Vegetarian, Gluten free, egg-less, vegan, heirloom recipe, cucumber cake now in a microwavable cupcake form!!
Do you like portion controlled desserts? I love desserts but go overboard with them….meaning I cannot stop eating until the whole thing is gone:)
So I thought I will try the Kaakdiche Dhondas in cupcake size portions and try to come up with a microwavable recipe so I can have warm, luscious Dhondas in 3 to 4 minutes! My husband likes it too…so needed 4 minutes to make 2 cupcakes……I could make one in 3 minutes….I know….gave up a whole extra minute waiting for my favorite dessert….the sacrifices I make!:) By the way, another good thing is that I kept the leftover mixture in the refrigerator and baked a second batch of 2 cupcakes the next day.
Kaakdi is cucumber in Marathi and the Dhondas is made from thick, fat cucumbers. I used an English cucumber. There is something so magical about the flavors that come together in this heirloom recipe-coconut, jaggery, cashews and cardamom/nutmeg flavor combined with that of the cucumber- that it leaves me wanting for more.
I used my mother’s heirloom recipe which is also in her excellent book, Ruchi by Vaijayanti Rege, in Marathi.
Traditionally cooked chana dal is also added and the dhondas is baked in a pan lined with a fresh turmeric leaf for flavor. I am not crazy about both of those, so skipped them.
I had made Pumpkin Dhondas in the fall and was happy to get feedback from some readers that it was a big hit at their Thanksgiving table. So do try this for this cucumber recipe for the spring/ summer months. The refreshing flavor of the cucumber is amazing in this recipe!
Kaakdiche Dhondas- Cupcake Style
Ingredients-
- 1 cup peeled and grated English cucumber, with the juice
- ½ cup fresh or defrosted scraped coconut
- ½ cup jaggery, grated or finely cut
- ½ cup idli rawa (cream of parboiled rice)
- Pinch of salt
- 3 green cardamoms, peeled and seeds pounded
- A tiny pinch of the freshly grated nutmeg
- Cashew nuts, as per taste
- Ghee (optional)
To make the Kaakdiche Dhondas-
- Simply combine all the ingredients and set them aside to soak the flavors together for 2 hours or a minimum of 30 minutes.
- Divide batter in 4 portions. Pour in microwave safe cupcake liners.
- Bake 2 at a time, in a microwave at 50% power, checking after each minute.
- Check with a knife inserted in the center. It should come out clean.
- Repeat with the other 2 cupcakes.
- Kaakdiche Dhondas may be enjoyed with ghee (optional)
Note-
- The baking timing is based on 2 cupcakes baked at a time, in my 1000W (110v) microwave drawer, used at 50% power.
- Individual microwaves and timings will vary. So check after each minute.
Enjoy! Have a great weekend, everyone!
Love,
Sandhya
What an interesting idea. I would never have thought to use cucumbers this way! 🙂
Thank you so much Ronit! The cucumbers give this cake such a light summery feel.
This looks wonderful. Fast, easy (looks delicious,) nutritious and satisfies the dessert craving. This is a great option for people.
Thank you so much. Yes it is a great vegetarian, vegan and gluten free dessert and it tastes awesome!
What a lovely idea using cucumber… Something different… I saw the baking option in comments.. Thank you for the follow 😊
Thank u For sharing the recipe vl surely try it..but could u please tell the other medium of cooking dhondas other than microwaave..also share the cooking procedure for the same..
Shalmali, you can bake it at 350 degree in a regular oven.
This is awesome
Can I make this in the oven? What sort of temperature should it baked at? Thanks a lot
Deepika, you can certainly bake it in an oven at 350 degrees F
They are so pretty and I bet they taste so good!!!
Thank you Marisa! These do taste awesome, if I may say so myself:)
I am sure😊
Every time I see your simple yet tantalizing dishes you present, I always try to come up with a name for you, but alas I haven’t come up with it yet. 🙂 You are definitely the Queen of Microwave shortcuts. You produce some amazing results with the microwave, I’m afraid I only use mine to re-heat leftovers :). This looks just wonderful Sandhya. Cream of parboiled rice? Is that like Cream of Wheat? I guess not eh? The jaggery and coconut must give these wee cupcakes an amazing flavor with the cucumber. Cucumber??? Wow! So innovative! Loved that idea! Enjoy your weekend 🙂
Thank you Loretta! I am laughing as I am reading your comment.
Cream of parboiled rice is available in all Indian stores as idli rawa. The coconut jaggery flavor combo is an absolute favorite of mine.The cucumber gives this cake a light summery feel.
Love sweets with coconut and jaggery!! This looks fabulous, Sandhya!
Me too Freda! I love the combination of coconut and jaggery.
Vegetarians would love this!!!
Yes for sure!
You are totally inspiring me – this looks amazing!
Thanks so much Balvinder!
It is remarkable how you remember such forgotten recipes! Will try this…
Do let me know how you like it.
Congrats on having such a great mom! 🙂
Thank you so much! Yes I was truly blessed to have her as my mother.
Delicious Sandhya! I love how easy you made this recipe 😀
Thank you Antonia!
Awesome
Thanks Ruchi!
Wow, nice way to replace tawas with cucumber 🙂
Thank you Rupali. The thick,big English cucumber was ‘joon’ enough and had a very nice flavor and aroma. So it worked very well
I love dhondas my mom made this all the time . Can I use pressure cooker or oven to bake it ?
Thanks
Thanks Shivani! Yes traditionally it is baked so you sure can.
For how long in the oven any time frame ?
Thanks Sandhya
I would bake at 350 degree Fahrenheit for 20 to 25 minutes in a glass pie dish. I like the golden crust it forms on the bottom, so I look for that.
Hope it helps.
Wow, something innovative dear.. Love to grab one.. I’s really tempting.. 🙂
Thanks so much Seena.
Looks really nice!!
Thanks Anu!
These look tasty! 🙂
Thanks so much! Yes they are very tasty 🙂
The idea of making Dhondas as Cupcakes – Only you can come up with this Sandhya! Loved it totally, small portions and easy to gift too. Wishing you a Happy Guru Purnima.
Can this recipe be used for Watermelon Rind Dhondas as well?
Very interesting and such and easy recipe.. this is new to me.. will try it for sure.. looks delicious