Kumas (Parsi Semolina Cake)

Kumas (Parsi Semolina Cake)

A celebrated classic in Parsi cuisine, Kumas is a rich, fermented cake made from semolina and wheat flour, traditionally leavened with toddy to create a distinctively tangy and sweet flavor profile. This dense yet tender cake is heavily spiced with aromatic cardamom and caraway seeds, enriched with ghee, and studded with almonds and currants for a delightful crunch. Ideally served with tea, it offers a unique taste of history with its golden crust and moist, fragrant crumb.

Ingredients

  • 1 cup Sugar (powdered or granulated) (Originally '0.5 seer'. Converted to approx 1 cup.)
  • 1 cup Fine Semolina (Rava) (Originally '15 tolas'. Converted to approx 1 cup (175g).)
  • 1 cup Almonds (Originally '0.25 seer'. Converted to approx 1 cup whole almonds.)
  • 1/2 cup All-purpose flour (Maida) (Originally '5 tolas'. Converted to approx 1/2 cup (60g).)
  • 4 tablespoons Ghee (Originally '1 navtank'. Converted to approx 4 tablespoons (60g).)
  • 1/2 cup Dried Currants (Black) (Originally '1 navtank'. Converted to approx 1/2 cup (60g).)
  • 1 tablespoon Cardamom seeds (Originally '1 tola'. Quantity adjusted for modern taste, though original calls for a large amount.)
  • 1 teaspoon Caraway seeds (Shahjeera) (Originally '0.25 tola'. Converted to approx 1 teaspoon.)
  • 4 large Eggs
  • 3/4 cup Toddy (Palm Wine) (Originally '0.25 bottle'. Used for fermentation. If unavailable, substitute with active dry yeast dissolved in warm water or mild beer.)
  • 6 teaspoons Rose water (Originally '6 small spoons'.)
  • 1 tablespoon Ghee (for greasing) (Quantity estimated for greasing the pan.)

Instructions

  1. 1Crush the cardamom seeds into a powder. Coarsely crush the caraway seeds. Clean the currants, wash them, wipe them dry, and dust them lightly with a pinch of flour. Blanch the almonds, peel them, wash, and dry them. Slice 12 almonds into very fine slices and set aside; crush the remaining almonds.
  2. 2In a large bowl (originally a tinned vessel), combine the yolks and whites of 4 eggs. Using your hand, mix in the ghee. Add the flour, semolina, and sugar, kneading well to combine. Reserve the sliced almonds and one-third of the currants for topping. Add the remaining two-thirds of the currants, the crushed almonds, caraway seeds, cardamom powder, and rose water to the dough mixture.
  3. 3Transfer the mixture to a deep vessel. Pour in the toddy and mix thoroughly to ensure everything is well incorporated. Cover the vessel and place it in a warm spot (away from direct fire) for 4 hours to allow the mixture to ferment and rise.
  4. 4Preheat oven to 350°F (175°C). Take a baking pan (originally a copper langdi) and grease it thickly with ghee. Pour the fermented mixture into the pan; it should fill about three-quarters of the vessel. Beat the remaining egg white (from an extra egg if needed, or reserved from earlier) until it forms stiff peaks and spread it over the top of the mixture. Sprinkle the reserved currants and sliced almonds on top.
  5. 5Bake in the preheated oven for 45-50 minutes, or until the cake is a rich golden brown (reddish-brown) and a tester inserted into the center comes out clean. The texture should be similar to a dense cake.
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