Semolina Cake Recipe at School by Nisha Katona

When I was a kid, whenever I was sick and had to stay home after school, my mother always rummaged through her apothecary drawers and pulled out the semolina . It was warming, nutty, and completely comforting, and this cake is an elegant version of all of those things. I added the gold leaf and green cardamom to give it a dinnertime finesse, but deep down the semolina will always be a comfort to me.
Servings 15whole milk 300 ml light muscovado sugar 200 gghee 50 g green cardamom pods 1 fine semolina 225 g salt ¼ tbsp white flour 2 tbsp sifted baking powder 1½ tsp baking soda ¼ tsp plain yogurt 125g whole blanched almonds ="dcr-1b64dqh">Preheat the oven to 160°C convection heat/thermostat 4, then grease and line a 28cm x 20cm mold with parchment paper.
< p class="dcr-1b64dqh">Place the milk and sugar in a small saucepan and place over low heat, stirring until the sugar dissolves. Set aside.
In a separate large saucepan, melt the ghee over low heat. Crush the cardamom pod in a pestle and mortar to release the seeds, then discard the outer husk and gently crush the seeds. Add the lightly crushed cardamom seeds to the pan with the melted ghee and cook gently for 1 minute to allow the flavors to infuse.
The pan still on the heat, add the semolina and salt to the ghee and sift the flour, baking powder and baking soda. Stirring continuously, slowly pour the warmed milk mixture into the pan and continue to cook, stirring, until the semolina has absorbed the milk and you have a smooth batter consistency.
Remove the pan from the heat and stir the yogurt into the mixture, then pour the batter into the prepared pan and spread it into an even layer. Arrange the almonds on top of the cake batter, then transfer them to the preheated oven and bake for 20 minutes, until firm, well risen and golden brown.
Let the cake cool for 10 minutes in the pan, then invert onto a wire rack and let cool to room temperature. Once cooled, decorate the surface of the cake with squares of gold foil, if using, and cut into squares to serve.
From 30-Minute Mowgli by Nisha Katona (Watkins Media, £25)

Recipe Jan 30, 2023 0 86 Add to Reading List

Semolina Cake Recipe at School by Nisha Katona

When I was a kid, whenever I was sick and had to stay home after school, my mother always rummaged through her apothecary drawers and pulled out the semolina . It was warming, nutty, and completely comforting, and this cake is an elegant version of all of those things. I added the gold leaf and green cardamom to give it a dinnertime finesse, but deep down the semolina will always be a comfort to me.

Servings 15whole milk 300 ml light muscovado sugar 200 gghee 50 g green cardamom pods 1 fine semolina 225 g salt ¼ tbsp white flour 2 tbsp sifted baking powder 1½ tsp baking soda ¼ tsp plain yogurt 125g whole blanched almonds ="dcr-1b64dqh">Preheat the oven to 160°C convection heat/thermostat 4, then grease and line a 28cm x 20cm mold with parchment paper.

< p class="dcr-1b64dqh">Place the milk and sugar in a small saucepan and place over low heat, stirring until the sugar dissolves. Set aside.

In a separate large saucepan, melt the ghee over low heat. Crush the cardamom pod in a pestle and mortar to release the seeds, then discard the outer husk and gently crush the seeds. Add the lightly crushed cardamom seeds to the pan with the melted ghee and cook gently for 1 minute to allow the flavors to infuse.

The pan still on the heat, add the semolina and salt to the ghee and sift the flour, baking powder and baking soda. Stirring continuously, slowly pour the warmed milk mixture into the pan and continue to cook, stirring, until the semolina has absorbed the milk and you have a smooth batter consistency.

Remove the pan from the heat and stir the yogurt into the mixture, then pour the batter into the prepared pan and spread it into an even layer. Arrange the almonds on top of the cake batter, then transfer them to the preheated oven and bake for 20 minutes, until firm, well risen and golden brown.

Let the cake cool for 10 minutes in the pan, then invert onto a wire rack and let cool to room temperature. Once cooled, decorate the surface of the cake with squares of gold foil, if using, and cut into squares to serve.

From 30-Minute Mowgli by Nisha Katona (Watkins Media, £25)