Chemmeen Ada (also called Meen Ada, Chemmeen Ilayada, or Prawn Ada) is a traditional Malabar-style Kerala snack, where Prawns are used as stuffing. It is a savoury steamed rice parcel/dumpling stuffed with spiced prawns (chemmeen). It’s a beloved dish from North Kerala (Malabar region, especially Kozhikode), often prepared as an Iftar special during Ramadan or as a tea-time snack.

Chemmeen Ada – A traditional Kerala Snack

Ada is a traditional Kerala snack or sweet prepared using plantain leaves or other types of leaves. The sweet or spicy filling is placed inside the leaf and is either cooked on a tawa or steamed. There is a wide range of Kerala ada recipes, prepared for different occasions. Rice flour, maida or wheat flour is generally used in its preparation and a stuffing of your choice. It serves as a breakfast or an evening snack. It is widely grouped as a healthy snack because the frying method is avoided.
 
The outer layer is a soft, thin rice flour dough (similar to pathiri or ada dough), filled with a flavorful prawn masala (onions, green chilies, ginger, garlic, turmeric, chili powder, curry leaves, sometimes coconut), then wrapped in banana leaf or steamed directly. The result is a soft, aromatic, mildly spicy parcel that highlights Kerala’s love for seafood and coconut oil. Unlike sweet elai ada (banana leaf parcels with coconut-jaggery filling), Chemmeen Ada is savoury and non-veg, with the prawns giving a delicious umami kick. You can serve it as a main course, and no side dishes are needed.

Chemmeen Ada

Ingredients for Chemmeen Ada (Prawns Ada):

  1. Puzhukkalari (Boiled rice) – 200 gm
  2. Salt – As required
  3. Coconut scraped – ½
  4. Prawns – 250 gm
  5. Salt – As required
    Chilli powder – 1 small spoon
    Turmeric powder – A pinch
  6. Oil – 4 big spoons
  7. Onions, finely chopped – 200 gm
    Green chillies, finely chopped -3
    Curry leaves – 1 stalk
  8. Ginger crushed – 1 small spoon
    Garlic crushed – 3 cloves
    Tomato, finely chopped – 1
  9. Red chilli powder – 1 small spoon
    Turmeric powder – ½ small spoon
    Coriander powder – 2 small spoons
  10. Water – 200 milli
    Salt – As needed
  11. Coriander leaves chopped – 1 big spoon
    Garam masala powder – ¼ small spoon

How to prepare Chemmeen Ada (Prawns Ada)?

  1. Soak the rice in cold water for 4–5 hours.
  2. Then wash the soaked rice well, and grind it well, adding salt, half the quantity of scraped coconut and water.
  3. Batter should be thick, not too loose.
  4. Marinate prawns, adding ingredients no: 5, and allow them to rest for 10 minutes.
  5. Heat 2 big spoons of oil, and deep-fry prawns until they are light brown.
  6. In the remaining oil, sauté ingredients no: 7.
  7. When onions turn soft, add ingredients no: 8 and sauté again.
  8. When tomatoes are smashed, add ingredients no: 9 and sauté for one minute.
  9. Now add salt and water and mix well. Allow it to boil
  10. Add fried prawns and cook well in a low flame. The gravy should thicken.
  11. Apply a little oil to your hands and make 6-8 balls from the prepared flour.
  12. Place each rice ball in separate banana pieces and spread using your hands.
  13. Use prawn mixture as filling.
  14. Place a little prawn mixture inside the spread rice ball, fold it into a semi-circular shape and press the edges as well to avoid the filling from falling out.
  15. Steam cook the ada for 15-20 minutes and serve hot.

Source: Vanitha Magazine August 15-30 2016

Also read a few more delicious prawn snack recipes. Here is the page link. Click on the images in the gallery to read. 

 

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