Pav Recipe | Goan Pao Recipe and an Ode to the humble Pao [Video]

Pav or Pao Recipe with step by step video instructions. Pav or Pao are leavened bread rolls from India. Pao is a soft, fluffy and chewy white bread roll. Pao is usually served with a bhaji or curry on the side. This recipe of pav is vegan.

In a hurry? Jump to Video or Jump to Recipe

Pav or Pao.. to the tiny state on the Konkan coast where I am from, it is not just bread, it is almost a way of life.

Every time I post a photo of Pao on Instagram, I always write about how special the Goan Pao is. It is a sentiment that my fellow Goans agree to.

The Portuguese brought the leavened bread, the Pao to Goa. During the Portuguese rule, the pao was leavened using toddy, the local coconut alcohol.  But since independence, the toddy has been replaced with yeast which is now easily available all across the country.

When you are in Goa, you are bound to see the Poder, the guy who delivers the pao to your door step. He is usually riding the cycle with a blue tarpaulin covered cane basket behind him on the cycle and honking away to let the people know that he is present. Just holler at him to stop him and buy your fresh from the bakery pao.

My earliest memory is my grandma giving me Rs.0.5, yes, 50 paise, and sending me off to buy pao at 4pm, when the poder made his second round of the day. Today the humble pao costa a little more, but is still subsidized by the government so that it is affordable to all.

The Goan pao is like no other and although I attempt to recreate it in my kitchen with this recipe, I will never accept it can reach the texture of the Goan pao. The Goan pao has the chewiest and lightest crumb that can soak up any curry and still hold its shape. The crust can be soft or "kadak", buy the variety you like, it is always a nice even brown with so much texture. The pav is so aptly salted that it can still be enjoyed just plain and it won't taste bland and use it to mop up a curry, it won't taste too salty. Perfect, just like Goldilocks liked it. And yes, it isn't even a tad bit sweet and the crust doesn't crumble, like it does for store bough pao in Bangalore.

I have spent several years trying to find the perfect pao in Bangalore and almost given up. There are a few ones that come close to the Goan pao, but aren't always available. So in the meantime I have been attempting to make it at home. And after several several tries, I can say that this Pao recipe satisfies me.

The pao is soft and has a decent crumb that does not rip apart and crumble when dipped into a gravy. The crust is nice and soft with a gentle resistance of the gluten. It isn't always an even texture, but I attribute it to my shaping skills. While I attempt to keep most of my recipes vegan friendly, this is one place where I tend to replace the sugar with honey just because it gives me an amazing rise and color. The recipe below calls for sugar, but feel free to replace it with honey, maple syrup or any other sweetner. The addition of steam helps the pao rise and also gives it better texture as in the case of a sourdough or other artisanal breads.

If you made this recipe, let me know! Leave a comment here or on Facebook,  tag your tweet with @oneteaspoonlife on Twitter and don't forget to tag your photo @oneteaspoonoflife on Instagram. You can also email me at onetspoflife@gmail.com I'd love to see what you are up to.

If you like this recipe, do not forget to share it with your friends and family! 

You can follow One Teaspoon Of Life on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, Pinterest or you can subscribe to One Teaspoon Of Life and receive all the latest updated via Email

Video Recipe

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Pav Recipe | Goan Pao Recipe

Pav or Pao are leavened bread rolls from India. Pao is a soft, fluffy and chewy white bread roll. Pao is usually served with a bhaji or curry on the side. This recipe of pav is vegan.

Recipe Type:  Bread
Cuisine:            Goan / Indian
Prep Time:     2.5 minutes
Cook time:     20 minutes
Total time:     3 minutes
Yield:                Makes 9 small pavs

Author:                Anupama

Ingredients:

3 cups all-purpose flour or maida
3 tsp instant yeast or 2 tsp active dry yeast
1 Tbsp Honey or Sugar
2 Tbsp Oil
Salt to taste
Water as required
Oil for greasing
Flour for dusting

Method:

1. Add the sugar or honey to 0.5 cups of warm water and mix well.
2. Add in the yeast and mix well. If using active dry yeast, allow it to sit for 5-10 minutes until the yeast blooms.
3. Pour the yeast to a large bowl and add in the 2 Tbsp of oil and salt.
4. Add the flour and knead to a smooth dough. Use water as required while kneading.
5. Once you have a smooth dough, rub some oil on it to prevent it from drying and cover and keep the dough in a warm place for 1 hour or until it doubles.
6. Once the dough has doubled, punch it down and move it to a floured surface.
7. Gently knead the dough again and form a log.
8. Divide it into equal pieces. I divided into 9 pieces because I was using an 8 inch square pan.
9. Take each piece of dough and roll it into a ball. Fold the sides in and place it on a greased baking pan.
10. Keep 1-2 cm gap between the dough balls. The dough will rise and the pav rolls are meant to stick together on the sides to give you the classic shape and feel of pav.
11. Cover loosely with a cloth and allow the pav to rise for a second time in a warm place. The second rise may be shorter than the first as the yeast is already activated.
12. Preheat the oven to 220 degree Celsius and boil water in a kettle until it reaches a rolling boil.
13. Place the pav in the oven and in a tray below the pav add the boiled water to create steam in the oven.
14. Bake for 20 minutes or until the pav bread is cooked. Timing may vary according to the oven.
15. Remove from the pan and cool on a wire rack.
16. Allow to cool before serving.

Notes:

1. Using honey instead of sugar gave me a better rise and color. Feel free to substitute the sweetner to your liking. Don't eliminate the sweetner, it is required for the color and rise.
2. You can brush the top of the pav with milk before baking, it helps in getting a browner color on the top.
3. You can replace water with milk in the recipe, it will give you softer and less chewy pav.
4. Steam helps the pav get a better rise and texture. You can skip this, although it is recommended.

If you liked this, you may also like:

Misal Pav

Alsane Tonak

Jain Pav Bhaji

Masala Pav

Dill Onion Rolls

Dahi Bread Chaat

Read more ...

Batata Kaap (Kapa) Recipe | Vangi Kaap Recipe | Potato and Brijal Rava Fry | Batatyache Fodi Recipe [Video]

Batata Kaap Recipe with step by step video instructions. Batata Kaap or Vangi Kaap are pan fried slices of potato and eggplant (brinjal) that are served as an accompaniment in a Goan vegetarian meal. This Potato Semolina Fry is vegan and suits a plant based diet. Gluten free and Jain diet option available.

In a hurry? Jump to Video or Jump to Recipe

Do you have that one dish, that really simple dish, that you love above all other dishes? That you could alone wipe out an entire plate of, or two? These potato kaap are just that for me. And I'm not partial, I can kinda do that with the brinjal kaap and so many other kaap.

These are my feel good fries. I mean they aren't the healthiest fries out there in the fry world, but they are pan fried and that has to make them at least slightly more healthy, don't you agree?

What are Potato Kaap / Kapa / Fodi / Podi ....

These are really, just delicious bits of heaven. Okay, literally they are just slices of potato and brinjal or eggplant that are tossed in salt, turmeric powder and red chilli powder, dipped in fine semolina or cream of wheat and then pan fried with sufficient oil. These fries are cooked on low to medium heat until the potato or brinjal are soft on the inside aka cooked and the semolina on the outside is crisp (not burnt).

Batata Kaap are a common side to a rice meal in Goa and Maharashtra and in some places along coastal Karnataka. In some regions, they replace the semolina with rice flour, but in Goa, it is mostly rava or semolina. Both versions taste equally good. So if you are looking for a gluten free option, use the rice flour.

Batata or Vangi Kaap are a replacement to fish fry in most Goan households on days when non vegetarian food is avoided, like Mondays. 

Vegetables you can use

Generally, high starch veggies work best for kaap. Some of the commonly used vegetables for it:

• Potato
• Brinjal or Eggplant
• Sweet Potato
• Breadfruit
• Raw Banana

And then there are the uncommon ones like

• Okra
• Yam (Requires prior parboiling)
• Ridge gourd
• Cauliflower
• Bitter gourd

Blah blah blah and details....

So... there was a reason I didn't post this earlier, because I thought it was too simple for the blog. I mean there is really no recipe as such, more of guidelines. But then I made this for friends at some time and they kept asking me for the recipe. They would call me up each time they planned to make it and I would be dictating the 3-4 steps to them. I also had the same experience with a few colleagues several years ago. They tried it from my lunch box at work and couldn't get enough of it. So after years of doubting myself, I decided to go ahead and post the recipe, even if it got the least number of views. Just cause I love eating these and I can assure you, once you have eaten one, you really cannot stop eating them. It's almost the Lays ad.

To make these golden beauties, you need nice firm veggies. And you don't have to make a mixed vegetable one, you can make with just one veggie or go wild with the above list and make a mixed plate. Each vegetable is treated differently, be aware. 

You can choose to peel the potatoes or not. I personally love potatoes with their skin and hence decided to keep them on. Slice the potatoes and brinjals into round slices. They shouldn't be very thin. I like to keep the thickness around 3 to 5 millimeters (mm). I recommend using at least 1 medium potato per person. 

One more tip is regarding the oil. Don't skimp on it. Eat fewer if you want, but use enough oil to cook them. They mostly require 1-1.5 tsp per slice. 

Like all fries, they lose their crispness if stored for too long, hence, I recommend making them fresh. However, you can slice in advance and leave the potato and brinjal soaked in room temperature water until you are ready to cook them.

Serve Batata Kaap / Vangi Kaap as an appetizer or as a side with rice and solkadi or dal.

If you made this recipe, let me know! Leave a comment here or on Facebook,  tag your tweet with @oneteaspoonlife on Twitter and don't forget to tag your photo @oneteaspoonoflife on Instagram. You can also email me at onetspoflife@gmail.com I'd love to see what you are up to.

If you like this recipe, do not forget to share it with your friends and family! 

You can follow One Teaspoon Of Life on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, Pinterest or you can subscribe to One Teaspoon Of Life and receive all the latest updated via Email

Video Recipe

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Batata Kaap (Kapa) Recipe | Vangi Kaap Recipe | Potato and Brijal Rava Fry | Batatyache Fodi Recipe

Batata Kaap or Vangi Kaap are pan fried slices of potato and eggplant (brinjal) that are served as an accompaniment in a Goan vegetarian meal. Potato or eggplant are sliced and then spiced with salt, turmeric powder (haldi) and red chilli powder, coated in fine rava (chiroti rava) or cream of wheat or fine semolina and then pan fried on a tava.

Recipe Type:  Side
Cuisine:            Goan
Prep Time:     10 minutes
Cook time:     20 minutes
Total time:     30 minutes
Yield:                Serves 2

Author:                Anupama

Ingredients:

1 medium Potato
1 medium Brinjal (eggplant)
3 Tbsp fine Semolina (chiroti rava)
0.5 tsp Turmeric Powder (Haldi)
1 tsp Red Chilli Powder
Salt to taste
Oil to fry

Method:

1. Wash the potato and brinja thoroughly.
2. Peel the potato if desired. Else the skin can be left on.
3. Slice the potato and brinjal to slices of 3 to 5 mm thickness.
4. Add salt, turmeric powder and red chilli powder and mix well until all slices are coated.
5. Take the semolina in a plate.
6. Dip the slices into the semolina until both sides are coated with a thin layer of semolina.
7. Heat a tava and grease it.
8. Place the slices in one layer on the tava and spoon a little oil on each slice.
9. Once one side is cooked, flip the slice and spoon some more oil on it.
10. Cook until the vegetable is soft and the semolina is crispy.
11. Serve immediately as a accompaniment with Dal Rice or Solkadi Rice.

If you liked this, you may also like:

Kelyache Kaap

Neerphanas Kapa

Solkadi

Read more ...

Kadhai Mushroom Recipe [Video]

Kadhai Mushroom Recipe with step by step video instructions. Kadhai Mushroom is a spicy vegan curry made with mushrooms, capsicum and onions in a tomato based gravy. Kadhai Mushroom can be made either into a dry/semi-dry curry or into a curry with gravy. Kadhai Mushroom is vegan, gluten free and fits a plant based diet.

In a hurry? Jump to Video or Jump to Recipe

I love Mushrooms. It is the meat for vegetarians with loads of umami in it. There is seriously no other veggie that provides that elusive 5th taste that our beloved MasterChef Australia judges talk about.
Btw, are you watching the 12th season? The back to win series with the new jury? I'm completely hooked on.

What is Kadhai Mushroom?

Kadhai is literal terms is an Indian wok or the little vessel you see in my photos. That is a kadhai. So Kadhai Mushroom just translates literally to mushroom cooked in a wok. But as a dish, it is so much more than just that.

Kadhai Mushroom is a spicy melee of mushrooms, capsicum and onions simmered in a freshly ground masala that is so fragrant and a bit of tomato puree for that tartness and body for the curry.

This is probably one of the only curries where I don't substitute the masala with my Garam Masala. It just doesn't taste the same. The fresh masala adds so much flavor that it is almost a sin to substitute it with any store bough mixed spice powder. So I highly recommend making your own spice blend, just for this, and maybe then using it for myriad other curries. 

Kadhai Mushroom can either be a dry or a semi dry curry or it can be a curry with gravy. Every restaurant serves it differently and so can you.

The details...

Kadhai Mushroom is probably one of the easiest curries to make. To make Kadhai Mushroom, toast the whole spices - coriander seeds, cumin seeds, green cardamom, black cardamom, bay leaf, cloves and pepper. Toasting on low heat makes the spices release their oils and makes them more fragrant. Toast the dry red chillies, if using. This can be substituted with red chilli powder or with paprika without affecting the flavor and there is no need to toast it either. Once everything has cooled, make a quick powder.

Next, saute the mushrooms and keep them aside until later. If you don't have the time to do this, just toss them into the curry later and allow them to cook in the masala.

The onions and capsicum are cut into large chunks. This is meant to be a chunky curry. They are sauteed along with ginger garlic paste until they are cooked slightly. Do not overcook the capsicum, it is meant to retain the crunchiness.

Then the tomato puree, turmeric, salt and masala is added along with desired amount of water and the curry is simmered for a few minutes. The mushrooms are added at the end and given a quick stir.

The kasuri methi or dried fenugreek leaves provide an additional salty bitter fragrance that goes superbly with the curry.

Kadhai Mushroom can be served as a side with roti or naan bread or even with rice.

If you made this recipe, let me know! Leave a comment here or on Facebook,  tag your tweet with @oneteaspoonlife on Twitter and don't forget to tag your photo @oneteaspoonoflife on Instagram. You can also email me at onetspoflife@gmail.com I'd love to see what you are up to.

If you like this recipe, do not forget to share it with your friends and family! 

You can follow One Teaspoon Of Life on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, Pinterest or you can subscribe to One Teaspoon Of Life and receive all the latest updated via Email

Video Recipe

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Kadhai Mushroom Recipe

Kadhai Mushroom is a spicy vegan curry made with mushrooms, capsicum and onions in a tomato-based gravy. Kadhai Mushroom can be made either into a dry or semi-dry curry or into a curry with gravy. Kadhai Mushroom is vegan, gluten free and fits a plant based diet.

Recipe Type:  Curry
Cuisine:            North Indian
Prep Time:     10 minutes
Cook time:     30 minutes
Total time:     40 minutes
Yield:                Serves 2

Author:                Anupama

Ingredients:

200gms Mushrooms
1 Capsicum
1 Onion
1 cup Tomato Puree
1 Tbsp crushed Ginger-Garlic
1 Tbsp Coriander Seeds
1 tsp Cumin seeds
3-4 dry Red Chillies or 1-2 tsp Red Chilli Powder
0.5 tsp Black Pepper
2 Green Cardamom
2 Cloves
1 Black Cardamom
2 Bay leaves
0.5 tsp Turmeric Powder
1 Tbsp Kasuri Methi
4 Tbsp Oil
Salt to taste
Water as required

Method:

1. In a kadhai or pan, dry roast the coriander seeds, cumin seeds, green cardamom, black cardamom, 1 bay leaf, cloves, dry red chillies and black pepper for 1-2 minutes until fragrant. Remove from heat and allow to cool. Once cool, grind to a fine powder.
2. Cut the onions into petals and chop the capsicum into large chunks. Halve the mushrooms.
3. In the same kadhai heat 1-2 Tbsp oil and saute the halved mushrooms until cooked. Remove from heat and keep aside.
4. Add the remaining oil and add the onions, crushed ginger garlic and 1 bay leaf and saute until the onions are slightly soft.
5. Add the capsicum and fry until the capsicum is slightly browned.
6. Add the tomato puree, turmeric powder, ground masala, red chilli powder if using, salt and saute on low heat for 2-3 minutes.
7. Add water as desired, and simmer for 4-5 minutes on medium heat.
8. Add the mushroom and mix well.
9. Top with kasuri methi and mix well.
10. Serve hot with roti and rice.

If you liked this, you may also like:

Lahsuni Methi Mushroom

Mushroom Cafreal

Vegetable Jalfrezi

Read more ...

Hagalkai Mavinkai Gojju | Bittergourd (Karela) & Raw Mango Curry Recipe [Video]

Hagalkai Mavinkai Gojju with step by step video instructions. Hagalkai Mavinkai Gojju is a curry made from bittergourd or karela and raw mangoes. This summer curry is a melting bowl of flavors, it is bitter, sweet, sour and spicy. Hagalkai Mavinkai Gojju tastes best with rice. This curry suits a vegan or plant based diet, gluten free diet and a Jain diet. 

In a hurry? Jump to Video or Jump to Recipe

I first posted this recipe 5 years ago, in June 2015. I remember my mom was in Bangalore and we had gone vegetable shopping with her. She had gotten very excited looking at the Amtekai or Ambada (Hogplums), that were available in abundance at the vegetable shop. We had already picked up the bittergourd or karela or hagalkai and were thinking of the pairing up with the amtekai, when she felt raw mango would be a better accompaniment. So we picked up raw mangoes and bittergourd and came home and made this Gojju. Since then, I make this curry at least once every summer.

What is a Gojju?

Gojju is a curry from Karnataka that is usually sweet and sour. It has tamarind added for sourness and jaggery for sweetness. It may or may not have a coconut base.

Hagalkai Mavinkai Gojju is made using Bittergourd or Karela, that brings a hint of bitterness to the curry, the raw mangoes bring in the sourness, jaggery is added for sweetness and red chillies for the heat.

The prep...

This Gojju can convert a Karela hater. The way in which the karela is cooked brings down the bitterness to such low levels that it is no more unpleasant. The karela is peeled, cored and then salted and left aside for the bitterness to flow out. This can be done days in advance. The salted karela can be kept in the fridge for almost a week. Remove it out when you are ready to cook. The salted karela is squeezed so that the bitter juices are extracted and then can be discarded. Soaking them in water and then squeezing makes it easier to remove the juices.

The squeezed karela is then boiled until it is cooked, the water is discarded. This step removes the more of that bitterness.

The flavors...

The remaining bitterness is balanced with the sourness of the raw mangoes. If the mangoes are not sour enough on their own, use tamarind juice. As mentioned above, the curry tastes good with any sour fruit like amtekai. So if you have any local sour fruit, you can use that.

Jaggery is added for sweetness. Use sugar if you don't have jaggery.

The Gojju has a base of coconut, rice, and lentils along with the spices. The toasted rice and urad dal help thicken the curry. Coconut further helps in mellowing down the strong flavor of the bittergourd or karela.

Hagalkai Mavinkai Gojju tastes best with rice, but if you make a thicker consistency, it can be enjoyed with roti or chapati too.

If you made this recipe, let me know! Leave a comment here or on Facebook,  tag your tweet with @oneteaspoonlife on Twitter and don't forget to tag your photo @oneteaspoonoflife on Instagram. You can also email me at onetspoflife@gmail.com I'd love to see what you are up to.

If you like this recipe, do not forget to share it with your friends and family! 

You can follow One Teaspoon Of Life on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, Pinterest or you can subscribe to One Teaspoon Of Life and receive all the latest updated via Email

Video Recipe

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Hagalkai Mavinkai Gojju | Bittergourd (Karela) & Raw Mango Curry Recipe

Hagalkai Mavinkai Gojju is a curry made from bittergourd or karela and raw mangoes. This summer curry is a melting bowl of flavors, it is bitter, sweet, sour and spicy. Hagalkai Mavinkai Gojju tastes best with rice. This curry suits a vegan or plant based diet, gluten free diet and a Jain diet.

Recipe Type:  Curry
Cuisine:            South Indian
Prep Time:     1 Hour 30 Minutes
Cook time:     45 minutes
Total time:     2 Hours 15 Minutes
Yield:                Serves 3-4

Author:                Anupama

Ingredients:

2 Bitter Gourd (Karela / Hagalkai)
1 Raw Mango
0.5 cup grated Coconut
1 Tbsp Coriander Seeds
1 tsp Rice
1 tsp Urad Dal
3-4 Red Chillies
0.25 Fenugreek Seeds (Methi dana)
0.5 tsp Mustard Seeds
0.5 tsp Turmeric Powder (Haldi)
2-3 Tbsp Jaggery Powder
1 Tbsp Tamarind (Optional)
3-4 tsp Oil
Salt to taste
Water as required

Method:

1. Peel and deseed/core the bittergourd (karela /hagalkai). Cut to 0.5" to 1" pieces.
2. Add the cut bittergourd to a bowl. Add 1 tsp of salt and mix well. Keep aside for 1-2 hour. You can also keep it overnight in a box in the fridge.
3. After 1-2 hour, add 1 cup water to the bittergourd and squeeze them gently. Now take a handful out of the water and squeeze well and keep the bittergourd aside. Continue to squeeze all the bittergourd, this helps in removing the bitter juices. Once all the bittergourd is squeezed, discard the water.
4. Add the bittergourd to a kadhai or pan and water to cover it. Cover and cook until the bittergourd is cooked through. Drain the bittergourd and keep aside. Discard the water.
5. Dice the raw mango into small pieces and add to the same kadhai. Add water and cook until the mango is soft. Drain and save the water.
6. In a dry pan, add the urad dal, rice and fenugreek seeds and toast on low heat until lightly golden. Remove from heat and allow to cool.
7. Add 1 tsp oil to the pan and add the dry red chillies and roast until crisp. Remove from heat and allow to cool.
8. Add the urad dal, rice, fenugreek seeds, red chillies, grated coconut and 0.5 cup of the water in which the mango was cooked to a blender. Blend until smooth.
9. Heat the remaining oil in a kadhai for the tempering and add the mustard seeds.
10. Once the mustard seeds splutter, add the ground masala and fry on low heat for 5-6 minutes.
11. Add the turmeric powder, 1 Tbsp jaggery powder, salt and 0.5 cup water and mix well.
12. Add in the boiled bittergourd and mango.
13. Add salt and jaggery to taste if required. If the curry is not sour enough, soak the tamarind in a little warm water and squeeze out the tamarind juice and add to the curry.
14. Add more water if you want a thinner consistency.
15. Simmer on medium heat for 4-5 minutes.
16. Serve hot with rice or chapati.

If you liked this, you may also like:

Pshingiri | Saasav

Pumpkin Curry

Mavinkai Chitranna

Read more ...

Tavsali Recipe | Goan Steamed Cucumber Cake Recipe | Eggless Cucumber Cake Recipe

Tavsali is an eggless steamed cucumber cake from Goa. Tavsali is made with a handful of ingredients in a steamer. It has the delicate taste of cucumbers and is mildly sweet from the jaggery. Tavsali is refined sugar free. Tavsali suits a Jain diet and can be adapted to a vegan or plant based diet by just replacing the ghee with oil.

In a hurry? Jump to Recipe

Tavsali always takes me back to my childhood. When I think of Tavsali, a scene is formed in my mind and I would give anything to go back to it. It is afternoon in my mom's kitchen, stormy dark grey clouds outside and my mom has just removed this fragrant cake from the steamer while the whole house is having their Sunday afternoon siesta.

My mom loved to cook for us when we were little. She'd learn new recipes from friends, colleagues, and neighbors and try it out on Sunday afternoon when we all slept after a good heavy lunch. And this Tavsali is one of those things that she made for us. I don't think it was a dish she grew up with, but learned it later in life and made it several times for us. It was also something she liked, it had all the flavors of her home, Mangalore, for her in it. cucumber, coconut, and jaggery. 

When it started raining this last month, I'd been craving for this. I don't know why but that scene I wrote before was evoked and I just had to have it. So although I got very lukewarm responses to "I'm going to finally make Tavsali", I went ahead and made a small batch. It didn't take much for the lukewarm to turn to favorable response though. One little half piece from the edge of the cake was all it took, frankly speaking. Even the people I thought would not enjoy it, like my brother in law, seemed to take on a liking for it.

All my recent recipes have been a video, but I was unable to shoot one for this. Reason? It was raining cats and dogs and cows and horses when I started cooking this and the stormy winds caused a blackout and I really had the poorest lighting possible. Luckily, I did take a few pics on my phone, so I added those in the step by step photos.

What is Tavsali?

Tavsali is an eggless steamed cake that is made with coarse rava or semolina/cream of wheat, grated cucumbers, fresh coconut, jaggery, cardamom, and some cashew nuts. It is a very delicate dessert. The mild flavors of cucumber actually shine. The cardamom just adds to the aroma without being overpowering. Tavsali is also not one of those desserts that is cloyingly sweet. It is just mildly sweet. But you can definitely increase the sweetness as required. It is also a very moist cake because of the cucumbers which soften when cooked.

More details...

To make Tavsali, we use the thicker rava not the chiroti rava. Rava used to make upma or uppit or Bansi rava can be used. You can also use Dalia or broken wheat partially. While one can use the yellow cucumber, I used the regular green cucumber to make this.

Firstly, the rava is roasted in a little bit of ghee until it is slightly browned or you get a toasty aroma from it. For a plant based alternative, replace the ghee with coconut oil or any flavorless oil. Allow it to cool, while you grate the cucumbers and coconut. Mix together the rava, grated coconut and the grated cucumber along with the water. Add in powdered or grated jaggery, crushed cardamom seeds, a pinch of salt and broken cashew nuts. Mix until the jaggery is dissolved.

Prepare your steamer, you can use an idli steamer or a pressure cooker without the whistle or just place a kadhai or large vessel with water in it and allow it to come to a boil. Place a stand in your steamer or any vessel just to give the cake tin some height. Grease your cake tin or any vessel in which you are going to make the cake with ghee or coconut oil and pour in the cake mix.

The cake mix is not very thin like regular cakes, it is on the thicker side. But if your cucumbers were on the drier side and you did not get enough juice from them, add a little milk or coconut milk to loosen the batter.

Steam for 30-40 minutes on medium heat. A wet knife inserted into the cake should come out clean.
Remove from heat and allow to cool for 5-10 minutes before demoulding the cake. Wait at least 20-30 minutes before cutting it.

Tavsali can serve as a dessert or as a mildly sweet breakfast too. It lasts well for at least one week in the fridge.

If you made this recipe, let me know! Leave a comment here or on Facebook,  tag your tweet with @oneteaspoonlife on Twitter and don't forget to tag your photo @oneteaspoonoflife on Instagram. You can also email me at onetspoflife@gmail.com I'd love to see what you are up to.

If you like this recipe, do not forget to share it with your friends and family! 

You can follow One Teaspoon Of Life on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, Pinterest or you can subscribe to One Teaspoon Of Life and receive all the latest updated via Email

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Tavsali Recipe | Goan steamed Cucumber Cake Recipe | Eggless Cucumber Cake

Tavsali is a traditional Goan steamed cucumber cake made with rava or semolina, grated cucumber, coconut and jaggery. It is a mildly sweet dessert with an option to make it vegan.

Recipe Type:  Dessert
Cuisine:            Goan
Prep Time:     15 minutes
Cook time:     60 minutes
Total time:     60 minutes
Yield:                Serves 4-5

Author:                Anupama

Ingredients:

1 cup Coarse Rava (Semolina)
2 Cucumbers
0.5 cup grated Coconut
1 cup powdered Jaggery
0.25 cup broken Cashewnuts
1 tsp Cardamom powder
2 tsp Ghee or Coconut Oil
1-2 Tbsp Milk (Optional)

Method:

1. Heat 1 tsp of ghee or coconut oil in a pan and add the rava. Roast on low-medium heat until lightly browned. Remove from heat and allow to cool completely.
2. Peel and grate the cucumbers and add to the rava, once cooled.
3. Add the grated coconut, cashewnuts and cardamom powder.
4. Add jaggery powder to taste. I used the full 1 cup, you can add more or less as per your taste.
5. You can either shape the cookie dough as a log before chilling or as a ball of dough.
6. Keep water in a steamer to heat or in a pressure cooker. If using a cooker, don't close the lid.
7. Grease a tin with ghee or coconut oil and add the cake batter to it.
8. Place the tin in the cooker or steamer and close the lid. If using a cooker, do not put the whistle.
9. Steam on medium heat for 35-40 minutes or until an inserted knife comes clean.
10. Allow to cool slightly and then demould. Cool completely before cutting.
11. Store in the fridge if not eating the same day.

Step by step photo instructions:

If you liked this, you may also like:

Patoli

Puran Poli

Mango Saasav

Read more ...