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kunju vettu cake

​Kerala Style Vettu Cake (Easy Fried Tea Cake / Sweet Buns)

​A classic, traditional Kerala tea-time snack made with simple ingredients like all-purpose flour, egg, sugar, and a hint of cardamom. These crispy on-the-outside and soft-on-the-inside fried cakes are incredibly easy to make and pair wonderfully with a hot cup of tea.
Prep Time 15 minutes
Cook Time 15 minutes
Total Time 30 minutes
Servings: 4
Course: Snack / Tea-Time Treat
Cuisine: Kerala / South Indian

Ingredients
  

  • All-Purpose Flour Maida: 1 cup
  • ​Powdered Sugar: ½ cup
  • ​Egg Large: 1 no
  • ​Cardamom Powder: ¼ teaspoon
  • ​Baking Powder: ¼ teaspoon
  • ​Turmeric Powder: ¼ teaspoon for a nice natural color
  • ​Salt: A pinch
  • ​Sunflower Oil: 2 tablespoons for mixing into the dough + oil for deep frying

Equipment

  • ​Deep frying pan / Kadai
  • Mixing Bowl
  • ​Rolling pin or hand pressing board
  • ​Knife or cutter (to slice the cake pieces)
  • ​Slotted spoon

Method
 

  1. ​Mix Dry Ingredients: In a clean mixing bowl, combine 1 cup of all-purpose flour, ¼ teaspoon of cardamom powder, ¼ teaspoon of baking powder, ¼ teaspoon of turmeric powder, and a pinch of salt. Mix well.
  2. ​Add Oil for Texture: Pour 2 tablespoons of oil into the flour mixture and rub it thoroughly with your hands (similar to prepping puttu flour). This gives the vettu cake a nice crumbly and flaky texture.
  3. ​Beat Egg and Sugar: In a separate bowl, combine the powdered sugar and the egg. Whisk or beat them together thoroughly using a fork or whisk until well combined.
  4. ​Form the Dough: Gradually add the dry flour mixture into the egg-sugar blend. Knead gently into a smooth dough without adding any water or milk. (If the dough feels too sticky, you can dust a little extra flour).
  5. ​Rest the Dough: Pour 1 tablespoon of oil over the dough, knead it lightly again, cover it, and let it rest for 5 minutes.
  6. ​Shape and Cut: After 5 minutes, divide the dough into small portions. Flatten each portion slightly on a board (thicker than a chapati) using your hands. Trim the edges and cut them into small diamond or square shapes (traditional vettu cake shapes).
  7. ​Fry to Perfection: Heat enough oil in a pan. Fry the cake pieces on low-to-medium heat to ensure they cook evenly and turn to a golden brown color without burning on the outside.
  8. ​Drain & Store: Remove using a slotted spoon and drain excess oil. Once cooled completely, store them in an airtight container to keep them fresh for days!

Video

Notes

​Cooking Flame: Always fry on low-to-medium flame. If the oil is too hot, the outside will brown instantly while the inside remains uncooked.
​Storage: These stay crisp and delicious for many days when stored properly in an airtight container.