AI-generated image
Vettu cake
Fried tea-shop cake
വെട്ടുകേക്ക്: Kerala tea-shop fried cake of flour, egg, sugar and cardamom, scored with a cross before frying (plus 30 minutes resting)
Vettu cake, also called chayakada cake, sits in the glass cases of small tea shops across Kerala, a dense, crunchy-shelled fried cake eaten with black tea on a rainy afternoon. The name means 'cut cake': each ball is scored with a cross so it opens like a flower in the oil. Inside it is close-textured and sweet with cardamom, a little like a doughnut crossed with a pound cake, and it keeps for days in a tin. The mistake almost everyone makes is frying too hot; the outside browns in a minute and the centre stays raw and doughy. Fry low and slow. Chef's tip: rest the dough for half an hour so the flour fully absorbs the egg; it becomes easier to shape and the cakes crack open more evenly.
- Total time
- 50 min
- Difficulty
- medium
- Serves
- 8
Ingredients
For the dough
- 9 oz plain flour (maida)
- 4 oz caster sugar
- 2 eggs
- 1 tsp ground cardamom
- ½ tsp baking powder
- ¼ tsp bicarbonate of soda
- ¼ tsp salt
- 1 pinch ground turmericfor the yellow colour
- 1 tbsp gheemelted
- 2 tbsp milkonly if needed
For frying
- 3 ¼ cups coconut or sunflower oilfor deep frying
Shop this recipe on Amazon
What you'll need
Spices & pantry
Links open Amazon in a new tab. As an Amazon Associate, WhatToEat.Today earns from qualifying purchases.
Method
0/7 doneStep 1: Whisk 2 eggs and 4 oz caster sugar together until the sugar has mostly dissolved and the mixture is pale and frothy, about 3 minutes.
3 minStep 2: Sift 9 oz plain flour (maida), ½ tsp baking powder, ¼ tsp bicarbonate of soda, ¼ tsp salt, 1 tsp ground cardamom and 1 pinch ground turmeric into the egg mixture. Add 1 tbsp ghee and mix into a soft, slightly sticky dough, adding 2 tbsp milk a spoonful at a time only if it is dry. Don't knead it hard.
4 minStep 3: Cover and rest for 30 minutes.
Step 4: With oiled hands, divide into 18-20 pieces and roll each into a smooth ball the size of a walnut. With a sharp knife, cut a cross about 5 mm deep on top of each.
10 minStep 5: Fill a heavy pan with 3 ¼ cups coconut or sunflower oil no more than a third deep and heat to 150-325°F on a thermometer. A small piece of dough should rise slowly to the surface with gentle bubbles, not sizzle hard. Never leave the oil unattended.
6 minStep 6: Fry 5-6 at a time on low-medium heat for 6-8 minutes, turning, until the crosses open up, the cakes are deep golden brown all over and a skewer pushed into one comes out clean. If they brown in under 4 minutes, the oil is too hot.
24 minStep 7: Drain on kitchen paper and cool completely; they firm up and the crust crisps as they cool. Store in an airtight tin for up to a week.
2 min
Nutrition per serving
- Calories
- 300 kcal
- Protein
- 5 g
- Carbs
- 43 g
- Fat
- 12 g
- Fibre
- 1 g
Nutrition values are estimates.
KrazyBadal
Good to know
- How long does vettu cake take?
- About 50 minutes in total: 20 minutes to prepare and 30 minutes to cook.
- How many people does it serve?
- 8 as written. Change the servings above the ingredients and every amount scales to match.
- Is it vegetarian?
- Yes. It has no meat or fish.
- Can I make it ahead?
- Yes. It keeps well, so you can cook it earlier in the day or the day before and reheat it.
- What can I use instead of plain flour (maida)?
- Self-raising flour, same amount (then leave out the baking powder).
- What can I use instead of caster sugar?
- Caster sugar, same amount.
Reviews
No reviews yet. Be the first to cook it.
Rate this recipe
Sign in to rate and review this recipe.
You might also like
SakarpadaSweet fried dough diamonds
Sakarpada (shakarpara) are little sweet diamonds of a rich dough made with ghee, milk and sugar, fried until golden and crunchy. They are a Diwali favourite with tea, and the cubes go into bhusu too. They keep for weeks in an air-tight tin.
Yaki onigiriGrilled rice balls
Yaki onigiri (焼きおにぎり) are rice balls grilled until they form a crisp, toasty crust, then brushed with soy sauce glaze. They are eaten all over Japan, at izakaya, at barbecues and from the freezer section, as a snack or with miso soup. The inside stays soft and steamy while the outside crackles. Best eaten hot, straight from the pan. Chef's tip: let the shaped rice balls dry for 10 minutes before they go in the pan. A drier surface forms a better crust and won't stick, and the glaze goes on only at the end so it doesn't burn.
Japanese
Paneer biryaniRice and moong dal in coconut milk
A mild, creamy biryani: rice and husked green gram roasted in ghee, then cooked in coconut milk with peas, carrots, potatoes, peanuts and cashews, and finished with soft fried paneer and a fresh coriander yogurt. Serve hot, garnished with more fried cashews and paneer.
Perfect for:Tea-time