I do use the term ‘AF’ a lot in my posts, ain’t it?! Well, it is my abbreviation for ‘Allergy Friendly’ or Arjun (my son’s name) Friendly. It also happens to be the initials for Allergy Foodie – the name of this blog. So, I figured that if EVOO could stand for Extra Virgin Olive Oil for Rachel Ray, AF could work for Anu Rao 😉
Now that we are on the same ‘AF’ page, I will move on to the cucumber spice cake…it has a slighltly dense texture much like a zucchini bread but even better because the high-protein flour-blend makes this an extremely nutritious cake – just right for the holiday season and the cold winter months. Furthermore, the mild spicy taste and grated cucumber gives it a fresh feel and unique twist!
Here is to a soul nourshing slice of Cucumber Spice Cake:
- Prep time: 30 minutes
- Cook time: 35 minutes
- Servings: 16
Ingredients:
- 2 cup(s) of Raw Rice
- 1/4 cup(s) of Hulled Matpe Bean
- 1/4 cup(s) of Split Mung Bean
- 1 cup(s) of Hulled Pigeon Peas
- 1/4 cup(s) of Black Eye Peas
- 3 cup(s) of Grated Seedless Cucumber
- 8 tbsp. + 1 tsp. of any oil
- 1 tsp. of Lemon Juice
- 1 tsp. of Bicarbonate of soda
- 2 tbsp. of Sugar
- 1 tsp. of Paprika Powder
- 1/4 tsp. of Turmeric Powder
- 1 tsp. of Black Mustard Seeds
- 1 tsp. of Salt
Steps:
- Wash and soak the rice, pigeon peas, Mung Bean, Matpe bean and Black Eyed Peas for 4 hours. Soak it in enough water so that even after the mixture absorbs water and swells up, it still remains almost submerged in water.
- Drain out the excess water and grind it to a fine paste in a food processor adding a little water at a time if needed.
- Pour it out into a container leaving atleast 2 inches of empty space on top. Keep the container overnight in a warm dry place and let it ferment. The fermented dough will rise and become light and fluffly.
- Add the grated cucumber to the batter along with 4 tbsp of oil, lemon juice, sugar, paprika powder, turmeric powder, baking soda and salt. Mix the batter thoroughly.
- Grease the bottom and edges of a 9″ by 13 ” baking pan with 1 tsp of oil. Pour the batter into this pan.
- In a small saucepan, heat the remaining 4 tbsps of oil on low to medium flame. Add the mustard seeds. When the mustard seeds start making the spluttering sound remove from fire and pour it evenly over the batter. Use a spoon to spread the seasoning to ensure that the top of the batter is evenly coated.
- Bake in a 400 degree preheated oven for approximately 30 to 35 minutes. Depending on the oven, baking times will vary a little but essentially the crust should become a beautiful golden brown and a tooth pick inserted in the center should come out clean.
- Let it cool down before cutting it. Serve it with tomato ketchup or coriander chutney!
Options:
- Season it with cumin seeds instead of mustard seeds. Wait for the cumin seeds to brown before pouring the seasoning on the batter.
- Use grated zucchini or bottle gourd instead of cucumber.
Allergy Foodie 
I have never heard of cucumber bread? At first, I thought it was going to be a sweet bread…I thought those were chia seeds on top! lol The use of all those beans, some of which I have never heard, would make it a lovely hearty bread!