DATES ALMOND TAPIOCA CAKE

A VEGAN GLUTEN-FREE CAKE FOR THE FESTIVITY WAS ON MY MIND!

I try to get a lot of vegan, gluten-free shares these days! For Bengali shares, I do not have to think at all, there are many existing! The rest I take ideas from around, experiment and create. Some fails, those that appeal to my taste buds; I try to get to the blog! This stovetop dairy free cake did I prepare yesterday morning. It was planned a couple of days back. My initial plan was to decorate it with a strawberry and blueberry compote; I am a miser, also whats the point using more of sugar? Not that I did not think of an Indian or say desi themed recipe for the occasion but in no way I can get a vegan chutney bun or achari croissant! I felt I must use some ingredients used by the South East Asians, which need not sound too foreign to the Indians / Bengalis. If you say so I am fond of "shabur papor", I could get it for the festive revellers but cannot prepare it, its a sweaty affair! I am more or less comfortable with bare cakes, I decided to play safe hence!

WHATS GOING ON IN THE HOME FRONT?

There is happiness at home but no routine or discipline. The son is all day glued into his laptop, it is 5:25 pm, he went for the  shower now. Cristine is cleaning his room at this time that never happened earlier! There was no discipline at this home earlier too, we are all free willed people but now the situation is a bit different. The son came for his holidays, he wants to relax, I accept! Today, I had a delivery to make, hence I am at home; enjoying every minute knowing the son is sitting in other side of the wall. I went for a short walk of 5 kilometres! I did not click a single photo today, I had in mind to get back home before the son's lunch; he ate it around 4 pm! I called bossy, he asked me not to bother his son much; happiness must be the ultimate at this home! It is also true that I am at peace in this  home because there is no set rules here! My brother in his forties still does not dare to exercise full freedom. I wished him to get out of Kolkata; multiply his spending power; get a life for himself; work hard & party harder; get to mingle with people from different walks! He has to think hundred times to invite people; the worst thing is he does not wish to call or go out with people. His life revolves around his laptop, office, home, Formula1, Swiggy to Zomato to Fooza Apps for food! He says he is extremely happy that way.

WHAT IS THIS DATES ALMOND TAPIOCA CAKE?

It is gluten-free, vegan using less sugar. If we are using dates, we do not need a lot of sugar. I wished to use ingredients very familiar to this island & its neighbourhood; that had to be familiar to Bengal,  to India too! The icing on my carrot cake was wow but a poison for a diabetic  and obese! My experimental cakes work better, one is this DATES ALMOND TAPIOCA CAKE! 

Those coasters came from the foodaholic.biz  home among a couple of other handcrafted stuffs I much like. The sugar free ginger, garam masala chai I am fond of but cannot have regular in fear of acidity. T cannot have milk tea, he just pukes. This winter is the time Kolkata would have a couple of fairs, I used to enjoy visiting them with the mother & friends; Lexpo, Expo, Hastashilpo Mela! Going to the Book Fair was with T and some specific friends after completing school! I cannot stop writing about Kolkata winters; about the Borodin er Mela of my birthplace! I would have done a Date Palm Jaggery cake but I need to be equipped with proper materials for that! This winter is special too with the son at home for few days. Next Saturday, I have to change the cooking pattern, he is troubling with having vegetables, wanting to have only lentils, fish & meat for his main course. I have to push vegetables inside him through veg kofta & kebabs! Cakes he is eating at breakfasts. I would feed him pakoras & croquettes, some pithe too! They want their food simple, crisp, not elaborate nor rustic Bengali unless it is bharta, dried fish or pakora! Coming to today's healthy stovetop cake share, it uses desiccated coconut, tapioca flour, rice flour, dates, almonds, pumpkin seeds, brown sugar, rice bran oil, coconut milk! Also there are two birthdays today and on 26th that of a cousin, she sells saree @ https://www.facebook.com/duresareergolpo

Few similar Recipes from the Blog are : 

CARROT CAKE

SEMOLINA & DRY FRUIT CAKE 

COCOA FRUIT YOGURT CAKE

      

INGREDIENTS :

TAPIOCA FLOUR : 1/4 COFFEE MUG

RICE FLOUR : 1/2 COFFEE MUG

DESICCATED COCONUT : 1 SMALL TEA CUP

COCONUT MILK : 100 ML [I USED COCONUT POWDER]

SUGAR : 1/2 SMALL TEA CUP

OIL : 1/2 SMALL TEA CUP

DATE : 8-10 DE-SEEDED & HALVED

ALMOND : 10-12

PUMKIN SEED : 1 TBSP

LEMON ZEST : 2 TSP 

BAKING POWDER : 1/3 TSP

BAKING SODA : 1/4 TSP 

PROCEDURE :

I used coconut milk powder, prepared it adding one sachet to one cup of warm water, beating it well!

I took the oil, sugar, coconut milk in a blender and blended well!

I took together the tapioca flour, rice flour, desiccated coconut, baking soda, baking powder in a bowl & mixed well!

I poured it on the flour mixture, beaten well, added the lemon zest & the washed & de-seeded dates.

I poured the batter to a foiled tin and tapped on the kitchen counter.

I did arrange the almonds & pumpkin seeds on top!

I did place a wide mouthed wok on the gas top and on it a wired stand! I had let it get heated for 5 minutes at low flame!

I placed the cake tin with batter atop the wired stand & covered it with a lid!

I have cooked it in a very low flame for about 55 minutes and here we go! Aren't that supremely easy way to get a home cooked food!

Have it warm & fresh or if refrigerating, take out an hour before having it. Do not reheat! It has rice flour, may turn drier!