A popular flourless cake from the Malabar region. made with ripe plantains and ghee. Pola is a traditional pan-cooked pie/cake that can be made sweet or savory. Kai Pola is one the more popular among the Sweet Pola Varieties.
The key is to cook on a very low flame, till the Pola is cooked through. Perfectly Cooked Pola is a status symbol amongst the housewives of Malabar.
Kai Pola (Flourless Pan cooked, Plantain Cake)
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The preparation typically involves sautéing the chopped plantains in ghee until they are lightly caramelized. Separately, eggs are beaten with sugar and cardamom powder. These are then combined, and the mixture is cooked in a pan on low heat until set, resembling a thick pancake or a baked cake. It can also be baked in an oven. Fried cashews and raisins are often sprinkled on top as a garnish.
A detailed introduction and related links is available on the
Recipe Intro ↓ Check it out or scroll down for the recipe ⇓.
TIP:
When choosing plantains for this recipe, go for plantains that are golden in color, and are ripe but not overly ripe. Overly Ripe plantains, will not taste as good.
EAT AND TELL!!! Let us know if you tried – Kai Pola
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Kai Pola (Flourless Pan cooked, Plantain Cake)
Description
Kai Pola, also known as plantain cake or banana cake, is a sweet and flavorful dish originating from the Malabar region of Kerala, India. It's a traditional delicacy often enjoyed as a tea-time snack or during festive occasions, especially during the Ramadan month for Iftar.
The cake is made primarily with ripe plantains (also called nenthrapazham or Kerala bananas) and eggs. The natural sweetness of the plantains blends with the soft, pudding-like texture of the eggs.
Ingredients:
Instructions
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Peel the plantains and slice them down the center, lengthwise. Then continue to chop into small pieces.
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Heat the ghee in a non-stick pan. Fry the cashews first till golden and then kismis till puffed. Remove from the pan, with a slotted spoon.
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Add the sliced plantain to the remaining ghee in the pan. Fry for 5 minutes, with regular stirring. You should get a light golden color. Don't allow the plantain to go dark in color, be careful here. Also, don't fry so long that the plantain caramelizes and starts getting too sticky. This will not give the Pola, the best resulting texture.
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Set the pan aside. to cool off slightly.
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Add the eggs (at room temperature) to a blender, along with the light brown sugar or regular caster sugar.
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Also add the fried plantain, which has cooled off by now and most of the ghee in the pan as well. Reserve a small amount of the ghee from the pan, to grease the 'Pola' Pan.
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Blend without adding any other liquid, till completely smooth. Stir in the cardamom powder as well as the lightly fried cashews and kismis. Stir this batter to evenly incorporate the added ingredients.
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To cook the 'Kai Pola', use either a deep edged nonstick pan OR a nonstick cake pan. Loose base/springform pans are best.
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Lightly brush the sides and bottom of the pan, with the remaining ghee from frying the plantains.
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Add the prepared batter. Level the top as best as possible either with a spatula or 'kueh press'.
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Now place the pan on the lowest flame of your smallest burner. Cook, up to 30 minutes(lowest heat). Check after 20 minutes. Keep an eye on this, to make sure the flame is still lit( since you are cooking on the smallest flame possible) and be alert for any caramelizing smells.)
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Perfectly cooked Kai Pola, will have a smooth textured surface, without any cracks, holes or foamy appearance, and the sides will not be brown.
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Touch the surface to ensure there are no sticky spots. It should be soft and bouncy to the touch.
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If you are using a regular non-stick pan, invert this onto the serving plate. In this case, the top of the Kai pola, will be golden. However, in the case of a springform cake pan, like the one I have used, allow to cool off briefly and then release the cake, thereby keeping the light golden top. (Preferred).
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Some like to garnish the Kai Pola with fried nuts as well. I prefer it plain
Note
- Video for Kai Pola Recipe is available in the Malayalam language on the Intro page.
- Do not add more quantity of kismis/sulatanas than in the recipe, as this sometimes causes the dish to end up getting a ‘burnt smell’ during the steaming process.
- If you prefer to cook the Pola in the oven, bake in a preheated oven 180ºC for 20- 30 minutes, till a toothpick inserted in the centre comes out clean. (Oven timings may vary – check for doneness ).
- Ripe Plantain, Eggs, Sugar, Ghee, Cashewnuts, Kismis, Cardamom.
