Burmese · dessert

Sanwin Makin (Semolina and Coconut Cake)

Sanwin Makin (Semolina and Coconut Cake) reads richness 6.9, sweetness 6.4 and nutty 4.6 on Palate's 0–10 flavor X-ray — a Burmese dessert, about 2 hr 16 min. Measured from the recipe itself: ingredients and technique.

The flavor X-ray — six axes, 0–10

The measured notes (of 18)

Richness 6.9 · Sweetness 6.4 · Nutty 4.6 · Fruity 4.0 · Salinity 3.5 · Umami 2.0 · Floral 1.7 · Earthy 1.3 · Bitterness 0.9 · Sourness 0.5 · Herbaceous 0.5

What's in it (10)

Time & effort: about 2 hr 16 min (1 hr 11 min active) · effort: involved

Nutrition (per 100 g, engine-estimated): 258 kcal, 5.8 g protein, 14.7 g fat, 27.5 g carbs

Dietary: Vegetarian · Contains dairy · Contains egg — engine-derived; double-check anything allergy-critical.

How it's cooked (6 steps)

  1. Toast the semolina in a dry heavy pan over medium heat for 8 to 10 minutes, stirring constantly, until it is the colour of pale sand and smells like warm biscuits. This step is what stops the finished cake tasting pasty.
  2. Warm the coconut milk, water and palm sugar together over low heat for 5 minutes, stirring until the sugar has fully dissolved.
  3. Pour the warm liquid into the toasted semolina in a slow stream, whisking hard the whole time to keep it lump free. Cook over medium-low heat for 15 to 18 minutes, stirring almost continuously with a wooden spoon, until it thickens into a heavy paste that pulls away from the side of the pan in one mass.
  4. Beat in the ghee a spoonful at a time, then the salt, then the raisins. Take the pan off the heat and let it cool for 5 minutes, or the eggs will scramble, then beat in the eggs quickly and thoroughly.
  5. Heat the oven to 180 C. Grease a 20 cm square tin with the extra ghee, scrape in the batter and level the top. Scatter over the poppy seeds and sesame seeds.
  6. Bake 35 to 40 minutes, until the top is deep gold and set and a skewer comes out with only a slight stickiness. For the traditional finish, run the tin under a hot grill for 2 minutes at the end so the surface blisters and darkens in patches. Cool completely in the tin for at least 1 hour before cutting into diamonds; sanwin makin firms as it cools and is eaten at room temperature with tea.

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Every number above is Palate's engine-measured estimate, computed from this recipe's ingredients and techniques — not human-tasted ratings or reviews.