Monday, December 04, 2006

Shravani Cake



Shravani Cake gets its name from the fact that it is a cake to be feasted on in the sacred month of Shravan. We being a vegetarian family and with 2 kids whose birthday falls in the month of Shravan makes even an ordinary cook a creative one. Aai made this cake to prove that all children in our joint family were equal. This was a BD present to all 8 kids at home on their individual BDs. We loved it then and we love it now. My elder bro tells me that mine does not taste as good as Mom's. The secret it she made it in a cooker just like steaming idlis. Whereas I make in the Oven.
Ingredients
1 cup Semolina roasted
1/2 cup milk
2 tablespoon sour curds
1 tablespoon ghee
1/4 cup Pistachio, almonds, cashews slivered
1 generous pinch saffron to be soaked in milk
1/2 cup sugar
1 teaspoon baking powder
In a large bowl first lets beat the ghee to a froth. Add the sugar and beat till dissolved. Now lets add milk and curd then add the semolina and fold into the mix. Mix in the nuts and saffron and baking powder till mixed properly but with a light hand. Let in stand for 10 mins. Meanwhile preheat oven to 200 deg Cel. Grease 6 inch round mould with ghee. After 10 mins lets pour the batter in the mould. and bake for 20 mins. This cake should not be allowed to be browned as it is made from semolina it will give a very hard crust. It should be removed from the oven as soon as it is baked from inside. to check if done insert a dry knife if it pulls out dry then the cake is baked and done. Remove from the oven and let it cool for 10 mins. Then demould it on a tray or cake stand. As you see in the picture above, the cake I baked was for almost double the quantity given here and so I took a mould which could hold all the batter at one time. Enjoy!
Updated: 5th Feb 2007
Pressure Cooker Version
This varies only in the last step. Instead of baking we steam the batter. For steaming you can use a greased Dhokla stand and cut into diamonds after steaming Or in idli stand for small cakes. This versions is fluffier and tastier after all this is how Aai made it. It should be steamed for 20 mins and make sure it is cooked as explained in the oven version before removing from heat and leaving it to cool. I'm sure you will like this version more than my oven version.

8 comments:

  1. Hi Anjali,

    Thanks for sharing the receipe. It seems to be v.easy and good. I hears cake with maida,never heard with cream of wheat...

    Let me try and tell you how it has come out.

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  2. Hi Anjali,

    Thanks for dropping by my blog.Your version looks similar and nice too.Thanks for sharing.Keep in touch, and wish you and your family a very Happy and Prosperous New Year 2007!

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  3. Hi Anjali,

    I have been looking for this recipe for years but never knew what it was. Had eaten this at a lovely ladies house when I was a kid and still remember. Its currently baking in the oven. Can you please tell me the pressure cooker version? Would it still have baking powder and do I steam it exactly like idlis? Thanks loads.

    ReplyDelete
  4. Hi Anjali,

    The cake is out of the oven and already half over. Was amazing. I tweaked the recipe a bit (more sugar and elachi intead of saffron) but kept in pretty much the same. Thanks again for this. This recipe is going to stay with me forever.

    ReplyDelete
  5. Priyanka I'm happy you liked it. I'm a little slow on sugar. Also I believe its a good recipe only when it is adapted to each ones taste. I'm updating the post with the cooker version.

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  6. My grand MIL (ajje saasu bai) used to make this cake...but wasn't able to get this recipe from her.
    I've been on the lookout for a similar recipe for years.
    Many thanks for sharing.
    -TC

    ReplyDelete
  7. Hi Anjali,

    Your food blog is lovely...I'm addicted! I'm going to try your lemon cake recipe over the weekend. This recipe of "Shravani" cake reminds me of a recipe that my great grandma would make, only it served as a part of a meal when teamed with piping hot kadhi-khichadi. What I like about the recipe is that it can be molded into a cake or a pancake depending on the time of day.

    She would mix equal amounts of kanik, rava, ani saakhar with a little khaaycha soda, and beat it to a batter consistency by adding aambat taak. This would then get steamed in a pressure cooker. I, however, like it in the form of pancakes...ladle some onto a medium hot non-stick tava, leave some toop from the sides (literal translation of "kadene toop sodaave" "p), cover for a minute, flip and do the other side. They turn out nice and spongy with slightly crispy sides. Eat with limbaache goad lonche or even fresh cream!

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  8. Hey Saee! welcome here. I'm going to try your pancakes soon. Thanks so much and keep visiting.

    ReplyDelete

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