Goan Cucumber Cake / Tavasali

Today’s recipe is yummy and delicious Goan cucumber cake. Goan cucumber cake is known as Tavasali in Goa.  Tavshe means cucumber in Konkani. This is an eggless cake recipe. Cucumber is available throughout the year. Prepare this cucumber cake at any time of the year. Try this recipe with local seasonal cucumber. You can get it in september or october in Goa.

Prepare tavasali in different ways. Dry roast rava or semolina on low flame till aroma wafts in the air. Let it cool down completely. Take a mixing bowl and add all the ingredients namely grated cucumber, roasted rava, jaggery, cashewnut pieces, grated coconut, crushed cardamom, and baking soda and mix well. Grated cucumber will release water. Soak rava nicely in grated cucumber. Pour the prepared mixture in a greased baking tray.

Goan cucumber cake or Tavasali is a healthy and nutritious snack.

Related posts: Rava banana cake, Jackfruit cake / Pansache dhonas , watermelon rind cake

You can bake this eggless cucumber cake in oven or steam it using double boiler method. My mom steams this tavasali using double boiler method. In this method, add sufficient water in a pressure cooker. Place a small plate inside the cooker. On this place the baking dish with mixture. Cover it with aluminum foil. Steam for 20 minutes without keeping the whistle or lid.

My mother in law cooks the cake on a gas stove. Grease a pan and evenly spread the cucumber cake batter. Cover the pan and cook on low flame for 30 minutes or cook till tavasali is done. Cake should not get burnt, so keep on checking while cooking.  I prefer to bake the cucumber cake in an OTG.

Serve this tavasali for evening tea time snacks. You can even pack it in the snack box to have some healthy snack.

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Goan Cucumber Cake / Tavasali

Course Breakfast, Desserts, Sweet, Breakfast, Sweets, Snacks

Cuisine Goan, Indian

Prep Time 20 minutes

Cook Time 40 minutes

Total Time 1 hour

Servings 6 people

Author Raksha Kamat

Ingredients

• 2 and 1/2 cups cucumber peeled and grated
• 1 and 1/2 cup jaggery grated
• 1 cup rava / semolina
• 1 cup coconut freshly grated
• 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
• 4 cardamom pods peeled and crushed
• 10 cashewnuts broken
• 1 teaspoon ghee/clarified butter for greasing the baking pan
• 1/2 teaspoon Salt

Instructions

• Heat a skillet or wok and roast rava till it is light brown or till aroma wafts in the air. Let it cool completely. This would take around 20 minutes.
• Take a mixing bowl and add all ingredients together. Grated cucumber will release water. Let the rava or semolina get soaked nicely.
• Take a baking dish and grease it with ghee or clarified butter.
• Pour the mixture in the baking dish. Bake for 40 to 45 minutes at 200 C.
• You can also steam the cucumber cake using double boiler method.
• Check if the cake is baked by pricking a toothpick or knife in the center. If the toothpick or knife comes out clean, the cake is baked. Else bake it further till done.

Notes

Note: You can also cook the cake on gas. Grease the nonstick pan with ghee or clarified butter.

Add the cucumber and rava mixture in a nonstick pan and cook covered on low flame for 30 minutes.

Do not use ghee for greasing if you want to make this cucumber cake vegan.

Do not add water to this recipe.