Local Flavors...Cardamom & Coconut Cake

 

When it comes to making Indian desserts, I can only think about ingredients like milk, nuts, sugar, cardamom and coconut. Anybody who has tasted payasam or kheer will have to agree that there can’t be a better pairing among such ingredients. The local flavors are so deep rooted in us that where ever we go, we long for such flavors. A simple kaju burfi would satisfy our souls more than any fancy looking donut. Keeping this in mind, the cake recipe that I’m posting has all the Indian flavors.

The first time I got to eat a piece of this cake was through a friend, whose mother had sent it all the way from India. After getting some rough idea about the ingredients, I could hardly wait to give it a try.





Ingredients

Self raising flour 1 cup

Brown sugar 1 cup

Milk ¼ cup

Cardamom powder 1 teaspoon

Shredded coconut ½ cup

Cashew nuts 7-8

Sun flower oil 2 teaspoons


Method

Grease a baking pan with oil and preheat the oven to 180 C.

Caramelize the sugar on low heat.

Dry roast the cashew nuts on a non stick pan and powder it. Set aside to cool it.

Dry roast the shredded coconut on a non stick pan till it becomes slightly brown.

In a bowl, add flour, cardamom powder, caramelized sugar, cashew nut powder, coconut, and mix well.

Add milk and oil and beat it well to get a smooth running batter.

Pour this batter into the baking pan and bake it for 20 minutes or until firm.

Leave the pan to cool and then cut it into squares.