Kerala Ottada

Ottada is a traditional Kerala snack that’s simple, rustic, and filled with nostalgic charm. It’s a kind of sweet-stuffed flatbread, usually made using wheat flour and filled with a mix of coconut and jaggery, then cooked without oil – either on a hot griddle or wrapped in a banana leaf and roasted over fire.

This snack is deeply rooted in rural Kerala food culture, especially in the central and southern districts. Interestingly, you might come across different dishes with the same name across Kerala. In the Malabar region, Ottada refers to a type of savoury flatbread. Both versions are usually served for breakfast. But this sweet version is more common as a snack or what we call a “naalu mani palaharam” – that classic evening bite with tea.

Usually, it’s made with wheat flour. Water and a pinch of salt are mixed in to make a soft, slightly watery dough. Sometimes rice flour is also used instead, depending on the family or region. A small portion of dough is flattened by hand on a piece of banana leaf. The filling – made with grated coconut, jaggery, cumin seeds, and a hint of cardamom powder – is placed on one side. It’s then folded over and sealed like a small parcel.

These parcels are then placed on a hot tawa or directly on fire with the banana leaf. Once roasted on both sides, it gives off a beautiful smoky aroma. The outer layer becomes slightly crispy, while the inside remains soft, sweet, and full of flavour.There’s also another version of ada made with rice flour. That one is steamed and served soft, while the wheat version like ottada is always roasted and enjoyed slightly crisp.

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Kerala Ottada

Author: Ushadevi Cooking Method: Grilling Cuisine: Kerala Courses: Breakast

Difficulty: Beginner Prep Time 10 mins Cook Time 10 mins Total Time 20 mins

Servings: 3

Best Season: Suitable throughout the year

Ingredients

Scale

1/2x 1x 2x 3x

• 2 cup Whole Wheat flour
• 2 cup Grated Coconut
• 1 cup Jaggery
• 1 teaspoon Cumin Seeds
• ¹⁄₂ teaspoon Cardamom powder (optional)
• Salt as required
• Rectangular Banana Leves

Instructions

1. To make Ottada or Wheat Ada , first of all we have to prepare the banana leaf, rectangular banana leaf should be burned little to make it flexible, else it will break.
2. Just show the banana leaf over flame for a second , thats enough.
3. In bowl Add Wheat flour, salt, Cumin seeds, Cardamom powder and mix well.
4. Add enough water to make a thick paste. Its the base
5. For the filling, mix grated Coconut and Jaggery together. Mix well.
6. Take a lemon size batter, on the banana leaf, flatten the dough with hand in a circle
7. Take some coconut filling and spread half of the ada.
8. Fold the leaf in to half.
9. Heat a pan, Put the ad on it. Let it roast both side.
10. Ottada or Wheat ada is ready