Banana and Walnut Loaf

All of us have had to deal with overripe bananas with blackened peels at some point in our life or the other. Caught in the dilemma of throwing away the fruit or converting it into something edible, we have spent hours going through recipes and thinking hard what to do with these black beauties. I have been faced with this particular dilemma many times ever since I started cooking. From blending overripe bananas to make a milk shake or making a flour-milk-banana batter for pancakes, I have tried it all. So when yesterday I was faced with this dilemma, I decided I would make a Banana cake loaf with the four overripe bananas that were lying almost dead in my refrigerator. I added a handful of chopped walnuts to the batter and the result won many hearts!

This Banana Walnut Loaf is the perfect accompaniment to your evening cup of tea. And the best way to get your fussy kids to eat fruit. Needless to say, it is also the yummiest way to use up overripe bananas! And making this moist and super yum loaf is nothing more than a child’s play. Read on, and by the time you finish reading this post, you will have this strong urge to rush into the kitchen to bake this loaf. Here’s how you can make it:

INGREDIENTS:

4 overripe bananas (mashed)
2 cups refined flour
1/2 cup yogurt mixed with 1/4 cup warm water
1/2 cup powdered sugar
100 grams butter (I used the yellow salted butter)
1/2 cup walnuts (chopped)
1 teaspoon baking powder
1 teaspoon baking soda
3-4 tablespoons hot milk

RECIPE:

Preheat oven at 200 degrees Celsius for 10 minutes.

In a bowl, beat together sugar powder and butter till light and creamy.

Add yogurt and beat on high for another 2-3 minutes. (You can replace yogurt with eggs, adding 2 large eggs for this recipe)

Add the mashed bananas and beat for another minute.

Coat the chopped walnuts with a teaspoon of flour and set aside.

In another bowl, sift together flour, baking powder and baking soda.

Add flour gradually to the butter-sugar-yogurt mix, folding it in gently.

When all the flour has incorporated, add hot milk and walnuts and stir it in with a spatula. Do not beat the batter.

Grease a silicon loaf tray with butter.

Pour in the batter till the tray is 3/4th full.

Tap the tray on a platform a few times to remove the air bubbles.

Bake at 200 degrees for 40 minutes or till a toothpick inserted in the centre of the cake comes out clean. Also, your cake should have got a nice brown top.

After turning off the oven, let the loaf remain in the oven for 5 minutes.

Remove from oven and turn it on to a wire rack.

Allow it to cool well before you remove it from the loaf tray.

Cool completely before cutting into slices. Microwave for 30 seconds and serve warm.

Eat, drink and be merry! 🙂

Lahori Keema Naan (Pakistan Special)

Hello World! Hope you all are doing good. Many of my readers have been complaining that I haven’t been very regular in this space of mine. Well, I agree I have been rather lazy. My social life has kept me so busy that I have hardly had any time for any virtual updates. At the end of the day, I am so spent that I hardly feel like even switching on my laptop. Recipe demands have been piling up in my inbox and I promise I will try to address each one of them. Honest promise!

The first one is this vegetarian version of the famous Lahori Keema Naan. I made this one just like that one evening, simply as an excuse to eat something other than the routine fare. While making this, I especially kept in mind the taste of my Keema lover husband, without having to compromise on my vegetarianism. I made a stuffing that tasted like spiced and minced meat and decided to test it on him. He couldn’t believe his wife who swore she would never touch meat had made a meat dish just for him! 😉 Experiment successful! Hehe 😛 I served Keema Naan with Pindi Chana, a specialty chickpea dish from Rawalpindi, Pakistan, and Boondi Raita. He later commented on my Facebook timeline that this was the best Keema Naan he had ever had! Now isn’t that some compliment?! 😀 Well, if you want to know the secret of my vegetarian Keema, read on:

INGREDIENTS:

For the Naan Dough:

2 cups all purpose flour
1/2 cup yogurt
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
2 tablespoons refined oil
1/2 teaspoon sugar
1 teaspoon salt
1/2 cup warm water

For sprinkling:

1 tablespoon Nigella seeds
1 tablespoon coriander leaves (chopped)
Butter

For the Keema Stuffing:

1/2 cup soya granules (soaked in hot water for 30 minutes and strained)
1 teaspoon vegetable oil
1 teaspoon butter
1/4 teaspoon cumin seeds
1 black cardamom
A pinch asafoetida
1 clove garlic (minced)
1/4 inch piece ginger (grated)
1 small onion (chopped)
1 green chilli (finely chopped)
1 tablespoon coriander leaves (chopped)
1/4 teaspoon garam masala powder
Salt (to taste)

RECIPE:

Mix all the ingredients for the dough and knead well to form a soft, elastic dough. Cover with a damp cloth and set aside for 30 mins.

To prepare the stuffing, heat oil in a pan. When the oil is hot, add butter and allow it to melt.

Add cumin seeds and black cardamom and allow it to splutter.

Add asafoetida, minced garlic, grated ginger and green chilli. Stir fry for a minute.

Add onion and fry till it turns pink.

Now add the soya granules, salt and garam masala. Mix well.

Cook covered for 2 minutes.

Add coriander leaves and mix well.

Divide the dough into equal sized balls.

Flatten each ball and put a spoonful of the Keema stuffing in the centre.

Gather and seal the edges and shape into a ball again.

Roll out each ball with a rolling pin, using some flour for dusting. You can shape it into a circle, an oblong or a triangle.

Sprinkle some nigella seeds and coriander leaves on each rolled out Naan. Press down with your fingers.

Heat a griddle and cook the Naan covered, flipping over sides, till both sides are evenly cooked.

Brush some butter and serve hot with any Curry, Chutney or Pickle of your choice.

Eat, drink and be merry! 🙂

Pav Bhaji Pizza (Vegit Review)

Recently, in the course of my busy life, I was introduced to some ready to cook snacks that come under the brand name of Vegit. These Snack Mixes are available in India and are a boon for people looking to cook some mouth watering snacks in a jiffy. I received some packets of the snack mixes for review and I must say I simply loved the versatility of these products. Vegit Pav Bhaji is a recent addition to their kitty and apart from Pav Bhaji, one can make a number of recipes using the mix. I tried Pav Bhaji Pizza and the result was something that I totally loved. For those who cannot lay their hands on this timesaver Vegit Mix, wait till I post the recipe of Pav Bhaji made from scratch 🙂

INGREDIENTS:

1 pack Vegit Pav Bhaji Mix
6 pieces ready Pizza Base
1 small onion (sliced)
1 small tomato (sliced)
2 mushrooms sliced (optional)
3 tbsp grated mozzarella cheese

RECIPE

Follow package instructions and prepare Bhaji from the Vegit Pav Bhaji Mix.

Spread 5 tablespoons of the prepared Bhaji on a ready pizza base.

Top the pizza with onion, tomato and mushroom slices.

Preheat oven at 200 degrees Celsius and bake for 10 mins.

Take out the Pizza from oven and sprinkle grated cheese. Bake for another 5 mins till cheese melts.

Serve hot.

Eat, drink and be merry! 🙂