Cucumber Cake
Living in a foreign country thousands of miles away from the home you grew up in presents a multitude of challenges; the biggest one being homesickness. But for me food is the great equalizer and helps alleviate that feeling to some extent by bringing back fond memories. When I look back in time one dish that takes me back to my childhood and into my grandma’s arms is this sweet cucumber cake. Believe it or not this simple, dense but extremely flavorful cake changed my perspective about cucumbers forever. (LAUGHS!!!)
For me personally this week started with a bang. I got pampered like a princess on my birthday. Movies, shopping, homemade pizza, ice cream. What more could a girl ask for??? It was hands down one of the best days of my life. The reality is I have been living in the US for less than 2 years and in Dallas for less than 6 months. So I am still trying to get used to celebrating special occasions like this without my family and friends. It was evident how much I missed them when I was skyping with them the next day.
So naturally I was feeling downcast as my day took a turn for the worse. Being the wife of a foodie I naturally turned to cooking for help. Ohh man I would have never imagined myself saying this before marriage (CHUCKLES!!!) Ahh!!! How things change… Getting back to my point I was trying to think of a family recipe, which is simple and easy to make. That was when I saw the cucumbers in the fridge and a light bulb popped in my head. A sweet cucumber cake also called as “DHONDAS” which is a sweet preparation made along the Konkan Coast.
This was perfect for quiet a few reasons. It was easy to make, had very few ingredients, eggless and was the reason I started eating cucumbers in the first place. Most importantly it reminded me of the best cook in the world, my grandma (Sorry Mom!!!! Laughs Hard).
This recipe calls for 4 basic ingredients; cucumbers, semolina, jaggery (a type of cane sugar( and ghee. If you do not have jaggery substitute sugar instead. First off peel and grate the cucumber. Squeeze and drain the juice.
Next up we need to make the cake batter so to speak. But before we start lets get the oven preheated oto 375 degree F. Then roast the semolina in 2 tbsp of ghee till it becomes light brown in color and gives off a nice aroma. Set aside. In another pan heat 2 tbsp ghee. Add jaggery and cucumber. Keep stirring till jaggery melts. Mix in the semolina little at a time till the mixture thickens ensuring there are no lumps. Cook till it all comes together. Add cardamom powder, nutmeg, apricots, raisins and mix well.
Spoon the mixture into the greased pan and spread evenly. Bake for 20 minutes at 350 F. Insert a toothpick to check if it comes out clean. Remove from the oven. Let it cool. Slice and serve as a breakfast snack!!
Needless to say this recipe instantly took me back to my childhood when all of us kids used to get together at grandma’s house. The days always began with a delectable breakfast ( Wink!!! Cucumber Cake..) and ended with a sumptuous dinner. I never knew food can be so therapeutic but I sure am glad that I found out…
I would definitely like to hear any of your favorite childhood dishes!!!!
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Cucumber Cake
Ingredients
- 3 cup Cucumbers peel, grate and squeeze water
- 1.5 cup Semolina
- 1.5 cup Jaggery grated
- ¾ tsp Cardamom Powder
- 4 tbsp Ghee
- ¼ tsp Nutmeg
- ¼ cup Raisin Apricot (optional)
Instructions
- Peel and grate the cucumber. Squeeze and drain the juice.
- Roast the semolina in 2 tbsps of ghee till fragrant or light brown in color.
- In another pan heat 2 tbsp ghee. Add jaggery and cucumber. Keep stirring till jaggery melts.
- Add semolina little at a time till the mixture thickens. Mix well to ensure there are no lumps.
- Add cardamom powder, nutmeg, apricot, raisin and mix well. Spoon the mixture into the greased pan. Spread evenly.
- Bake for 20 minutes at 350 F. Insert a toothpick to check if it comes out clean.
- Remove from the oven. Let it cool.
- Slice and serve as a breakfast snack!!
Cucumber cake ? I realized iam too late to this era of cooking. Madhavi cucumber in cake is awesome. Its hitting trends for sure.
I never would have thought to use cucumber in baking, but this cake looks delicious! I love how familiar foods can instantly transport us back to our childhood memories.
I completely agree with you. It took me a while to find out the joys of cooking for your loved ones but I sure am glad that I did..:)
I have never had a cucumber cake but sounds interesting Madhavi! 🙂 Belated Happy Birthday and I can totally related to your condition. I have been here for 4 years and I still very alone at times! But hang in there, it will get better with time!
Thank you Manali for the wishes and with new places come new friends so things are indeed getting better.. 🙂 As for the cake it is definitely a unique recipe but very popular on the Konkan coast..
How interesting! I’m sorry about your homesickness, but I love what you’re doing about it! My grandparents came to this country and did exactly the same thing, and I’m very happy today to know most of my grandmother’s recipes. What she did to remind her of home, I now do to remind myself of my childhood.
Very thoughtfully said Jeff. I never realized how much joy I could gain from cooking till now. The feeling of the joy on the faces of people you cook for is priceless. But I think it is also a way to treasure the memories of our loved ones. 🙂
No way this is made with cucumber!! This looks delicious!
It is indeed made with cucumber and semolina. Do try it..:)
Thank goodness for Skype to keep everyone connected! I never would have thought to use cucumbers in a cake…I can’t even imagine how it would taste….I’d better bake one and find out!
You are right Kathy. These days technology has bought everyone extremely close. My parents are basically on the other side of the world and I can pretty much see them every day. 🙂 As for the cake the recipe is indeed unique but very popular in certain regions on the western coast of India. I hope you like it.
WOW! This sounds interesting. I love trying out new recipes and this one is a must try. Bookmarked. YUMMY!
Thanks Kushi. I am equally adventurous as far as trying out new recipes is concerned. So I hope you like it.
She Who Must Be Obeyed makes a zucchini cake but this is the first time I’ve seen a cucumber cake. I love trying new things and this is going on my to do list.
I am sorry you are homesick. It is so hard to be away from people you love. However, making new friends and enjoying new experiences can be exciting. I hope you find great joy in your new home.
Thanks David. Hope you like it. As for the homesickness then you said it perfectly. I am enjoying the new experiences that life is presenting and so far things are going really well. 🙂
This is an awesome cake! & homesickness is the worst, but baking always helps 🙂
Thanks Megan. This was the first time I actually baked. Hope to get as good as you are down the road.. 🙂
This looks delicious! I love new types of breads that I’ve never heard of. I can’t wait to make it!
Elaine
Hope you like it elaine. It is a very popular recipe in the coastal regions of western india which is where my family is from..
What an interesting recipe, Madhavi! I’ve never heard of cucumber cake, but it sounds quite tasty. I need to give it a shot for sure! And hang in there with the adjusting to life here in the U.S. I can’t imagine how hard it’s been to celebrate birthdays (and other holidays) without friends and family, but hopefully you are making new friends and settling in to a new routine! We moved a few years back from the southern part of the U.S. way up to upstate New York. It is part of the same country, but man, life (and people) are so very different up here than what I was used to. But we’re settling in now…it just takes time. And when in doubt, make more cucumber cake! 🙂
Thanks David. Hope you like it. Also I am settling in pretty nicely here in Dallas as the time is going by. This is a big city and has lots of new adventures in store for me. And I plan to enjoy all of them to the fullest.. 🙂 It does help though that Dallas is a lot like Mumbai which is where I grew up..
Food can definitely make us feel more like we are home – so lovely that you are sharing your home with us!
I totally agree Kate. Before getting married I never knew how to cook. But now I am really enjoying it..
I’ve never thought of using cucumber in cake! I need to try, your cake looks absolutely delicious!
Its actually a family recipe. My grandma used to make it all the time when all of us kids used to visit her. So I hope you like it.
Omg… I never even imagine that I use cucumber in cake .. On the top, you add use semolina here and yet it looks spongy
Thanks Priya. Semolina is the one which basically holds the cake together. It is denser than normal cakes but tastes delicious..
Happy belated birthday! So true that food can be comforting and bring back memories of home! Loving this cake! Never had cucumbers in a cake before, so I must say this is all sorts of genius! Cheers!
Thanks Cheyanne for the birthday wishes!! For me this recipe has a lot of fond memories attached to it. 🙂
I love that you created such a easy recipe! It’s incredible that this cucumber cake is eggless and made with so few ingredients. 🙂 I love how you incorporated ghee too–I’ve always been curious about this ingredient. Great recipe!
Thanks Demeter!! This is a very popular recipe in places on the western coast of India. As for the ghee then do try using it sometime. It gives both savory and sweet preparations a distinct taste..
Wow, Madhavi, this sounds delicious! I’ve never heard of cucumber cake before, but I’d love to try it! I’m not as far from home as you, but far enough to know homesickness, so I know how you feel. It can be hard at times, especially holidays and special occasions. Some of the things that I like to make when I’m feeling homesick are Swiss Steak (thinly sliced steak slow cooked with a tomato sauce), poppy seed cake, and pastina soup. Pinning 🙂
You are exactly right Stephanie. India is such a colorful country with so many festivals that you do miss all the craziness of those times 🙂 But hey this is a new adventure for me and I am enjoying it to the fullest.
P.S: I love pasta but had no idea about pastina soup. Thanks for telling me about it..