Jack fruit incorporated with rice flour and jaggery (Natural Product Of Sugarcane) or use brown sugar , the soft dough is then wrapped carefully in plantain leaves.The banana leaf flavor in the outer covering and the jackfruit’s fruity tastes really delicious.

The best thing about Ada is, there is no oil in it. Plantain or banana leaves is needed. The Filling /Poornam Inside (made of coconut, jaggery and jackfruit) is layered inside the flat rice cake and kept in banana leaf and then steamed in a steamer or idly mold vessel.

Elayada can be made without Ela. It is called as Kozhukattai / Modak and Inside Filling is called as Poornam. This Elayada is made two ways in the recipe. Method 1 and method 2 both are explained in the recipe instructions. You could make it two ways at the same time or just follow one method. Both Taste delicious and both ways uses the steaming process.

For Best Taste Use Ripe Jackfruit

A ripe jackfruit will have a nice yellowish skin color. When pressed it will be soft to touch. Separate the fruit and seed. The separated seed is also edible. Recipe for Seed is here Palakottai Pepper Fry | Jackfruit Seeds Recipe

Serving Suggestions

It is served as evening snack or as part of breakfast .

Variations To Ingredients Used In The Recipe

Generally Ela Ada is made with rice flour and this recipe also uses the same. But Ela ada can also be made with wheat Flour .

Filling inside can vary too . If you do not have jackfruit you can skip it and just make the inside filling /poornam with jaggery and coconut alone or can steam some chenna dal with water , mash it and then add it to the jaggery -coconut syrup.

What Is Wilting The Banana Leaf Means?

Preparing the banana leaf for cooking (Wilting) – Take the big leaf and To make them flexible for folding, wilt in single layers by placing the leaves directly over the coils of an electric range on low heat, or pass them carefully over the low flame of a gas range. Cut the leaf into the desired sizes and use it in the cooking.

Leaf will change its color after this process which is absolutely fine.

Step By Step Picture Of How To Make The Elayada

Ingredients Required – Finely Chopped Ripe Jackfruit , Powdered Jaggery or use brown sugar, Broken Cashew nuts , cardamom powder , shredded coconut , ghee , rice flour and salt.

Preparing the banana leaf for cooking (Wilting) – Take the big leaf and To make them flexible for folding, wilt in single layers by placing the leaves directly over the coils of an electric range on low heat, or pass them carefully over the low flame of a gas range. Cut the leaf into the desired sizes.

How To Prepare Jaggery – Coconut Syrup

Preparing the jaggery – Take a pan and add powdered jaggery and water to melt the jaggery (approximately for 1 cup jaggery add 1/2 cup water). Heat the flame in medium -low and keep stirring until the jaggery is fully melted. Switch off the flame .

Now strain the jaggery through a fine meshed sieve by placing a bowl underneath. (Discard the dirt / remaining’s in the sieve).

Take the clean strained jaggery in a sauce pan / kadai and Keep the flame in medium- low only. Add chopped jackfruit and cashew nuts and stir well. Bring it to a boil and keep stirring . Bring the flame to LOW. Let it cook until the jaggery syrup gets slightly thick (approximately 2 to 3 minutes).

Then add shredded coconut and cardamom powder to the jaggery syrup and mix well (Take half portion of this mixture to use it in method 1).

Method 1 – To Prepare Jackfruit Elayada

Now take half of the warm /hot jaggery – coconut mixture from the stove and mix it with 1/2 – half the given quantity (3/4 th cup ) of the rice flour with 1/4 tsp salt and make into a smooth pliable dough (apply some ghee and make the dough).

Take jaggery – coconut mixture dough and make it into a equal sized balls (does not have to be perfect round shape , Consistency should be soft and not too hard).

Take the wilted leaf – cut them into small size and apply ghee in the base of the leaf. Place each ball inside the leaf and flatten them by using your hand and press them gently. Fold the leaf with the flattened dough into half. Like wise repeat with all remaining balls and wilted leaf. Keep it ready for steaming.

Method 2 – To Prepare Jackfruit Elayada

With the jaggery syrup in the sauce pan / kadai , let it simmer for few more minutes until the jaggery -coconut come together little thicker poornam consistency (approximately two to three minutes ). Switch off the flame and remove the pan from stove. Let it cool completely.

Take the remaining rice flour ( 3/4 th cup ) with 1/4 tsp salt in a bowl and mix well. Boil 1 cup of hot water and add it to the rice flour and mix well and make it into a smooth dough.

Apply ghee /oil in both the hand and Make equal sized balls with the cooled jaggery – coconut mixture /poornam (optional) and the rice flour dough.

Now Take the wilted leaf and cut them into small sizes and apply ghee over the leaf . Take one rice flour ball and place them on the leaf and press gently to make the ball slightly flattened . Place the filling (jaggery -coconut mixture/ poornam) inside the flattened rice flour and fold the flattened rice flour dough into half and press and seal the edges carefully. Fold the leaf into half . Repeat with all remaining balls / dough and leaf and keep it ready for steaming.

Common Step For Steaming The Jackfruit Elayada

I used Indian Pressure Cooker. Greased the idli / idiyappam plates /molds with some oil . Place all the prepared leaf on each plate. Place the molds inside the pressure cooker filled with water. Fit the rubber gasket on the lid. Close the cooker and heat on high flame. When the steam starts to bubble along with the water , then SET timer to 10 minutes . Once the timer is done. switch of the flame. Let it rest for couple of minutes. Open the cooker and take the Elayada from the leaf.

Serve warm /hot or place them inside the warmer until ready to serve.