Aayi’s Recipes Konkan/Konkani food blog, Indian culinary treasures

This recipe is from Deepa. Just 4 months back, I didn’t know about her. Since then, I interacted a few times and absolutely loved to get emails from her. When I came to know she is from my neighboring state Goa, I requested her to send some authentic Goan recipes. She sent two recipes, one was the prawn balchuan and the second was ‘banana cake’. She even mentioned that “It’s a different way of making a cake, with rava instead of flour”, but somehow, I just missed that line. But last week I was going through some of my old emails and I read more cautiously this time and was amazed to see a cake recipe without flour.

I have been going through different food blogs and saw dishes from different parts of India. But couldn’t find any Goan recipes. So this is my entry from beautiful Goa for the Independence day parade.

I baked this one today, just to be sent to the parade. I wanted to decorate it like Indian flag, but didn’t manage to get it right. When I bought different colored icings from Walmart, the lady on the counter asked me – “planning to decorate cake?”. I said “Yes, I am trying to learn”. She said “Don’t worry, however it looks, it will taste great”. That time I was 100% sure that I can decorate it well. Today I realized whatever she said was correct. I think I still have to try a lot before learning to decorate .

Before this, I tried two varieties of banana cakes, this and with Pushpa’s recipe. Both were amazing. What makes this cake different is the amazing aroma of cardamom and no egg in it.

Ingredients:
Ripe bananas 3
Rava (wheat sooji) 1 cup
Sodium-bi-carb(baking soda) 1/2 tsp
Cardomom powder 1/2 tsp
Coconut milk 2 cups
Sugar 1/2 cup
Cashewnuts 1 tsp
Salt

I did not add salt and used 1 tea spn baking powder instead of baking soda.

Method:
Roast rava over low heat in a kadai until aroma wafts from pan. Soak the rava in coconut milk for 2 hours.
Mash the bananas and add to rava along with sugar. Add soda, salt and cardamom powder. Mix the cashews. Apply little ghee to cake mould (I used parchment paper in the baking tray), pour in the mixture.

Preheat the oven at 350F for 10mins. Bake for around 35mins at 350 F or until a knife put in center comes out clean.

Decorate in whatever way required (optional).

Makes 8 pieces
Preparation time : 10min (excluding the baking time).