Basbousa is a very popular semolina cake from Middle east.The main ingredient of this cake is semolina and coconut but their are many versions to make this ,you can make it with almond meal,coconut,condensed milk,yogurt and can flavor it with rose water or orange blossom water.
Arabic cuisine is quite healthy ,they use olives ,nuts, beans, lots of greens and salad in their daily routine diet.I have posted the very popular snack and sandwich- Falafal sandwich which is made with healthy chick pea patties and then it is stuffed in pita bread with lots of salad and tangy tahina paste and a very healthy salad- Tabbouleh salad which is made with bulghur and lots of green a perfect summer healthy and refreshing salad
This coconut basbousa cake is a very easy recipe which you can prepare a day ahead and keep refrigerated and can bake it next day.The basbousa cake is mildly sweet and after baking it is soaked in thin sugar syrup which is flavored with rose syrup and orange blossom water.It should be soaked for minimum 3-4 hours so it will become moist and absorb the flavors.
First we have to make the sugar syrup so it can cool down while we bake the basbousa cake.
Then all the ingredients of basbousa should be mixed properly and then transferred directly into the baking tin or glass tin ,it is preferred to line the baking dish with a parchment paper so we can easily remove the cake from the tin as the basbousa cake is quite delicate.
After mixing and pouring in the tin the cake should be kept refrigerated for minimum 2 hours or a day ,it help to enhance the flavors and make the slicing easy,and when it set well and become firm ,make marks to slice it ,either squares or diamonds shapes and put a soaked and peeled almond haves on each squares ,its a traditional garnish of basbousa.
After it set perfectly ,you can bake it in a preheated oven at 180 degree temp for about 40 minutes or till it get a nice golden color on top, remove when its done and immediately pour the prepared sugar syrup over the basbousa and then cover and keep aside for minimum 3-4 hours.
Eggless coconut Basbousa Recipe
Ingredients
- 2 cup Semolina / Sooji
- 1/2 cup Sugar / Chini
- 3/4 tsp Baking Powder
- 1/2 cup Coconut, Dessicated
- 3/4 -1 cup Whole Milk / Doodh
- 30 gms Butter, Unsalted / Makkhan
- A pinch Salt / Namak
- 1/2 cup Water / Paani
For the Sugar Syrup
- 1 Cup Sugar / Chini
- 1 tsp Orange Blossom Water (optional)
- 2 tsp Rose Water / Gulab Jal
Instructions
- To make sugar syrup- In a pan add 1/2 cup sugar and a cup of water.
- Boil till sugar melts completely and become a syrup.
- Remove from the flame and let it cool down completely
- Add rose water and orange blossom water in the syrup and keep aside
- Cake- Take a big bowl and add semolina,dessicated coconut,baking powder,salt and sugar
- Mix everything properly,now add melted butter and mix again
- Add milk and mix to make a medium thick batter.
- Grease the baking tin or glass dish and put a parchment paper in it(paper is optional ,but it helps to unmold easily)
- Level it with a spoon and keep refrigerated for minimum 3 hours or can keep overnight.
- Soak 10 almonds and peel and slice them into two.
- Remove the pan from the refrigerator only when you want to bake the cake.
- Cut the cake into square or diamond shape slices.
- Put an almond halves on each square.
- preheat the oven at 170 degree.
- Bake it for about 35-40 mins or till get a nice golden crust. (Place it in the middle rack with both rod on)
- Check with a tooth pick,if it comes out clean then its done,but if some batter sticks on it then cook for further 10 minutes.
- Remove from the pan and immediately but slowly pour the sugar syrup all over the cake with the help of a spoon
- Let the cake rest for some times (minimum 4 hours)so that it will absorb all the syrup and become soft and moist.
- Cut into slices and serve.
- You can refrigerate the left over cake and just warm it in the microwave before serving .
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