Kaipola is a Malabari flourless cake made with ripe plantains and egg mixture cooked in ghee and topped with fried cashews and raisins. Have it as a sweet snack with chai or as a dessert for dinner. Though traditionally made on a stovetop, this can be baked in an oven too.

Kaipola or Kai pola is made at any time of the year as ripe plantains are available throughout the year. An Indian sweet snack from the Malabar region of Kerala, you will find this flourless cake served for every occasion - wedding after party, Ramadan iftars, chai time, Eid, etc. This is the richer version of Kai Vatiyathu.
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Ingredients
Here are the key ingredients you will need to make kaipola:

- ghee
- cashews
- golden raisins
- ripe plantains
- eggs
- sugar
- cardamom
- milk (optional)
This kaipola recipe is basic with no fancy ingredients. I don't make it often but when I see good ripe plantains, then I get greedy and pick a load - which means it would be a Plantain Vaaram (week). 😜

How to make it?
Kaipola or Ripe Plantain flourless cake is very easy to prepare with simple steps. You can make this on a stovetop or oven. Try to use a thick-bottomed shallow pan that need not necessarily be non-stick.
But if you are making this for the first time, then I recommend non-stick. If you want to serve in a pie dish, etc, then try my baking method.
Stovetop method
First off, pick plantains that are ripe with yellow and black spots. Slice them horizontally twice (a plus sign) and then chop them into ½-inch pieces.
Heat ghee in a thick-bottomed shallow pan. Fry the nuts, remove with a slotted spoon and keep aside. Fry the raisins until plump, remove and keep them aside.

Add more ghee and fry the chopped ripe plantains until they turn darker in shade and lightly caramelized. Remove them leaving the excess ghee in the pan. Meanwhile, whisk the eggs with sugar and milk (if using) in a large bowl.

Add the fried ripe plantains and cardamom powder to the egg mixture and give it a good mix. Add more ghee to the same pan and this time, make sure the sides are greased too. Pour the mixture and cook covered on the lowest flame.
Keep a flat pan or heat diffuser underneath to prevent burning the bottom. It is a good idea to use a glass lid, so you can watch the cake.
Halfway through the cooking or before the top of the cake sets, open and scatter the fried cashews and raisins. Cover and cook until the top sets and no visible raw egg mixture. Switch off and flip onto a plate and flip again to the serving plate so the nuts side is on top.
Oven method
Grease a 7 or 8-inch round cake pan or any fancy casserole or pie dish. The smaller the pan size, the taller the cake. Adjust the baking time per the pan size. I have used an 8-inch round pan.
Preheat the oven to 150C with a rack on level 2. Pour the mixture into the cake pan, scatter the fried nuts and bake uncovered for approx 25 minutes or until the cake is set. You can serve it in the same dish or do the flip.

Kaipola is served as an appetizer, tea-time treat, and even as dessert. So, depending on when you are serving, add or reduce the number of eggs and quantity of sugar etc. It is by default part of any feast table and everyone loves it. As it is easy to prepare, we tend to make it even for unexpected guests!
Variations
This is my mom's recipe, with more authentic ingredients without using any flour or coconut. My mother-in-law makes kaipola with some flour and grated coconut. Her version is almost like a tea cake whereas my mom's version is a sweet wet pudding that melts in the mouth.
Equipment
- a large bowl
- a whisk
- a non-stick saucepan with a glass lid with hole.
Storage
Any leftover kaipola must be refrigerated and consumed within 2 to 3 days.
Recipe Tip
If using a cast-iron pan or stainless steel pan try to switch it off when the top is almost set. The residue heat is enough for it to finish cooking.
Recipes using ripe plantains

📖 Recipe Card

Kaipola | Ripe Plantain Egg Cake
Ingredients
- 1 to 2 tablespoon ghee
- 8 to 10 whole cashews slit and chopped roughly
- 1 to 2 tablespoon golden raisins
- 2 to 3 ripe plantain chopped into small pieces (approx. 1 and ½ cups chopped)
- 3 to 4 large eggs
- 3 to 4 tablespoon sugar
- ½ teaspoon cardamom powder
- ½ teaspoon rose water optional
- 1 tablespoon milk optional
- 1 pinch salt
Instructions
- Heat ghee in a (non-stick) thick-bottomed shallow pan or saucepot on a low to medium flame.
- Fry the cashews until golden, remove with a slotted spoon and keep aside in a small bowl.
- Fry the raisins until puffed up, remove, and keep aside along with the fried cashews.
- Add more ghee to the pot if required and fry the chopped ripe plantains until golden. Meanwhile, prep the eggs.
- Beat the eggs and sugar lightly in a large bowl. Whisk until the sugar is almost dissolved. Whisk in cardamom powder, salt, milk and rosewater (if using). Lastly, transfer the fried plantains to the egg mixture.
- Place a heat diffuser pan or any flat tawa under the pan on the hob to ensure the even distribution of heat and prevent the burning of the cake. (for the oven method - Preheat the oven to 150°C with a rack on level 2.)
- Add more ghee if required and grease the sides of the pan. Pour the plantain egg mixture and scatter some of the fried nuts and raisins. Cover with a lid and cook on a low heat for 10 minutes.
- Open and scatter the remaining fried cashews and raisins all over the cake. Cover and cook for another 10 to 12 minutes or until there is no visible uncooked egg mixture on the surface. You can do the toothpick test too. (Oven - bake for 25 minutes)
- Switch off and take away the pan from the hob and remove the lid and let it cool. Slide a rubber spatula along the sides and underneath to release the cake from the bottom.
- Place a large plate over the pan, holding the plate down flip the pan so the cake transfers to the plate. Now, place the serving plate over this plate and flip it to the serving plate so you have the right side up.
- Cut and serve warm or chilled. Refrigerate leftovers and consume them within 2 to 3 days.
Notes
- Choose a pot that is not too deep so that you can flip the cake easily without giving it room to break.
- The lid (see-through) with a steam-releasing hole will help so that the steam escapes instead of falling back on the cake. But in case you don't have it, then make sure you seal the pot with foil as we do for biryani. I feel the foil works better always.
- You can make this in a steamer or pressure cooker without the weight.
- You can make the cake in any size pot but the time to cook it may vary so keep an eye on it.
- There is no rule on the ratio of eggs to plantains but I like to keep it 1:1. Traditionally they add more eggs than plantains but just for the two of us, I like to spare the calories.
- My mom flips the cake, slides the topside down back to the pot and lets it rest there during the cooling stage. This gives a golden shade to the top of the cake and reduces any moisture too.
- The sides of my Kai Pola look burnt because it is caramelized.
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