Cakes – Malabar had them always; kaya pola is the grandest of all

In all matters of food, the Malabaris have the Midas touch. Genie-like, the dishes just appear… mutta mala, mutta surka, unnakaya and what not! Malabar is a potpourri of flavours, of cuisines from Arabia, Europe and Africa integrating with the native, the Thalassery biryani being the finest example.

Just as Kerala’s first circus company had its genesis in Malabar, the first bakery and its ensuing business was also born in Malabar, Thalassery, to be precise.

Much before the British taught Malabaris the intricacies and precision of good baking, folks had their native expertise to experiment with. They had their baking dishes and ingredients with which to bake the best pastries and cakes. Way before modern facilities swept in, the Malabaris had native versions of today’s bakery specials, including cakes as polas.

Mutta pola, thari pola, carrot pola and irachi pola are a few among the long list of country-baked polas, which are cakes in fact. Why, give them a few eggs and a live chicken. You can have a sizzling chicken pola in a jiffy.

The kaya pola or banana cake is said to be the monarch of polas. A banana, an egg and a few spoons of sugar is enough to bake it. Visually grand and high on taste, the Malabaris coyly say the kaya pola is as handsome as a “puyappila” (bridegroom). The dish is a deadly mix of banana and eggs.

Here’s how to make kaya pola:

Chop three to four ripe bananas into thin pieces

Pour ghee into a hot tawa and fry cashew nuts and raisins. Set them aside

Fry the nicely chopped bananas

Beat five eggs with a little sugar till they turn fluffy

Add cardamom powder to the egg mix

Mix in the fried bananas, nuts and raisins

Smear ghee on to the sides and bottom of a flat pan and pour the mix in

Keep on a low flame for about 10 -12 minutes

Allow it to cool

Transfer on to a flat dish, cut and serve