Carrot Cake with An Indian Flavor

[Guest guest]

Carrot Cake with An Indian Flavor

This is from the World-of-the-East Vegetarian Cooking, by Madhur Jaffrey. I

have made this for guests a few times.

 

1 1/2 tsps. vegetable oil

1 cup unbleached white flour, plus extra for dusting

1 tsp. baking soda

1/4 tsp. salt

2 large eggs

1/4 tsp ground cardamom seeds

1 cup granulated sugar

1/4 cup softened clarified butter, (ghee)

1 1/2 cups grated carrots, firmly packed

2 tbsps. chopped pistachios

2 tbsps. chopped blanched almonds

2 tbsps. raisins

Edible silver foil (opt.) I did not use that..

 

" A characteristic sweet of southern India is carrot halvah, a rich, sweet

reduction of carrots and spices that is almost fudgelike in consistency. This

cake falls somewhere between this traditional treat and the popular American

carrot cake. It has a dense texture and the unexpected flavor of cardamom, yet

doesn't require the tedious cooking and stirring of a halvah. " Special Indian

dishes are often decorated with silver foil -- a microscopic thin sheet of

edible, flavorless real silver, available in Indian groceries. We have cut

edible foil into decorative shapes -- a tedious business that must be done in a

completely draftless room -- but more manageable solid toppings are customary.

" Serve this nontraditonal ending to your Indian meal with coffee that has been

brewed with a few cardamom seeds. " Rub a round cake pan that is 9 inches in

diameter and 1-1/2 inches in height with the vegetable oil and then dust it very

lightly with flour. Preheat the oven to 350 F. Sift 1

cup flour with the baking soda and salt. Beat the eggs well in a large bowl.

Add the cardamom, sugar, and clarified butter. Keep beating until all the

ingredients are thoroughly mixed. Add the sifted flour mixture to the

ingredients in the large bowl and fold it in gently with a spatula. Add the

carrots, pistachios, almonds, and raisins. Fold them in gently as well. Turn the

cake batter into the oiled and floured cake pan and bake for 35 to 45 minutes,

or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean and the top is

golden red. Decorate top with edible silver foil.

 

 

 

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[Guest guest]

I saw an article a bit ago about many of the silver foils being quite

impure and having very high lead contents... I'd suggest skipping the

optional silver foil decoration on this... otherwise it sound delicious!