When we arrived in Oman, there was a box of
dates waiting for us in our new house.
"As salaam aleykum!" said the Omani gentleman, who had greeted us with flowers at the
airport. He courteously ushered us into our new home and gave us a glimpse of
Omani hospitality.
We are not important people so we were amazed by all this fuss and formality.
We are not important people so we were amazed by all this fuss and formality.
The dates, our welcome gift, were brown and wrinkly and melted
in the mouth like designer chocolates.
Dates, like frankincense and oil, are the treasures of the desert.
Oman, like the rest of rural Arabia, has a wealth of social niceties.
Dates, like frankincense and oil, are the treasures of the desert.
Oman, like the rest of rural Arabia, has a wealth of social niceties.
...
(Picture courtesy: Priya Nair)
At this time of the year, all over Oman, you will find date trees humbled with the weight of clusters of ripening dates.
A couple of days ago, Farooque, our friend, heaved down a golden harvest of dates at our front door.
A couple of days ago, Farooque, our friend, heaved down a golden harvest of dates at our front door.
They were oblong, smooth, golden with a brown blush, and deliciously
sweet. We ate them like we have seen the
Omanis do – pick the one that has browned the most, dip it in water to rinse
off the dust, and pop it into the mouth.
After sharing them with friends, we still had too many left.
So we decided to make a ‘Date and walnut cake’.
...
The origin of this cake recipe is linked to our friend Janani.
It was in the UK that Janani wanted to eat an eggless cake.
Janani was expecting a baby and had strange cravings. It was difficult indeed to find
an eggless cake in England.
At that time, Banu and I were experimenting with different
cake recipes. We took the challenge and finally, on the day of Janani’s baby shower, we
made an eggless ‘Date and walnut cake’ for the blossoming mum-to-be.
40 dates, fleshy, not dried
1 ½ cup milk, warm
1 ½ cup sugar (optional, if you are eating healthy)
2 cups plain flour, sifted ( I use chappati atta.)
1 cup oil
2 tsp baking soda, sifted and mixed with the above flour
1 cup cashew and walnuts, dusted with a little flour
Method:
-
Soak dates in warm
milk for 8 to 12 hours.
-
Remove seeds carefully and
grind to a smooth paste along with the sugar and the milk in which they were
soaked.
-
Add oil and mix.
-
Add flour, spoon by
spoon, and mix.
-
Add nuts and mix.
-
Preheat oven to 180
degrees Celsius and bake for 45-60 minutes. After 45 minutes, check if done by inserting a toothpick. If
the toothpick doesn't come out clean, leave to bake for 10-15 minutes more.
It would be a good idea to bake two of these cakes
at a time because they vanish quickly.
The best thing about this cake is that it is not only eggless, but also butterless and sugarless (if you opt for this). It is enriched with the nutritious values of dates and walnuts.
The best thing about this cake is that it is not only eggless, but also butterless and sugarless (if you opt for this). It is enriched with the nutritious values of dates and walnuts.
If serving for dessert, add a
scoop of vanilla ice-cream to a slice of this dark brown nutty cake.
When your guests come for second
helpings, give them the link to this blog post!
