Carrot cake with an indian flavor- madhur jaffrey

 
             Carrot Cake with an Indian Flavor - Madhur Jaffrey
 
 Recipe By     : 
 Serving Size  : 6    Preparation Time :0:00
 Categories    : Desserts                         Madhur Jaffrey
 
   Amount  Measure       Ingredient -- Preparation Method
 --------  ------------  --------------------------------
    1 1/2  ts            Vegetable oil
    1      c             Unbleached white flour
                         -- plus extra for dusting
    1      t             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 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 iwth edible silver   foil. 
      * Source: World-of-the-East Vegetarian Cooking - by Madhur Jaffrey *   
 Published in: The Herb Companion - February/March 1993 * Typed for   you by 
 Karen Mintzias   
 
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