Spicy Prawns Cake

This healthy version of a savoury cake is an excellent option to serve as starters for dinner. For those of you who have never heard of this before, and love seafood, do try it and I’m sure you will be impressed.

Also called as haldawi poli meaning the yellow cake, it is a traditional bhatkali recipe made of rice, coconut and prawns.

The first step of this process is making the prawns qorma and keeping it ready.

The second step is preparing the rice mixture.

The rice I use for this is half and half ratio of parboiled rice and the white rice (used for making dosa).

Wash and soak both the rice for 2 hours

In a bowl mix the drained rice, fresh coconut, salt, green chillies and turmeric powder.

Transfer all of this into a blender/grinder and grind coarsely. The pieces of rice should be just broken into halves. It shouldn't turn into a fine paste.  Use approximately 1 cup of water to help you grind. 

To this add the prepared prawns qorma, chopped coriander and red chilli powder. Salt for taste.

At this point if your mixture is wet (Mine is because I had to use a blender and needed to add 1 ½ cup of water), Put it in a non stick pot and cook it for 2-3 minutes or till the moisture evaporates and you feel the mixture is sticking to the bottom. 

The mix should be dry as it will now go to the oven for baking and watery mixture may not hold the cake in shape.

Once this is done, line a 10” baking pan with oil and put this mixture into it. Pat it down with the back of a spoon.

If you do have a cupcake pan, it would be lovely to try that.

Put this tray into an oven pre-heated at 175°C for 40-45 minutes or till the edges turn brown and a dark golden crust is formed. The top crust should get crisp hard.

Once it’s completely cooled, cut into small squares and serve.

This perfectly cooked and crumbly rice cake is a healthy option and something new to appease your guests.

This recipe makes 15 pieces of the cake and serves 5-6 people. One serving of this recipe provides approximately 143 Calories.

Here is what you’ll need:

For the qorma:

15-20 prawns cleaned and deveined

2 onions

1 tomato

4 green chillies

5-6 curry leaves

1 tsp ginger paste

1 tsp garlic paste

1 tsp curry powder

1 tsp tandoori powder

1 tsp coriander powder (Dhaniya powder)

1tbsp oil

For the Rice mixture:

1 cup white parboiled rice

1 cup white rice (dosa chawal)

2 cups fresh grated coconut

4-5 tbsp fresh coriander leaves

4 green chillies

½ tsp turmeric powder

½ -1 tsp chilli powder

1 cup water

Method:

1. Wash, clean and de-vein the prawns.
2. Wash and soak the rice for 2 hours.
3. Heat oil in a vessel, add the curry leaves, green chillies and sliced onions.
4. Cook the onions on low heat till it sweats and add the chopped tomato.
5. Once the tomatoes go soft, add the ginger paste and garlic paste.
6. Add all the prawns (If the prawns are big or medium,cut into halves or one-thirds) and add the curry powders. (The curry powders can be adjusted, added or removed to suit your taste. I do add a quarter piece of chicken stock cube)
7. Keep on simmer till the prawns cook.
8. In a blender, add the soaked rice drained of water, fresh coconut, salt, turmeric, and green chillies. Grind coarsely with help of a cup of water.
9. Put this mixture in a bowl, mix in the prepared qorma, and coriander leaves. Add half a tsp of red chilli powder. 
10. Cook this mixture in a non-stick pot for 2-3 minutes till dry. (If the mixture is too watery)
11. Line a baking dish with oil and pour the mixture and set it.
12.  Put it in a preheated oven at 175°C for 45 minutes or till a golden crisp crust is formed.
13. Serve as snacks or starters for dinner.

Recipe by Zohra Sada