Elanchi / Madakkusan or Love Letters

These Love letters are one of the fondest childhood memories I have. Our mom used to make these quite often for me and my sister. We, specially my sister were always hungry 😁 and my mom would have to always find simple, easy, quick recipes to satisfy us. This was one of those recipes. We used to love having them. And now I have a son who is always hungry and these simple delicious recipes come handy and I treat him. It is a popular Kerala snack, made with maida and egg, or alternatively wheat flour, filled with sweet filling, and its good to go. These are nice and filling too. 

Love letters is a traditional tea time snack in kerala with many different names to its credit. Many call it as Elanchi, Maddakkusan , Mutta Kuzhalapam etc. These coconut -sugar/jaggery filled crepes will surely make your evening snack time sweet. 

Step by step images are given below for your easy reference. 

Video Recipe on YouTube Updated 

Makes about 7-8

Ingredients: 

• Maida or all purpose flour/ Wheat flour - 2 cup
• Egg- 2 Beaten
• Salt- 1 tsp or as per taste
• Turmeric-1/2 tsp (Optional)

For filling

• Coconut-1.5 cup
• Jaggery- 1 cup
• Sugar-  1/2 cup (Optional, if not using jaggery)
• Cardamom powder- 1/2 tsp
• Water- 3 tbsp to melt jaggery
• Ghee/oil- 2 tbsp (Optional)

This recipe can be made with different fillings as per your taste and availability of ingredients: 

1. Coconut - Sugar : Toast the coconut on medium heat for 2 minuend then add sugar (to taste) and stir till the sugar melts and mixed with coconut. Add cardamom powder(optional) . Use this as a filling in the crepes
2. Coconut - Jaggery : As mentioned in the recipe below 
3. Apple Pie filling: Cut apples into tiny pieces and cook it with sugar and cinnamon till they turn soft and gooey 

See Notes **

Method:

1. First we start by making the filling- Add jaggery and water to start melting the jaggery. If using sugar check Step no 3. 
2. Add coconut and cardamom powder and mix well. 
3. If using sugar, add ghee coconut and sugar along with elaichi/ cardamom powder and mix well
4. Now to make the batter, whisk 2 eggs and to it add the maida or wheat flour whichever you are using**. 
5. Add turmeric powder along with salt and mix well with little water to make batter
6. Make sure to add water little by little to avoid having a very thin batter. 
7. Batter consistency should be like a dosa batter 
8. Heat a pan or tawa and once hot, grease it with ghee (optional)
9. Add one ladle of batter and spread like a dosa. Make sure not to make it too thin
10. It cooks very fast, so keep the flame on medium and turn to cook the other side.
11. Make these crepes and keep aside. 
12. Now add the filling of your choice and fold it like a burrito. (see step by step image for refernce)
13. I usually add Raisins and caramelized banana's too ** along with the jaggery-coconut filling. 
14. Serve warm, plain or drizzle honey for added taste

Notes: 

• I usually use half and half- 1 cup all purpose flour and 1 cup wheat flour. You can use whichever you please. 
• Reduce or increase the quantity according to how much you want to make
• You can use any filling of your choice. The original recipe demands for a coconut-sugar/Jaggery filling.
• I have caramelized raisins and bananas in ghee, Just saute' them in ghee for few mins. 
• I have added nuts powder (home-made) in the jaggery coconut filling for my kid. You can add or avoid. 
• Make sure the batter is not very thin or thick. It should be dosa batter consistency
• Make sure the flame is on medium to low as the batter cooks really fast and it will burn. 

Like the idea??

I hope you will love making these and relish it too. 

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