A soft, fragrant cake made with semolina, curd and jaggery, no maida, no refined sugar. Studded with cashews and raisins, it has a wonderfully dense crumb and a natural caramel sweetness from the jaggery. A beautiful everyday bake that comes together in about an hour.
Ingredients
Method
- Soak the suji: In a large bowl, mix the suji, curd, and milk together. Rest for 15–20 minutes. This step is very important as it softens the semolina and gives the cake its texture.
- Prepare the jaggery: If using jaggery, dissolve it in a little warm milk and strain through a sieve to remove any impurities. If using dates paste, it is ready to use as is.
- Mix the batter: To the soaked suji, add the jaggery (or dates paste), oil, and vanilla essence or cardamom. Mix well until everything is combined.
- Add dry ingredients: Add baking powder, baking soda, and salt to the batter. Mix gently, do not over-mix at this stage.
- Fold in the nuts: Gently fold in the cashews or almonds and raisins, reserving a few to scatter on top if you like.
- Preheat the oven: Preheat your oven to 180°C (350°F). Grease and line a cake tin.
- Bake: Pour the batter into the prepared tin and bake at 180°C for 30–35 minutes, or until a skewer inserted in the centre comes out clean.
Notes
This recipe uses no refined sugar or maida. Jaggery and semolina keep it wholesome and healthy.
Cardamom vs vanilla: Cardamom gives a traditional Indian flavour that pairs beautifully with jaggery. Vanilla gives a more neutral, bakery-style taste. Both work wonderfully!
Dates paste option: Blend soaked and pitted medjool dates with a little water into a smooth paste, a great refined sugar-free alternative to jaggery.
Storage: Keeps well at room temperature for 2 days, or refrigerate for up to 5 days.
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