Egg-less Date and Raisin Cake

Among the several delicious cakes that my mother bakes, a special treat is her egg-less date and raisin cake that she makes on special occasions.

Date and Raisin Cake

Time taken: 1 ½ hours + 3 hours (for marinating the dried fruits)

Serves 8 – 10

Ingredients:

Dates – 1½ cup (when chopped) or 300 g (before chopping)
Raisins – ½ cup (100 g)
Wheat flour – 2 cups
Semolina – ½ cup
Low fat vegetable oil margarine (e.g. Flora) – 1 ½ cup (250 g)
Brown sugar – 1 cup
Condensed milk – 1 cup (vegans can use almond cream or cashew nut cream or coconut cream as a substitute)
Vanilla essence – 2 tsp
Mixed 3C spice powder (Cardamon, Cloves and Cinnamon) – 1 ½ tsp
Sri Lankan Tea – 1/3 cup
Baking powder – 2 tsp
Baking soda – ¼ tsp + pinch (for marinating the dried fruits)

Method:

De-seed the dates and chop them. Place the chopped dates in a bowl, together with the raisins.
Add 1/3 cup of strong black tea, pinch of baking soda and the mixed 3C spice powder to the dates and raisins bowl. Cover and keep aside, for 2 – 3 hours, letting the dried fruits marinate in the tea and spice mix.
Whisk together the margarine and sugar, adding the condensed milk or vegan substitute. If whisking by hand, add the ingredients slowly while continuing to whisk. If using a blender, blend the three together for about 10 minutes.
Add the vanilla essence to the blend and mix.
Sift the flour, semolina together with the baking powder and soda.
Stir in the sifted flour and semolina gradually into the bowl of blended margarine, sugar and milk and mix.
Add the marinated dried fruits to the batter and fold.
Transfer the cake batter into a baking tray and bake in a pre-heated oven at 140⁰C/284⁰F for about 1 – 1 ¼ hours.
Remove from oven and let it cool, before slicing and serving with some hot Sri Lankan tea or coffee.

Recipe source: Raji Thillainathan.

Passion fruit juice

The fresh juice of the day today is passion fruit juice. Passion fruit and Wood apple are two of the most popular local fruits that are used in almost all Sri Lankan brands of fruit cordials and jams. However, rather than consuming the processed version, it is better to go for the fresh juice as it is so readily available here.

Passion fruit has a rich source of Vitamin A, C and iron amongst other nutrients. It is said to boost the immune system, improve vision, lower blood pressure and lower fats and bad cholesterol.

Simply blend the pulp of the fruit, including the seeds, with some water and sugar, to taste (optional), and enjoy the healthy drink.

Wood apple

Everyone at home, but me, loves wood apple/ vilam palam/ divul. I guess most people in Sri Lanka like wood apple as one of the popular, local cordials and jams is wood apple based. Wood apples have a strong smell that you either like or dislike. I don’t think there are many who have an in-between stance.

Wood apple (limonia acidissima) is rich in beta carotene. Wood apple is said to be good not only for the digestive system but is also said to mitigate breast cancer.

In Sri Lanka, the most common way of consuming wood apple is either as a juice or as dessert.

(a) Wood apple juice with coconut ice

Ingredients:

Wood apple – 1
Coconut milk – 2 tbsp
Sugar, to taste

Method:

Pour the coconut milk into an ice-cube tray and freeze.
Break the shell of the woodapple and extract the pulpy fruit. Blend with water and sugar, to taste.
Either strain out the juice or simply use a spoon and remove some of the fibrous substances from the juice.
Top with the coconut cubes and serve, chilled.

(b) Wood apple cream

Ingredients:

Wood apple – 1
Coconut milk – ¼ cup
Sugar, to taste

Method:

Whisk together the wood apple, coconut milk and sugar, to taste.
Chill and serve as dessert.

Recipe source: Raji Thillainathan.

Prawn vadai

My mother remembers having this prawn snack from her childhood days and even better, the way her mother used to make it.

Prawn Vadai/ Raal Vadai

Time taken: 40 mins + Soaking time – 3 or 4 hours

Makes 10 prawn vadai

Ingredients:

Prawns/ Raal – 10
Urad dal/ Ulunthu – 1 cup
Chillies – 3 or chilli powder – 1 tbsp
Onion – 1, chopped
Fennel seeds and Salt, to taste
Oil, for deep-frying

Method:

Clean the urad dal and let it soak in a bowl of water for 3 – 4 hours, or overnight.
Clean the prawns. Rub some salt over them and boil the prawns in some water for about 10 mins.
Drain the urad dal and grind it together with the chopped chillies and onion till the batter is just right for vadai. Add some fennel seeds and salt, to taste and mix well.
Dab some oil on one of your palms.
Take a small ball of batter and flatten it slightly on your palm.
Place one of the cooked prawns in the middle of the batter and close it up, forming a ball again.
Flatten the ball of batter again, into the shape of a vadai and make a small hole in the middle, like a mini-doughnut.
Deep fry the prawn vadai.
Serve with some hot tea.

Recipe source: Raji Thillainathan.

Panangai Paniyaaram

My aunt sent us some ‘panangai paniyaaram’ that she had made, after a visit to her home in Jaffna. So, I asked her to share the recipe for this Jaffna delicacy. I have also shared an introduction to the different ways the palmyrah is used in the north, at my mother’s request, and I hope I have covered the key aspects in my previous post.

Panangai Paniyaaram

Time taken: 45 mins – 1 hour

Makes 20 – 25 paniyaaram

Ingredients:

Very ripe Palm fruit (Panangai) – 1
Coconut milk – ¼ to ½ cup
Sugar – ¼ cup
Steamed wheat flour – 1 ½ cups
Oil, as required for deep frying

Method:

Remove the skin of the palm fruit. If it is difficult, it can be held over a fire for a few minutes before the black outer skin is peeled off with a knife. This leaves the fibrous orange fruit and the three seeds.
The fruit can be divided into three portions along with each of the three seeds. Mix each portion of the fruit and seed with a little water, in a basin, to make it pulpy.
Strain the pulpy juice using a clean cloth and extract 1 cup of palm fruit juice.
Boil the extracted palm juice, together with the coconut milk and sugar. Cook for 10 mins and then remove from heat.
After the boiled mixture has cooled enough that you can put your finger in it without getting burnt or scalded, stir in the wheat flour slowly till the batter reaches a consistency that you can pick by hand. Not all the wheat flour needs to be used but just enough to reach this consistency. If the batter is still watery, add a little more steamed wheat flour.
Heat some oil in a pan on low heat.
Drop small balls of batter in batches of 5 to 6 and deep fry till they are orange/ golden throughout. Remove before they brown.
Enjoy this Jaffna delicacy with some hot Sri Lankan plain tea and a piece of palm jaggery.

Recipe source: Vijayalakshmi Yogeswaran.

Papaya and Orange juice

My mother has always been fascinated by the health benefits of different fruits and she has always tried to encourage my siblings and I to drink fresh fruit juices since we were kids. Based on her request, I will be sharing a few fruit juices, not for the recipe as they are very much straightforward blending, but because they are considered exceptionally healthy by her.

Today’s fruit juice is papaya and orange juice. My mother has always been fond of papaya while I could not be persuaded to eat papaya for a very long time. The only way I would have papaya was when it was mixed with something else that I liked. A papaya and orange mixed fruit juice was perfect. Papayas are supposedly good for people with diabetes as well as those with colon cancer, besides being a great fruit for the digestive system.

Papaya and Orange juice

Time taken: 5 mins

Serves 1

Ingredients:

Papaya – ½ cup, chopped
Orange – 1, squeezed
Water – 1 cup

Method:

Blend all three ingredients and serve (chilling is optional).

Jaggery and coconut cake

My mother makes scrumptious cakes. Some of my favourites are the basic butter cake and the chocolate cake. However, on this site, I will share a cake recipe or two of my mother’s that is both vegan and made with typically Sri Lankan ingredients.

Today’s recipe is that of my mother’s jaggery and coconut cake. The key ingredient here is the jaggery.

Jaggery and Coconut cake

Time taken: 1 hour

Makes 12 – 16 pieces if baked in a 6”x6” baking pan

Ingredients:

Grated jaggery (palm or kithul) – 1 cup
Water – 1 cup
Low fat sunflower oil margarine (Flora, for e.g.) – ¾ cup (150g)
Wheat flour – 1 cup
Semolina – ¼ cup
Roasted coconut – ¼ cup
Coconut powder – 1 cup (100g)
Cardamom – 4
Vanilla essence – few drops
Baking powder – 1 tsp
Baking soda – ¼ tsp
Cashew nuts – ½ cup, chopped or a little for sprinkling (optional)

Method:

Mix the wheat flour, semolina, baking powder and baking soda and keep aside.
Put the jaggery, margarine, water in a blender. Add the vanilla essence and crushed cardamom seeds. Blend for about a minute or two.
Then, add the coconut powder and roasted coconut to the mix in the blender and blend for another minute or two.
Pour the batter into a mixing bowl.
Stir in the flour mix gradually into the batter and mix well.
Add the chopped cashew nuts and mix.
Pour the batter into the baking pan and sprinkle some chopped cashew nuts on top.
Bake in a preheated oven at 140⁰C/ 284⁰F for around 40 – 45 minutes.
Serve with some Sri Lankan tea or fresh fruit juice.

Recipe source: Raji Thillainathan.

Triple layer veggie sandwich

Sandwiches are another globally popular and much consumed food. Everyone is sure to have their own recipe for what they like in their sandwich.

The second recipe I wish to share today is a sandwich that is commonly served at kids birthday parties, tea parties and even cocktail events in Sri Lanka. While there might be slightly different ways on how this party snack is made in the country, I am sharing here the way my mother makes them.

Triple layer veggie sandwich

Cooking time: 15 – 20 mins

Makes 2 or 4 sandwiches

Ingredients:

Sandwich bread – 4 pieces
Carrot – ¼
Beetroot – ¼
Mint or green peas – 2 tsp (mint is the more popular choice, though green peas is used in the photo here)
Green chilli – ½, finely chopped
Onion – ½, finely chopped
Low fat sunflower oil margarine – 1 ½ tsp (my mother uses flora margarine)
Salt and pepper, to taste

Method:

Boil or steam carrot and beetroot slices.
Grate separately and add 1 tsp finely chopped onion, ½ tsp margarine and salt and pepper to taste to the two vegetables. Keep aside.
Crush or coarsely grind the boiled green peas or mint with the green chilli and 1 tsp finely chopped onion. Add ½ tsp margarine with salt and pepper to taste and mix well.
Make the sandwich by layering each slice of sandwich bread with one of the vegetables mixtures, starting with the carrot mixture on the first layer, the beetroot mixture on the second and the mint or green peas mixture on the third.
Cut off the edges and cut the sandwich into two or four triple layer, colourful sandwiches.
Serve with hot Sri Lankan tea or fresh fruit juice.

Recipe source: Raji Thillainathan.

Stuffed Veggie Cutlet

The recipe I would like to share today is my mother’s stuffed vegetable cutlet recipe.

Stuffed Veggie Cutlet

Cooking time: 45 mins

Makes 5 – 6

Ingredients:

Potatoes – 2, medium-sized
Carrot – 1, small
Green peas – 3 tbsp
Green chilli – 1
Onion – ½, medium-sized
Pepper – 1 tsp
Fennel seeds – 1 tsp
Ginger – tiny piece
Garlic – 1 clove
Salt, to taste
Low fat oil – 1 tsp (for sauté) + for deep-frying (can be reused)
Wheat flour – ½ cup
Bread crumbs – 7 or 8 tsp

Method:

Dry grind the pepper and fennel together and keep aside.
Boil the potatoes and carrots separately.
Peel the skin of the potatoes and mash them, adding some salt and the ground pepper and fennel mix. When they have been sufficiently mashed and mixed with the spices, make balls of mashed potato and keep aside.
Mash the carrots separately and keep aside.
Boil the green peas lightly, if not pre-cooked, and coarsely grind them a little so that they are half mashed.
Heat a little oil in a pan. Add the chopped ginger, garlic and onion and sauté lightly.
When the aroma begins to waft about, add the mashed carrot and coarsely ground green peas. Add salt and pepper and cook for a few minutes till they come together. Remove from heat.
Make a batter by mixing the wheat flour with salt and adding water little by little, till reaches a pancake batter consistency.
Take a potato ball and flatten it on your palm. Scoop up 1 – 1 ½ tsp of the carrot and peas mixture. Make the cutlets by covering the mixture with the edges of the potato patty like a dumpling.
Dip the cutlets in the batter and roll it in the bread crumbs. Keep aside.
Heat the oil for deep-frying. The oil should be enough to cover the potato balls.
When the oil is ready, drop the batter coated stuffed potato balls in the pan and fry till they are browned on all sides.
Serve the stuffed vegetable cutlets with tea.

Recipe source: Raji Thillainathan.

Banana fritters

There are several varieties of bananas in Sri Lanka. One of the most common and popular banana are the small ones known as Kathali/ Ambul. This is the variety that is best for the two banana recipes that I will share today.

I think almost everyone, around the world, has their own recipe for banana fritters as it is a fruit that is easily made into a delectable dish.

Today’s recipes for banana fritters come from my great-grandmother and mother. While my great-grandmother’s banana fritter recipe is the traditional way that they are made in the north, my mother’s banana fritter recipe has been influenced by our time in Jakarta when we were kids. We were all very fond of ‘pisang goreng’ so my mother’s banana fritters are her version of a mix of the two styles.

(a) Vaalapala Paniyaaram (Banana fritters in my family, four generations ago)

Cooking time: 30 mins

Makes about 25

Ingredients

Ripe bananas – 4
All purpose flour – 1 ½ cups
Baking powder – 1 ½ tsp (my great-grandmother’s original recipe uses a pinch of baking soda but my mother prefers using baking powder instead of soda)
Brown sugar – ½ cup, or less
Salt, to taste
Low fat oil, for deep-frying (can be reused)

Method

Mash the bananas.
In a bowl, mix the flour with sugar, salt and baking powder.
Add the dry ingredients mix to the mashed bananas slowly to form a thick fruity batter.
Heat the oil in a pan.
Form small balls (or oblong shapes) out of the batter and drop them in batches into the heated oil.
Turn the banana balls so that they are browned on all sides.
Remove from pan and put them on a grease absorbing paper to get rid of excess oil.
Serve hot with tea.

(b) Fried bananas (my mother’s recipe)

Cooking time: 20 mins

Makes 4

Ingredients:

Ripe bananas – 4
All purpose flour – ½ cup
Chickpeas flour – 2 tbsp
Vanilla extract – few drops
Yellow food colouring – few drops (optional)
Salt, to taste
Low fat oil, for deep-frying (can be reused)
Melted cooking chocolate or chocolate sauce – 4 tsp
Brown sugar, a little to sprinkle

Method:

Mix both flours and salt in a bowl.
Add water little by little, making a batter of consistency like that of pancake batter.
Add the vanilla extract and optional food colouring and mix well.
Remove the banana skins and dip the fruits into the batter, coating it well.
Deep fry the bananas coated in the batter one by one. Let them cool on a plate on a grease absorbing paper.
Drizzle the melted chocolate over the fried bananas and sprinkle with a little brown sugar.
Serve with tea.

Recipe source: Raji Thillainathan.