FIJIAN HONEY CAKE

This recipe was published in Mumbai Mirror and it looked very interesting, a must try. I used plain granular sugar in it but the colour of the cake would be enhanced if brown sugar is used. So here it is.

FIJIAN HONEY CAKE

INGREDIENTS

Refined Flour / maida	1 ¼ cup
Sugar	½ cup
Honey / madh	½ cup
Curd / dahi	½ cup
Egg	1 no
Baking soda	½ tsp
Cinnamon pdr / dalchini pdr	½ tsp
Clove pdr/ allspice / lavang pdr	¼ tsp
Nutmeg pdr / jaiphal pdr	¼ tsp
Ginger pdr / soonth	½ tsp
Salt	A pinch
Almonds slivered / thinly sliced	6 – 10 nos

 

METHOD:

1.       Grease and line a loaf tin or even a cake tin will do. You can also line it with butter paper.

2.       Put all the ingredients together and beat well.

3.       Add ¼ cup soft butter if you like but then do not add the salt as the butter already has salt in it.

4.       Pour into the prepared cake tin. Smooth out the top.

5.       Sprinkle almonds on top. You can also add raisins.

6.       Bake in a preheated oven at 170° C for 45 min.

7.       Poke a toothpick in the center. If it comes out clean then the cake is done.

8.       Allow it to cool for 15 min in the pan. Loosen out the edges and invert it out.

9.       Cool completely on a wire rack.

PATAL POHA CHIWDA / PRESSED RICE CHIWDA

PATAL POHA CHIWDA

 INGREDIENTS

Patal pohe / thin pressed rice	4 big cups
Roasted peanuts	½ cup
Roasted pandharpuri dale/ phutane/ roasted gram dal	¼ cup
Thinly sliced dry coconut / khopra	¼ cup
Cashewnuts (break each in 4 pieces)	10 – 12 nos
Sultanas	10 – 12 nos
Salt	T.T.
Oil	4 – 5 tbsp
Haldi / turmeric pdr	¼ tsp
Green chillies	2 – 3 nos
Heeng / asafoetida	¼ tsp
Rai / mustard seeds	¼ tsp
Curry leaves	2 sprigs
Powdered sugar	½ tsp
Coarse roasted jeera pdr / cumin pdr	1 tsp

 

METHOD:

1.       Mix haldi pdr in 1 tbsp oil. Apply on your hands and lightly coat the poha with it.

2.       Dry roast the poha on medium heat. If it crumbles down to a powder when pressed then it is roasted well. Remove it and cool.

3.       Heat the remaining oil, add in the rai. When it crackles add in the Heeng, curry leaves and green chillies. Reduce to low heat. You can also add til / sesame seeds if you like.

4.       Add the peanuts and sauté till crisp. Then add in the sliced coconut and again sauté till it browns. Now add in the phutane, cashews and sultanas. Add in the jeera pdr.

5.       Remove from heat and now mix in little at a time the roasted poha. Add salt and powdered sugar and again mix well.

6.       Allow to cool and store in an air tight container.

CHURMA LADOO

CHURMA LADOO

 INGREDIENTS

FOR THE DOUGH
Atta / Wheat flour	1 ½ cup
Fine rawa/ semolina	2 cups
Melted Ghee / clarified butter	½ - ¾ cup
Salt	¼ tsp
Oil	For deep frying
Powdered sugar	Approx 3 cups
Melted ghee / clarified butter	¾ - 1 cup
Nutmeg pdr	¾ tsp
Almonds chopped (fried in ghee)	12 – 15 nos
Cashewnuts chopped (fried in ghee)	12 ­– 15 nos
Khuskhus / poppey seeds	2  tbsp

METHOD:

1.       Mix together the wheat flour and fine rawa. Add salt and the melted ghee. Mix well. The consistency should be such that it moistens the flour and rawa and starts to come together.

2.       Add little water, enough to make a hard but pliable dough.

3.       Cover and allow to rest for 1 hour. By this time the rawa will absorb moisture and the dough will swell up.

4.       Make lemon sized balls and press them between your fist.  Deep fry in hot oil on medium heat till well browned. Remove and cool.

5.       Break them into small pieces and grind it till it is very  fine.

6.       Measure the ground powdery mix. Add in to it half the quantity of powdered sugar.

7.       Now add in the nutmeg powder and the fried dry fruits. Start adding in the melted ghee.

8.       Add so much that the powder mix will start coming together to form a ball, or it starts to clump together.

9.       Shape into lemon sized balls and roll in khuskhus seeds. Store in an air tight jar.