A Bene Israeli Sabbath Cake with Semolina

Dwithiya Raghavan cooks from the evocative novel about the Bene Israeli community, Book of Rachel by Esther David. Read more about the Bene Israelis here.

The subtle sweetness and softness of semolina is punctuated with a delightful crunch from dry fruits; eating just one bite is virtually impossible. In Book of Rachel, Esther writes that, ‘If made on a Friday afternoon, kanavali or Sabbath cake is a wholesome meal for the Sabbath.’ 

Recipe for Kanavali

Ingredients
250 g semolina
2 tbsp butter, ghee or vegetable oil
400 ml coconut milk
2 tbsp sugar
6 crushed cardamom seeds 
10 blanched almonds
15 raisins

Method
Brown the semolina with the ghee in a pan and set aside.
Heat the coconut milk in another dish on a low flame and add the sugar and a pinch of salt.
Add the browned semolina into the pan with the coconut milk and stir continuously till all the liquid is absorbed. This happens quite quickly.
Now add the crushed cardamom, almonds and raisins, cover and cook for five more minutes.
Transfer the mixture to a greased pie plate and bake in a 170 deg C oven for 10 minutes, till golden brown. 
Once cooled, cut into diamond shaped pieces and serve. 

Photograph by Dwithiya Raghavan

ALSO ON THE GOYA JOURNAL