A cake unheard by many and slowly disappearing from the Goan cuisine. Thanks to some restaurants in Goa that still bake and serve Apa De Camarão, a rare find in Goa. This cake has a golden appearance with a spicy prawn filling sandwiched in between two layers of batter. An elegant, rich and delicious cake.
There are two variations to the batter; the original one made with rice, coconut, toddy and eggs whereas the modern adaption utilizes the basic cake ingredients like butter, sugar, eggs, flour, baking powder, milk and vanilla essence. My recipe features the original one with the use of yeast instead of toddy. I have steamed the cake in steps and then finished it by baking in the oven. The end result was a moist delicious cake compared to baking it entirely in the oven which was dry and tasteless. This cake can be eaten as a snack, served as an appetizer or a side dish. It is definitely filling, a unique and creative dish.
The prawn filling is spicy, sour with a hint of sweetness. It can be made ahead, refrigerated and brought to room temperature when ready to use. Do your own variation of prawn filling or use balchao to sandwich in between the two layers. Challenge yourself by making this cake and let us all keep this Goan dish alive. Pass it down from generation to generation.
There are two variations to the batter; the original one made with rice, coconut, toddy and eggs whereas the modern adaption utilizes the basic cake ingredients like butter, sugar, eggs, flour, baking powder, milk and vanilla essence. My recipe features the original one with the use of yeast instead of toddy. I have steamed the cake in steps and then finished it by baking in the oven. The end result was a moist delicious cake compared to baking it entirely in the oven which was dry and tasteless. This cake can be eaten as a snack, served as an appetizer or a side dish. It is definitely filling, a unique and creative dish.
The prawn filling is spicy, sour with a hint of sweetness. It can be made ahead, refrigerated and brought to room temperature when ready to use. Do your own variation of prawn filling or use balchao to sandwich in between the two layers. Challenge yourself by making this cake and let us all keep this Goan dish alive. Pass it down from generation to generation.
Apa De Camarão (Prawn Cake)
(Serves 8)
Prawn Filling
Ingredients:
400 gms prawns (shelled and deveined)
2 onions (chopped)
2 tablespoons oil
1 cup vinegar (to grind paste + season)
1 teaspoon sugar
salt
Grind to a paste (with vinegar indicated above)
8 Kashmiri dried red chillies
6 Bedgi chillies
8 peppercorns
2 cinnamon sticks (1.5" each)
6 cloves
8 large cloves of garlic
1 teaspoon cumin seeds
Method:
Wash prawns, drain and season with salt.
Heat oil and fry onions till brown. Do not burn. Add ground paste, stir and then add prawns. Season with sugar, balance vinegar (as per your taste) and salt. The filling should be spicy, sour with a hint of sweetness to compliment the fermented batter. Filling is ready when there is no moisture and prawns are cooked, within 3 to 4 minutes.
Batter
Ingredients:
3 cups parboiled rice (red or light yellow)
1 cup grated coconut
4 large eggs
2 tablespoons + 1 teaspoon sugar
1 tablespoon lukewarm water
1 1/2 teaspoons yeast
1/2 teaspoon salt
Method:
Wash and soak rice overnight.
Next morning, grind rice with grated coconut, 2 tablespoons sugar, salt and minimal water. Place ground batter in a bowl, deep enough for the batter to rise once yeast is added.
Beat eggs and mix with the ground batter.
To activate dry yeast, add it to one tablespoon of lukewarm water along with 1 teaspoon sugar. Stir and leave for few minutes to froth and foam. Add the yeast mixture to the ground batter. Mix, cover and leave bowl in a warm place for batter to rise or double, around four hours. (Do not add any extra water than what is listed in the ingredients.)
Heat the steamer with water and lightly grease a 10" cake pan.
Preheat oven to 350 F or 180 C.
Pour half the batter into the cake pan. Steam for 10 minutes. Then spread the entire prawn filling evenly over the bottom layer. Top with the remaining batter and steam for an additional 10 minutes.
Transfer the cake pan into the oven and bake for 45 minutes till cake is brown and a tester or toothpick inserted in the centre comes out clean.
Cool cake, unmould into a plate, cut into wedges and serve.
(Serves 8)
Prawn Filling
Ingredients:
400 gms prawns (shelled and deveined)
2 onions (chopped)
2 tablespoons oil
1 cup vinegar (to grind paste + season)
1 teaspoon sugar
salt
Grind to a paste (with vinegar indicated above)
8 Kashmiri dried red chillies
6 Bedgi chillies
8 peppercorns
2 cinnamon sticks (1.5" each)
6 cloves
8 large cloves of garlic
1 teaspoon cumin seeds
Method:
Wash prawns, drain and season with salt.
Heat oil and fry onions till brown. Do not burn. Add ground paste, stir and then add prawns. Season with sugar, balance vinegar (as per your taste) and salt. The filling should be spicy, sour with a hint of sweetness to compliment the fermented batter. Filling is ready when there is no moisture and prawns are cooked, within 3 to 4 minutes.
Batter
Ingredients:
3 cups parboiled rice (red or light yellow)
1 cup grated coconut
4 large eggs
2 tablespoons + 1 teaspoon sugar
1 tablespoon lukewarm water
1 1/2 teaspoons yeast
1/2 teaspoon salt
Method:
Wash and soak rice overnight.
Next morning, grind rice with grated coconut, 2 tablespoons sugar, salt and minimal water. Place ground batter in a bowl, deep enough for the batter to rise once yeast is added.
Beat eggs and mix with the ground batter.
To activate dry yeast, add it to one tablespoon of lukewarm water along with 1 teaspoon sugar. Stir and leave for few minutes to froth and foam. Add the yeast mixture to the ground batter. Mix, cover and leave bowl in a warm place for batter to rise or double, around four hours. (Do not add any extra water than what is listed in the ingredients.)
Heat the steamer with water and lightly grease a 10" cake pan.
Preheat oven to 350 F or 180 C.
Pour half the batter into the cake pan. Steam for 10 minutes. Then spread the entire prawn filling evenly over the bottom layer. Top with the remaining batter and steam for an additional 10 minutes.
Transfer the cake pan into the oven and bake for 45 minutes till cake is brown and a tester or toothpick inserted in the centre comes out clean.
Cool cake, unmould into a plate, cut into wedges and serve.
Prawn Filling