Kavum (Sri Lankan Oil Cakes)
Local name: කැවුම්
In short: Rice flour, treacle and coconut milk batter dropped into hot oil and basted until it puffs into dark, crisp-edged cakes with a soft chewy center. It takes about 1 h in total and makes 8 servings.
- Prep
- 25 min
- Cook
- 35 min
- Resting
- 20 min
- Total
- 1 h
- Servings
- 8
- Difficulty
- Challenging
- Calories
- 290 kcal
Kavum are small, round oil cakes that sit on the table at Sinhala and Tamil New Year in April. The batter is rice flour mixed with dark jaggery or treacle and coconut milk, dropped into hot oil and basted with the oil until it puffs up and forms a crown on top. The outside turns dark and crisp, and the inside stays soft and slightly chewy. They are sweet, nutty in flavor and keep for a few days.
Instructions
- Simmer the jaggery and water in a small pan for 3 minutes until the jaggery dissolves and the liquid turns slightly syrupy. Strain and cool until just lukewarm.
- Mix the rice flour, salt and cardamom in a bowl. Stir in the syrup and coconut milk to make a thick, smooth, sticky batter that falls from the spoon in a slow ribbon. Rest for 20 minutes.
- Heat 4 cm (1 1/2 in) of oil in a wide, deep pan about 18 cm (7 in) across to 170°C (340°F). A small drop of batter should sink, then rise slowly with gentle bubbles.
- Drop 1 heaped tablespoon of batter into the oil from the edge of the spoon. It will sink, then rise and start to puff.
- Spoon hot oil gently over the top of the cake for about 1 minute so it puffs into a dome with a crown in the middle.
- Turn the cake once and fry until deep golden-brown, 2 to 3 minutes in total. Lift out and drain on paper towels.
- Fry the rest in batches of 3 or 4, then cool the cakes before serving.
Tips
- If the batter spreads out in the oil, stir in 1 tablespoon more flour. If it is too stiff to drop, add 1 tablespoon of coconut milk.
- Oil that is too cool makes greasy, flat kavum, and oil that is too hot browns the outside before the center cooks. Test with one cake first.
Questions and answers
Why are my kavum flat?
The batter is likely too thin or the oil too cool. Rest the batter so it thickens, keep the oil near 170°C (340°F) and baste the top with hot oil to make it rise.
How long do kavum keep?
Stored in an airtight tin at room temperature they keep 3 days. They are best the day they are made.
What can I use instead of jaggery?
Dark kithul or palm jaggery is the best choice. Dark muscovado sugar also works, dissolved in the water in the same way.
How long does it take to make Kavum (Sri Lankan Oil Cakes)?
About 1 h in total: 25 min of preparation and 35 min of cooking.
How many calories are in Kavum (Sri Lankan Oil Cakes)?
About 290 kcal per serving, with 3 g of protein, 44 g of carbohydrates and 12 g of fat. These values are estimates.
Nutrition per serving
| Calories | 290 kcal |
|---|---|
| Protein | 3 g |
| Carbohydrates | 44 g |
| Fat | 12 g |
| Fiber | 1 g |
| Sugar | 20 g |
| Sodium | 130 mg |
Estimated values, calculated from the ingredients.
