• 8 (Makes 16 cakes)
  • 10 mins
  • 30 mins
  • 1.5 hours

KickingLemons

Mini Fried Tea Cakes

Vettu cake or fried sweetened dough is commonly displayed in a glass cabinets at most Chaya kada (tea shop) in rural Kerala. It is part of central and coastal Kerala cuisine especially in the rural areas, where these tea shops plays more important role as gossip center, a place where people also discuss politics while enjoying their tea with morning newspapers. In the background Malayalam (language of Kerala) film songs will be playing on the radio.

It’s best to enjoy these cakes immediately as they tend to become harder if stored overnight. For a delightful experience, try dipping them into piping hot black tea, it’s simply serene.

Ingredients

Oil for frying
2 large eggs, 66g each
1 ½ cup Powdered Sugar, (210 g)
2 cups wheat flour
½ tsp Turmeric Powder
½ tsp Baking Powder
½ tsp Cardamom Powder

KickingLemons

Directions

  1. Create powdered sugar by pulverizing granulated sugar until it becomes a fine powder.
  2. For a perfectly whipped batter, combine eggs and sugar in a blender and beat until bubbles form.
  3. In a separate large bowl, mix together the dry ingredients. Combine wheat, baking powder, cardamom, and turmeric, whisking them well.
  4. Create a well in the flour mixture and add the beaten eggs, then gently fold the flour from the sides into the center of the bowl with a spatula until a sticky dough forms.
  5. Next add a few tablespoons of flour (2 to 4 tablespoon) and continue kneading until the dough no longer sticks to your hands. Keep in mind that the texture of the dough is influenced by the size of the eggs used. If you use larger eggs, the dough will be stickier, whereas smaller eggs will result in a drier dough. Therefore, to achieve the desired consistency, you can add more eggs or additional flour, but avoid adding water.
  6. Knead the dough for 5 minutes and allow it to sit for 40 minutes to rest before proceeding to frying.
  7. Split the dough into two parts. Take one part and roll it out lengthwise. Gently press the edges of the elongated dough to form a long rectangular shape.
  8. Make cuts in the dough, spacing them 1 inch apart, to generate 5 to 6 pieces.
  9. Start by taking one piece of dough and gently pressing the edges to create a rectangular shape. Next, use a sharp knife to cut halfway through the dough, forming a cross.
  10. To achieve even frying, it is important to heat the oil and maintain a low heat throughout the frying process. This ensures that the interior and exterior of the dough are fried evenly. If the oil is too hot, the center of the dough may not be cooked perfectly.
  11. Cook the cakes for 8 to 10 minutes until they turn golden brown, then flip them over to cook the other side.
  12. Remove the excess oil from the cakes before serving them hot with a cup of tea. Enjoy!
  13. These petite cakes have a dense and chewy consistency, perfect for dunking into a steaming cup of tea or coffee.
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