There’s something almost sacred about opening an Ila Ada. That moment when the banana leaf peels back to reveal a thin, soft rice layer wrapped around a warm, sweet coconut filling – it’s like unwrapping a memory. Steamed, fragrant, and impossibly nostalgic.
While it was once a quiet homemade snack – passed down through generations and made in the early hours of the morning – today, Ila Ada has found its place in tea shops and small hotels too, neatly stacked on glass shelves or served warm with a glass of chai. And somehow, even with that shift, it hasn’t lost its simplicity.
The filling is almost always a mix of grated coconut and jaggery, often perfumed with a bit of cardamom. But in many local versions, especially across parts of Malabar, a handful of aval (flattened rice) is added to the mix – giving the filling a soft, chewy body that holds the sweetness beautifully. It’s a simple twist, but it makes the ada heartier and somehow even more comforting.
The outer layer – a thin sheet of rice dough – steams gently inside fresh banana leaves, absorbing their earthy aroma. That scent alone is unmistakable. Sweet, green, and a little smoky from the steam. There’s something grounding about it, something that instantly takes you back to childhood kitchens and monsoon evenings.
Ila Ada may not be dressed up or overly spiced, but it doesn’t need to be. It’s a dish that speaks softly and lingers long. Whether eaten in silence with morning tea, or grabbed warm from a tea shop shelf, it brings with it the kind of comfort that only Kerala’s traditional snacks can offer.
Ila Ada
Ingredients
Instructions
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First of all, melt jaggery with little amount of water
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Strain the jaggery mix for impurities and mix with coconut and cardamom powder
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Now mix a pinch of salt and keep it aside
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Let's prepare batter for ada
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Mix rice powder, hot water and salt and make a thick batter ( we have to flatten the batter with hand )
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Cut banana leaf in to squire . Now let put it over flame to make the leaf little flexible . Don't let it burn.. Just 2 second is enough
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Have a hand full of batter and flatten it just like Dosa.
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Put the sweet mixture in one side.
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Now fold banana leaf half. tuck the endings too
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Team the ada for 10 minutes. Your ela ada is ready