Batica

Ever wondered how to make the batica? This coconut cake recipe is very easy to make. The Batica is a great accompaniment with your tea and is pretty easy to make. However, if you have no easy access to fresh coconut to try out this Goan batica recipe, you could try out the Batica with dessicated coconut.

Batica Recipe

Ingredients:
1/2 kg semolina (rawa)
2 coconuts (preferably a wee bit tender)
500 grams sugar
6 large eggs
250 grams butter
1/2 table spoon baking powder
a pinch of salt (I used 1/2 level teaspoon)
Vanilla/Rose Water(Optional)

Method:

• Scrape the coconut carefully avoiding any part of the shell.
• Grind it into a fine paste.
• Cream the sugar and butter and beat until the sugar melts.
• Add the eggs to the mixture one at a time, beating thoroughly.
• Add in the salt and baking powder.
• To the mixture add semolina, beating well after each addition.
• Blend in the coconut paste and keep overnight.
• If desired, flavour it with vanilla or Rose Water.
• Put the mixture in a greased flat baking tin. (Use two 9" cake tins or a bigger one depending on the size of your oven)
• Bake in oven until done depending on your oven. Bake for about 40-45 mins. at 180°C for each 9" cake tin.  I baked the whole quantity in a 12" pan for one hour on 200°C.

Goan Pumpkin Bebinca

The Goan bebinca is known the world over but if you are looking for a bebinca recipe that is not as sinfully rich as the real Goan bebinca made from a couple of dozens of egg yolks then you might like to try this pumpkin bebinca recipe.

Pumpkin Goan bebinca recipe

Ingredients:

½ kg pumpkin

4 whole eggs

¼ kg maida/all-purpose flour

3 coconuts juice

¾ kg sugar

1/2 Nutmeg, grated/powdered

salt to taste

Pure ghee for layering

Method:

• Put the sugar in a vessel and add sufficient water to it till it is all just absorbed and all the sugar is just wet. 

• Boil till all the sugar has dissolved and a syrup is formed.

• Keep aside to cool.
• Skin and cut pumpkin into 1 inch pieces.

• Boil pumpkin with a little water and salt.(Pressure cook for about 5 whistles on simmer after the first whistle)
• Evaporate water if any.
• Mash the pumpkin. (I ground it in the mixer) 

• Mix the pumpkin with the cooled (important!) sugar syrup, whole eggs, enough coconut juice & nutmeg. I used the electric beater for this.The resulting batter should have a pouring consistency as shown in the picture.

• Bake in layers the first layer of the bebinca being made on the fire.
• Drop a teaspoon of ghee in a pan and place on the stove on simmer.
• Add a cup of batter and continue to cook on simmer.

• When the edge gets browned, it is time to take it off the stove. You can also check by lifting the layer with a butter knife as shown in the picture.

• Next put it under the grill for 10 to 15 minutes or so depending on your oven, checking regularly to make sure it doesn't not get overdone.

• Add a teaspoon of ghee and using a teaspoon press down the layer just done.

• Add a cup of batter for the next layer of the pumpkin bebinca.

•  When it browns sufficiently, the pumpkin bebinca layer is ready.

• Repeat layering with ghee and batter till all the batter is used up. 

Goan pumpkin bebinca recipe

• Cut into slices and serve. Bon appetit!

Bolinhos

My sister makes the best bolinhos and everybody simply loves them.They make for a great tea-time treat and work well even for a snack.

The best bolinhos recipe

Ingredients: 
2 ½ coconuts (preferably freshly plucked) grated, taking care to avoid the skin.

½ kg sugar

½ kg semolina

5 cardamoms, powdered or a few drops of vanilla essence

9 egg yolks

½ tspn salt

½ glass water

 
Method:

• Slightly roast the semolina and keep it aside to cool.

Slightly roasted semolina kept for cooling

• Make a syrup with sugar, water, salt and cardamom powder/vanilla essence, boiling it till you get a thread like consistency. 

Preparation of sugar syrup for the bolinhos

 

 

 

Boil sugar syrup for bolinhos to thread-like consistency

• Add grated coconut and mix, once the coconut is cooked, turn off the flame. 

  

  Grated coconut added to the sugar syrup for bolihos

• Keep this mixture to cool.
• When completely cooled, add egg yolks and the cooled semolina.
• Mix well and keep overnight.

  

  Bolinhos mixture kept overnight

• Next morning, shape the mixture into balls, flatten and put cuts with a butter knife.   
• Place on a buttered and floured tray and bake at 200C till golden brown. 

  

  Bolinhos ready for baking