Dhoñas

Vegan Indian jackfruit cake

Dhoñas is a traditional recipe from the Western coast of India, cooked in the Konkan, Goa, and Mangalore states by some of the communities living there. The people living in these areas were not very rich, so recipes were simple, cheap, and made from seasonal local ingredients. Baking was done either using the dry large stems of the coconut fronds as live embers or the embers of charcoal. These were under the pan, and also some places on the lid, since there were no ovens in our traditional kitchens. Hence there are many recipes that are simply steamed.

 Dhoñas is a vegetarian and vegan, steamed eggless cake, made using fresh local seasonal fruits like ripe jackfruit, mango, or the fragrant, golden-orange, ripe fibrous pulp of the covering around the ice-apple. Locally called Tadgola, a fruit of the Palmyra tree. For this recipe, you can always use tinned ripe jackfruit if fresh is unavailable.

This extremely simple recipe is very easy and quick to prepare, and ideal for vegetarians and vegans alike. The aromatic cake-like Dhoñas is moist, aromatic, beautifully textured and tastes delightful. Use it as a snack, or serve it as a dessert!

If you want to dish it up festively for Christmas, insert ½ cup cranberries on the top, or add some raisins, and be more generous with chopped cashew or almonds.

Cashew grows abundantly in this coastal region of India, so it is a nut of choice used for this eggless cake, but you can use pistachios and almonds instead.

You will require a steamer and an oven-proof dish. Or use a large pan with water, into which the oven-proof dish will fit.

For 6-8 persons. 1 cup= 240 ml/ 1 tbsp=15 ml/ 1 tsp = 5 ml

Ingredients

	230g ripe jackfruit/ ripe tinned jackfruit arils
	85g/ ½ cup coarse semolina or very fine bulgar
	½ cup coconut milk
	145g/ 1 cup jaggery powder/ or raw cane sugar
	1 tsp cardamom powder, preferably freshly ground.
	¼ tsp salt
	1 tbsp yoghurt
	1/3 cup cashews split into halves
	½ tsp soda-bicarbonate