Learn to make Kaipola, a Malabari flourless cake made with ripe plantains and eggs cooked with ghee and topped with fried cashews and raisins.
Prep Time10 minutesmins
Cook Time25 minutesmins
Total Time35 minutesmins
Course: Appetizer, Dessert, Snack
Cuisine: Indian, Malabar, South Indian
Servings: 4people
Author: Famidha Ashraf
INGREDIENTS
1 to 2tablespoonghee
8 to 10whole cashewsslit and chopped roughly
1 to 2tablespoongolden raisins
2 to 3ripe plantainchopped into small pieces (approx. 1 and ½ cups chopped)
3 to 4large eggs
3 to 4tablespoonsugar
½teaspooncardamom powder
½teaspoonrose wateroptional
1tablespoonmilkoptional
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, remove and keep aside to cool.
Beat the eggs lightly in a large bowl with sugar, cardamom powder, salt, milk and rosewater (if using). Add 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. Cover and cook on a low flame for 10 minutes.
Open and scatter the 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.