Kumbalappam,
an exclusive Kerala Delight

Kumbalappam is a very delicious dish of Kerala, South India. It is a steamed jackfruit dumbling. It can be eaten at any time, but in the evenings it will make a better snack especially for the kids when they return from school.

It can also be served to the guests. On my recent visit to my home town in Kerala, I got this flavourful snack to enjoy, prepared in the traditional way.

Ingredients needed

KumbalappamKumbalappam

  • Roasted rice flour - 2 cups

  • Coconut scrapped - 2 cups

  • Jaggery - 1 1/2 cups

  • Jackfruit pulp - 1 cup
    • (well-cooked)

  • Milk - 1/2 cup (optional)

  • Cinnamom powder - 1/2 tsp

  • Edana (Vazhana) leaves - few

    OR

  • Raw jackfruit leaves OR Banana leaves - few pieces

Method of Preparation

  • Grind coconut and jaggery well in the mixi.

  • Mix it well with roasted rice flour, jackfruit pulp and cinnamom powder.

  • Keep aside for 10-15 minutes.

  • You may find the batter thickened now. Loosen it by adding the milk, little by little, to get a consistency of unniappam mixture. (If the batter is not too thick do not use the milk).

  • Take the edana (vazhana) leaf or jackfruit leaf (whichever is available) and make a cone shape.

  • Fill it with the batter and tie it with a piece of tooth pick, so that it will not come out.

    (If you do not have either edana leaves or jackfruit leaves, you can use banana leaves. Then do not make it into a cone shape.)

  • Steam these packs of leaves in a pressure cooker (without using weight) or an idli steamer, for about 10-12 minutes.

Tips:

1. Edana (vazhana) leaves are a common flora of kerala, with a spicy cinnamon smell, something like a bay leaf smell.

1. If these are made in banana leaf, these are called as Elai appam. Only the cone shaped ones are called kumbalappams. Banana leave appams (also called as adas) too have a different and pleasant aroma.

2. If fresh jackfruit pulp is not available, the pre-stored jackfruit halwa (chakka varatti) can also be used for the preparation of this mouth-watering dish.



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