Rasa Kavili
New Year favourites and all year-round Tea time
treats :
by Prasad Abu Bakr
Kavum, Kokis and other types of sweets prepared specially around this
time every year is simple to prepare, says 'Subila Hami' the female cook
who works full time at the Hotel Sea Shells kitchen (the only female
cook working in a
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‘Subila Hami’ the female cook who works full time at Hotel Sea
Shells Negombo
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star class hotel kitchen in Negombo).
She also stressed that preparing these sweet meats need not
necessarily be a long drawn affair.
As these pictures show 'Subila Hami' is preparing them on a small
scale, frying few at a time in a small pan, which means that any
housewife can make a few kavums, Kokis or some Bibikkan (Negombo's New
Year favourite) whenever she feels like. Specially at tea time for the
family.
Featured here are few recipes as given by Subila Hami for the benefit
of our readers, if they wish to make these own new year sweetmeats any
time of the year.
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Kavum
INGREDIENTS:
8 oz rice flour
8 oz coconut treacle (coconut treacle is a variety of treacle)
a deep hopper-like pan
oil for frying
an ekel
a kitchen spoon
METHOD:
Mix the flour and coconut treacle. The correct consistency of the
batter will come only with experience.
Let the batter stand for half an hour. Heat the oil for deep frying.
Pour half a spoon of batter into the oil. As it begins to fry, the
centre will rise.
Pour a little more batter into the centre and insert an ekel in the
middle of the cake. Do not pierce it through. Keep twisting the ekel
round and round and at the same time splashing the boiling oil on the
cake with a spoon. This will produce a knot at the top, which is
essential.
Get the correct shape by pressing down with a spoon. It must have a
nice brown colour when done.
The oil must not be too hot or the cakes will remain raw inside.
***
Kokis with Rice Flour (Koekjes in Dutch)
INGREDIENTS:
1 kokis mould
1/2 lb rice flour
milk of 1/2 a coconut
1/4 egg
1/2 t salt
saffron
oil for frying
METHOD:
A kokis mould is necessary. Mix the flour with the coconut milk. Add
the beaten egg, salt and saffron. Let the batter rest for an hour.
Heat oil. Dip the mould in the oil and then in the batter and then
back in the oil, to fry it crisply.
****
Kokis with Wheat Flour
INGREDIENTS:
1/4 lb wheat flour
1 egg
8-12 oz cow's milk
1/2 t salt
oil for frying
a kokis mould
METHOD:
Beat the egg with 8 oz milk. Add to the flour to form a thin batter.
Add more milk if necessary. Add salt to taste. Fry as in the rice flour
recipe.
****
Bibikkan
INGREDIENTS:
1/2 a coconut
1 lb jaggery
8 oz sugar
salt to taste
2 oz wheat flour
4 oz cadjunuts
4 oz sultanas
1 oz ginger preserve
1/4 t cloves
1/4 t cardamoms
1/2 t cinnamon
1 t grated rind of lime
METHOD:
Scrape the coconut and extract the milk from it without adding any
water. Add the milk to the jaggery and sugar and bring it to a boil. Add
salt.
Add the scraped coconut to the mixture and cook till it is sticky.
Remove from the fire.
Add the flour and mix well. Add the rest of the ingredients. Mix
well.
Bake at 325 degrees F till the skewer comes out clean. |
