Basbousa/Harissa - Semolina And Coconut Eggless Cake

Basbousa or Harissa is an Arabic word for a sweet cake which is made up with the mix of both roasted semolina and coconut, later soaked in rose flavor sugar syrup or orange flavor sugar syrup..It has a very little hint of flour or can also be said as no flour cake. Few months back i saw a popular chef cooked this cake....Yes cook is a right word,, as he made this without oven or microwave. He simply made on gas stove and allowed it to cool and sliced than after, so here my version is baking..Yesssss. and its a Baked Basbousa/Harissa (A semolina and a coconut cake).

Ingredients:
1 1/3 cup Semolina (Sooji) or Rawa dry roasted until light brown
1 1/2 cup dried coconut
2 tbsp corn starch
5 tbsp Maida
1/2 cup water
1/2 cup ( & 3 tbsp more) milk at room temperature
3 tbsp golden Raisins
10-15 cashew nuts (cut into small pieces)
1/2 cup melted butter
1 tsp Vanilla essence
1 1/2 tsp Baking Powder
1 tsp Salt

Garnish Toppings:
6-7 golden raisins
6 almond sliced in between (total of 12 slices) or (can use almond flakes)
4 cashew nuts (cut in to small pieces)

For Syrup:
1/2 cup water
1 cup sugar
3 tsp rose water


Recipe:

• Pre Heat Oven at 180 degree Celsius.
• Dry Roast Semolina (Sooji or Rawa) in a non stick pan until light brown in color, let it cool and keep it aside.
• In a large bowl mix all dry ingredients- Cooled and roasted semolina, dried coconut, corn starch, maida, golden raisins, cashew nuts cut in to small pieces, baking powder and salt.
• In a small bowl mix all wet ingredients-melted butter, water, milk and vanilla essence.
• Fold all mixture of wet ingredients into all dry mixture and mix all well.
• Pour the mixture into greased cake tin. 
• Spread all over evenly.

• Garnish the cake top with golden raisins, almond slices or flakes and cashew nuts cut in to pieces.
• Bake the same in preheated oven for 35-40 minutes, or until toothpick inserted in it comes out clean.
• In a mean time make syrup to pour over on cake as soon as it comes out fresh and still hot from oven.
• In a small fry pan pour water, add sugar and rose water. Cook the mixture on a medium low flame until sugar dissolves. 
• Once sugar dissolves in it completely turn the flame to low and cook furthur for 2 minutes.
• Here the syrup does not need to be too much thick. It should only be very little thick but still runny.
• And yes its done and turn of the flame.
• Now as the cake is done and still warm, pour the syrup on top of the cake. Let it cool completely and all syrup get absorbed in cake.
• Cut into slices and serve with a hot cup of Tea or coffee. It goes really well with coffee (as served traditionally), as am not much fond of coffee, so i prefer having it with a cup of tea.

I really look forward for your lovely response...
Thank you :)