Dhondus

cucumber cake

The green cucumber called 'Tavas' is used to make this 'dhoundus'. This is generally harvested in the month of August/September or 'Shrawan'. This is very popular in Goa and Konkan.

Ingredients
1 cup grated cucumber with its juice(without skin)
1 cup water
1 cup grated jaggery
1 cup freshly grated coconut
4-5 chopped cashew nuts
1 cup rawa/semolina(preferably of rice)
1 tsp ghee
pinch of salt

Method

• Mix grated cucumber,water,jaggery,coconut,cashews and pinch of salt in a pan. Switch on the gas and let all jaggery dissolve and blend in the mixture.
• Simultaneously heat ghee in another pan and roast rawa till it turns golden brown.
• Mix the roasted rawa in the hot cucumber mixture and mix well. Cover with lid and let it cook on low flame.
• Once the water gets absorbed transfer the contents into a greased tin.
• Put on the gas on medium flame. Heat the griddle. Keep the greased tin covered on the griddle. Check after 5 minutes with a knife. (It should come out clean)

Note
If turmeric leaf is available. put it on the top of the mixture while baking the tin. The aroma of the leaf blends well with dhondus

Date and walnut whole wheat cake (eggless)

I call it 'mixer cake' as all the procedure is done using mixer. I avoid using maida(all purpose flour) as far as possible. Here I have taken wheat flour instead of maida. I also used refined oil in place of butter(saturated fat) The cake tastes equally good and it is healthy so that you can eat it too. Happy Christmas!!!


Ingredients
3/4 cup sugar
1/2 cup refined oil
10-12 dates
1 cup milk
3/4 tsp baking soda
1 cup wheat flour
1/2 cup walnuts

Method

• Grease the cake container with butter and dust little wheat flour on it. Take the excess flour off the container
• Soak dates(seedless )in lukewarm milk (with baking soda added) for 10 minutes.
• Place a griddle with sand over it as a base. Preheat the griddle on medium flame for 10 minutes.
• In a grinder grind sugar first.
• To that add oil and blend the mixture till it thickens (solidifies)
• Add dates-milk mixture and blend again.
• Add wheat flour in two parts and blend.
• Mix crushed walnut pieces and mix with spoon.
• Pour the mixture in the greased container.
• Place the container(with lid) on the griddle.
• Bake the cake for 12-15minutes on high and next 15 minutes on medium-low flame.
• Check with toothpick or knife(if after piercing the toothpick/knife comes out clean then the cake is done) before taking off the heat.

Ravyacha Cake/Eggless semolina cake

This is the traditional eggless cake. It's anytime cake as the ingredients are always there in the pantry. Need no special equipments and can be made easily on gas.





Ingredients
1 cup rawa/semolina
1 cup sugar
1 cup curd/dahi
1 cup milk
1 table sp ghee/clarified butter
1 tsp baking soda
2-3 drops of rose essence
a pinch of salt
raisins,charoli/chironji,chopped almonds


Method

• Grease the cake pan/aluminum baking pot/ non-stick pan with little ghee/clarified butter.
• In another pan mix all ingredients in order and stir with spoon to mix well. Cover the pan and keep aside for five minutes.
• Transfer the contents to a greased cake pan.
• Switch on the gas on medium flame and keep the cake pan on it.Cover with lid.Let it cook on high to medium flame for 10-12 minutes and then simmer the flame and let it cook for further 5-7 minutes.
• When done, check by pricking knife in the cake(it should come out clean)
• Let it cool. Transfer it on the plate and cut into pieces.
  
  
  
  
  

Note
When half done I put sand on a  hot griddle and shift the cake pan over it to spread the heat evenly.