AMBYACHI SANDANE / STEAMED MANGO CAKE

Sandane (सांदणे) is a very authentic preparation from the coastal region of the konkan belt Guhagar - Ratnagiri. This is something that  I have grown on. During the summer holidays when we used to visit our native place...that was the time when there was abundance of mangoes and jackfruits in our house and my ajji (granny) used to make them for us as kids. Such delicacies taste the best when made on a chuul / chulha (earthen stove).

Sandane is a kind of a steamed cake made using either mango pulp, jackfruit pulp or banana mash. The best from the lot which I completely drool over is the one made from jackfruit. It is to be eaten warm with pure home made ghee poured over and dipped in coconut milk  sweetened with jaggery. Aahhhh....bliss....fond childhood memories.

Coming back to it, here in the form of Sandane I have tried .....to recreate my childhood.....a slice of my life....

AMBYACHI SANDANE / STEAMED MANGO CAKE

INGREDIENTS

Alphonso mango (pureed)	2 cups
Rice flour (coarse) / Idli Rawa	1 cup heaped
Jaggery	¾ cup
Scraped fresh coconut	¾ cup
Water	1 cup or less approx
Salt	1 pinch
Soda or eno fruit salt	1/2 tsp
Elaichi pdr / cardamom pdr	1/8 tsp
ACCOMPANIMENT
Coconut milk (thin)	1 cup
Jaggery	T.T.

METHOD:

1.       Dry roast the coarse rice flour till it changes colour and it becomes easy to move around in the pan. Dissolve the jaggery in the water.

2.       Mix together well all the ingredients except the soda / eno and the accompaniment ingredients. Make sure you use little less water than the given quantity. Check the consistency. Add more water only if required. It should be of pouring consistency but not runny. Keep it covered for 30 min for the idli rawa to absorb moisture and bulk up.

3.       Apply oil or ghee on a plate or use a dhokla stand if you have.

4.       Dissolve the soda / eno in a very little water and put it in the batter. Mix well and immediately pour ladlefuls of the batter in the plates.

5.       Steam them in a steamer for 15 – 20 min till cooked and a knife comes out clean when poked in the centre of the sandan.

6.       Remove from the steamer and invert the plate and allow it to cool.

7.       Make sure you pass a knife around the edges of the plate so that the sandan will be loose from the sides.

8.       Now invert the plate and try to remove them intact and whole. Sprinkle some elaichi pdr on top.

9.       Dissolve the jaggery in the coconut milk. Pour melted ghee on the sandan and serve them with sweetened coconut milk. You can also add elaichi pdr / cardamom pdr to the coconut milk.

Using the same method and ingredients you can also make fansachi (jackfruit) sandane and kelyache (banana) sandane. just replace the mango pulp with jackfruit or banana pulp.

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