1 1/2 ts Vegetable oil
1 c Unbleached white flour
— plus extra for dusting
1 ts Baking soda
1/4 ts Salt
2 lg Eggs
1/4 ts Ground cardamom seeds
1 c Granulated sugar
1/4 c Softened clarified butter
— (ghee)
1 1/2 c Grated carrots
— firmly packed
2 tb Chopped pistachios
2 tb Chopped blanched almonds
2 tb Raisins
Edible silver foil (opt.)
“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 nontraditional 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.
*
Yields
6 Servings