Ingredients
Semolina
- 300 gcoarse semolina
Liquid
- 800 mlthick coconut milk
- 300 mlwater
- 250 gcaster sugar
- 1/2 tspsalt
To enrich
- 3eggs, beaten
- 80 gbutter or ghee, melted
To top
- 3 tbspwhite poppy seeds
- 2 tbspsesame seeds
- 2 tbspmelted butter
Sometimes added
- 1 tspground cardamom
- 100 ggrated coconut
Equipment
- a wide heavy pan
- a baking tin about 20 by 30 cm, greased
Directions
- Heat a wide dry pan over a medium heat with no fat. Add the semolina in a single layer. Stir it constantly with a wooden spoon. Toast it for about eight minutes. It will turn from pale cream to a light golden brown.
- Tip it out onto a cold plate to stop it cooking. Put the coconut milk, water, sugar and salt in a wide heavy pan. Heat it gently until the sugar dissolves. Adding the semolina needs constant stirring.
- Whisk hard as you add it so no lumps form. Adding it all at once gives lumps you will never remove. Keep whisking for the first two minutes. Cooking it down takes twenty minutes.
- Cook it for about twenty minutes, stirring often. It should be thick enough to hold a spoon upright. Taste it to check there is no raw graininess left. Take the pan off the heat entirely. Let it cool for at least ten minutes. It should be warm rather than hot.
- Beat the eggs in a separate bowl. Add them to the warm semolina a little at a time. Beat hard after each addition. Beat in the melted butter as well. Add the cardamom now if you are using it. The mixture should be thick, glossy and smooth. Grease the baking tin thoroughly.
- Press it into the corners with an oiled spatula. It should be about three centimetres deep. Brush the surface with melted butter. Scatter the poppy seeds evenly over the top. Add the sesame seeds over it as well. Press them down very lightly so they hold. Baking it is done at a moderate heat. Heat the oven to 180C in good time.
- Bake it for thirty-five to forty minutes. The top should be golden and the seeds toasted. Let it cool completely in the tin. Cutting it warm gives a collapsed, sticky slice. Cut it into small squares or diamonds. Serve it with a hot cup of tea. It keeps for four days in an airtight tin.
Technique
- Toast the semolina to golden brown, since undertoasted semolina tastes raw and burnt tastes bitter.
- Let the cooked mixture cool before adding the eggs, or they scramble.
- Cool it completely before cutting, as it firms up considerably.
Substitutions
- Ghee in place of butter, which is traditional.
- Tinned full-fat coconut milk, which is what most cooks use.
Variations
- With grated coconut folded through the mixture.
- Made with more egg, for a custardier cake.
- With cardamom through it.
History
Baked semolina cake with coconut milk and poppy seed, served at donation ceremonies and monastery offerings.
Frequently asked questions
What is Sanwin Makin?
Sanwin Makin is a dessert from Myanmar: baked semolina cake with coconut milk and poppy seeds. Baked semolina cake with coconut milk and poppy seed, served at donation ceremonies and monastery offerings.
How long does Sanwin Makin take to make?
Sanwin Makin takes 20 min of preparation and 1 hour of cooking. The recipe makes 1 tray, serving 12. It is rated medium to make.
What can I substitute in Sanwin Makin?
Yes, within limits. Ghee in place of butter, which is traditional. Tinned full-fat coconut milk, which is what most cooks use.
What is the most important thing to get right in Sanwin Makin?
Whisk hard as you add it so no lumps form. Adding it all at once gives lumps you will never remove. Keep whisking for the first two minutes. Cooking it down takes twenty minutes.
