Unnakaya Stuffed with Chicken Masala – A Savoury Twist on a Malabar Classic
 
Prep time
Cook time
Total time
 
Author:
Recipe type: Snack
Cuisine: Indian
Serves: 6 Unnakaya
Ingredients
Spices for adding to chicken
  • Chicken breasts or boneless chicken- 2 chicken breasts diced
  • Kashmir chili powder- 1 tsp
  • Turmeric powder- ⅛ tsp
  • Coriander powder- 1½ tsp
  • Garam masala- ½ tsp
  • Ground black pepper- ¼ tsp
  • Salt- ¾ tsp
For making chicken masala or filling
  • Oil- 1 tbsp
  • Onion, chopped small- 3
  • Ginger-garlic paste- ½ tbsp
  • Cilantro, chopped- 3 tbsp
  • Salt- ½ tsp
For making plantain dough
  • Plantains- 2 (not too ripe nor too raw)
Instructions
  1. In a saucepan, combine the diced boneless chicken with all the above mentioned 'spices for adding to chicken'.
  2. Cook covered till the chicken has cooked well and the water dries off.
  3. Let the cooked chicken cool down.
  4. Shred the cooked chicken using a fork or wooden spoon without any lumps. Keep it aside.
  5. Place a non-stick pan over medium heat, add oil.
  6. Add chopped onions, season with salt and saute till translucent.
  7. Add ginger-garlic paste, saute till onions turn golden in color.
  8. Add the shredded chicken to the onions, combine well.
  9. Taste and add more salt if needed. If more spice is needed add more ground pepper or chili powder. Combine well.
  10. Add chopped cilantro, cook for a few seconds.
  11. Take the pan from the heat and keep aside.
  12. This chicken masala can be made well in advance & stored in the refrigerator for a week or in the freezer for a month.
Making plantain dough
  1. The plantain that's used for making this should not be too ripe nor too raw, it should be somewhat in between.
  2. Steam cook the plantains with the skin in an Instant Pot for 2 minutes or in a steam cooker.
  3. After it has steam-cooked, take the plantains from the steamer and let cool down.
  4. Peel off the skin, cut the plantain into two halves, and remove the black seeds from it.
  5. Mash the plantain using your clean hand or a potato masher or with a wooden spoon without any lumps.
  6. If there are tiny lumps, you can also slightly mash them in a food processor.
  7. Make it into a soft dough.
  8. Make medium-sized balls out of the dough.
  9. If the dough is too mushy, add 1 to 2 tablespoons of rice flour to make it slightly firm (don’t make it too hard), the end result should be a soft dough.
  10. Grease the palm of your hands with ghee, and flatten the dough into a small round shape.
  11. Place 1 to 2 tbsp of the prepared chicken masala on the plantain dough, the dough is very soft so it’s very easy to glue the edges.
  12. Shape it into an oval shape.
  13. Place a frying pan over medium heat, add oil for frying & let the oil turn hot.
  14. Place the stuffed plantains in oil & deep fry over medium heat till golden brown in color.
  15. It will turn brown very fast so keep an eye on it.
  16. Transfer to a plate & enjoy while its warm.
  17. The sweet fried plantain along with the savoury chicken masala tastes delish, enjoy!
Recipe by Cooking with Thas - Smart Cooking, Smart Living at https://thasneen.com/cooking/unnakaya-stuffed-with-chicken-masala-a-savoury-twist-on-a-malabar-classic/