EGGLESS JAMUN SWIRL CAKE

Food and the pattern of feeding and eaten has changed its courses throughout history. But i feel the emphasis on seasonal eating has reached it's peak now, with some of the biggest chefs of the world backing that idea with profuse attention and detailing, lending their gourmet touch to ll things mundane. back home, that has always been a known fact, just that we were happy to ignore it.

Never in my wildest dreams had I thought of cooking with Black Plums aka kala-jamun or kalo jaam as we popularly call it in Bengal. But then it's not everyday that I come across an interesting easy-breezy recipe of this sort, which begs to be made. Consumed and feed.

Let me share with you anecdotes of this fruit, from my long lost childhood. Cousin bond was stronger that time, than ever!! I remember we children would make a mash of the fleshy Jamun with some salt. loads of green chilies, pinch of sugar and a spoonful of mustard oil. we would keep it out in the sun for a while, and then savour bowl full of it. It takes less less grey matter to decipher that the onus of procuring and making it always tricked down to yours truly.

Now that i have  typed it out, a thought hit my blunt mind. May be, the late bloomer in me failed to realise the ardent desire to cook and feed people, including myself, had started spreading its roots form that time itself. Do not worry, I am not going to take a dive into the depths of time to find out answers. lat's get into the recipe now. Shall we??

You can start by making the Jamun compote. I am sure with the advent of so many cookery shows around, the name isn't foreign anymore, but for the ones who are yet to understand it, let's just say, we will cook the plums for a little while to get them into a jammy consistency.

Compote:

1. Wash clean and de-seed 200gm jamun and chop up the flesh.

2. Blend the flesh with a tad bit of water.

3. Heat a non-stick pan and put the Jamun paste. take a minute of so to appreciate that lovely colour. such a treat for the eyes!! then add in 2 tbsp of Jaggery powder and cook on medium low flame, stirring often, till it reaches a jammy consistency.
4. Once it quotes the back of your spoon, and looks good, take it off the hob. and it's time to cool the jammy mix. Done.

Cake:

1. In a bowl add, 1 cup Jaggery powder, 50 gm ghee + 50 gm vegetable oil, 1/2 cup Yoghurt (slightly beaten with a fork), 3/4th cup milk, 1 tsp vanilla extract. Give all of this a good mix, till Jaggery dissolves into all the liquid provided well.
2. Add 1+1/4th cup Semolina or Rawa or sooji to the wet mix, give a good mix ( please be gentle with this , if you can). Keep it aside for 30 mins, at least. Rawa needs time to soak in all this liquid and to fluff up.

3. In another bowl add 1/4th cup Wholewheat flour or atta + 1 tsp baking powder + 1/4th tsp baking soda + 1/4th tsp salt. mix lightly ans wait for the Rawa to fluff up.
4. Preheat oven to 180 C, close to the completion of 30 long minutes ( I have been asking God for patience for ages now!! But to no avail) . Grease and line your baking tin. I used a 7" round one.
4. After 30 mins , mix the wholewheat flour mix with the Rawa mix, till just well combined. Please be wary of over-mixing. We are looking at a soft coke, melt in mouth, not a stodgy one to throw at someone!!

5. Pour the batter in your prepared tin. Remember the Jamun compote? Add in ladle full of it on top and with a stick swirl it around. that's what I did. Try and reach the bottom the batter without upsetting it too much.

6. Time to hit the oven. Bake for 35 mins @ 180 C.
7. Once done, cool it for 10-15 minutes and then de-mould it.

8.Slice it up and eat it.

This cake goes very well with tea of coffee. I have always, always loved the texture of Rawa, right from the time I made my first Baath cake, couple of years back. The sweet-n-sour kiss of the Jamun works wonders for taste-buds. Atleast it did for me!!  Well, it was a mixed review among few who got to taste it. But I am planning to go back, and make another one soonest, before Jamun packs its bag and disappears from the market.

This recipe was by the ever-bubbly Amrita Thakur. I have already expressed my gratitude for this adorable cake recipe to the lady, you can also do the same, once you have made it!! You can find the recipe on Youtube as well. I promise to attach the link with it, as soon as I get to learn how to do it. Lol! But I will. Promise.

Notes:
1. The recipe talks about Raw sugar, that I have replaced with Jaggery. You can use whichever suits you. So in case you want to add in raw sugar, just reduce the quantities a bit less, or taste the batter and let your senses decide.
2. Clarified butter or Ghee was the only fat that the recipe suggested. I however took the liberty of adding it in moderation and hence both ghee+ oil. I lave the choice on you.
3. I know, many of us love nuts or raisins in our cake. But I somehow couldn't equate which one to go for. On second thoughts, what about chopped pistachio??
4. I baked mine at 175C for 40 mins. Not only me, but all cookery shows have mentioned, that various ovens behave differently. I guess people, it's time to understand the ways of your oven.

So now that I have shared all that I knew about it, I will be waiting eagerly to hear from you. Soonest. Do drop by a reply, whenever you make it. Did someone just say, weekend is around the corner? Perfect excuse for you to get baking.

Chow!!