Tavsali is an eggless, healthy Goan cucumber cake usually prepared in the steamed style. It is a traditional Goan recipe and is quite easy to prepare. It gets its name from the konkani word Tavshe which means cucumber.
I learnt to make Tavsali (Goan Cucumber cake) from my mom when I was visiting her this year. It can be baked in the oven or prepared in the steamed way. I have not tried baking it in the oven though I have heard of many people doing it. In this recipe, I have noted the method in which my mother makes it by placing the tavsali mixture in a thick bottomed pan and cooking it on a low heat by placing the pan on a thick bottomed tawa.
There is another similar Goan recipe prepared with Jackfruit called as Dhonus (Steamed Jackfruit cake). I will post the recipe for it soon.
Here is the step by step recipe for Tavsali (Goan Cucumber Cake) with pictures:
Serves: 4-5
Preparation Time: 10 minutes
Cooking Time: 20 minutes
Ingredients:
Cucumber (grated): 1 cup
Jaggery: 1 cup
Scraped Coconut: 1/4 cup
Broken Wheat Dalia (Lapsi Rava): 3/4 cup
Semolina (Rava): 1/4 cup
Cashew nuts (broken): As required
Raisins: As required
Ghee: To grease pan
Salt: to taste
Method of Preparation:
- In a pan, dry roast the lapsi rava till slightly brown. Add semolina and dry roast till it turns slightly brown.
- Add cucumber and jaggery and mix well. Add little water if required to avoid sticking.
- Add coconut, cashew nuts, raisins and salt and mix well. Let cook till it thickens slightly stirring continuously to avoid sticking and burning.
- Grease a thick bottomed pan with ghee. Pour the tavsali mixture in this pan.
- Keep a thick bottomed tava on low flame. Place the pan with the tavsali mixture on this tava. Close lid and let cook for 20-30 minutes till completely cooked.
- Upturn on plate once it cools down. Cut into squares and serve.
For the entire collection of all Goan desserts, you can click here: Goan Desserts. Some popular ones which you might be interested in are: Rosatle Fov (Poha cooked in coconut milk), Peetache Ladoo (Atta Laddoo), Rice Kheer or Payas
For the entire collection of all Goan recipes, you can click here: Goan Cuisine
Tavsali (Goan Cucumber Cake)
- Cucumber (grated): 1 cup
- Jaggery: 1 cup
- Scraped Coconut: ¼ cup
- Broken Wheat Dalia (Lapsi Rava): ¾ cup
- Semolina (Rava): ¼ cup
- Cashew nuts (broken): As required
- Raisins: As required
- Ghee: To grease pan
- Salt: to taste
- In a pan, dry roast the lapsi rava till slightly brown. Add semolina and dry roast till it turns slightly brown.
- Add cucumber and jaggery and mix well. Add little water if required to avoid sticking.
- Add coconut, cashew nuts, raisins and salt and mix well. Let cook till it thickens slightly stirring continuously to avoid sticking and burning.
- Grease a thick bottomed pan with ghee. Pour the tavsali mixture in this pan.
- Keep a thick bottomed tava on low flame. Place the pan with the tavsali mixture on this tava. Close lid and let cook for 20-30 minutes till completely cooked.
- Upturn on plate once it cools down. Cut into squares and serve.
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