Vegan apple banana bread

I had some apples & ripe bananas.I wanted to bake cake or bread using the ripe bananas & the apples.And I wanted to try a vegan version.I searched & got this vegan apple banana chunk bread recipe .

I added flax seed meal to the recipe & made my own version of this bread.I added flax seed meal as it gives a nutty flavour & the nutty flavour goes well with the bread.

Ingredients : I cup multigrain atta ( I used Aashirvaad ),2 apples ( peeled & desseeded,1 ripe banana ( peeled & pureed in mixer or blender ) ,1 tbsp flax seed powder soaked in 3 tbsp water for 15 minutes & more ,1/3 cup brown mineral  sugar + 1 tbsp brown mineral sugar, 1 tsp baking soda,1/4 tsp cinnamon,a pinch of salt.

Method : Take one peeled & desseded apple & pressure in cooker for 1 whistle.Let it cool.Then blend that apple into puree.This is the applesauce.Mix this applesauce with pureed banana.Add flax seed meal soaked in water to this fruit puree mix.Mix nicely to blend the fruit puree with flax seed water mix.Keep aside.

Take another peeled & deseeded apple.Cut into small chunks.Keep aside.

Mix all dry ingredients that is mutligrain atta,sugar,baking soda,salt ,cinnamon powder nicely with a whisk or fork.Mix many times over so that all dry ingredients blend into each other.

Add the apple chunks into the dry mix.Now fold the apple chunks such athat each apple chunk is coated with the dry mix.

Slowly add the apple banana puree into the dry apple chunk mixture.Mix so, that no lumps remain.This is the bread mix.

Line a microwaveable vessel with butter paper.Pour bread mix or  batter .Bake in microwave for 8-9 minutes.Switch off microwave.Let it cool for 5 minutes.Remove & check with knife if cake is done.If knife comes out clean ,cake is done.Otherwise microwave for 1 more minute.Check again.Let it cool for 15 minutes.Put the bread vessel upside down on a plate.The bread  will drop down on plate.Else ,it can be gently removed from sides of vessel so that it drops down on plate.Cut into desired shapes & serve.

Banana poha

What to do with over ripe bananas ? Well ,so many options...make Sri Satyanarayan type halwa with rava,bananas,sugar etal,make banana cake or banana bread .All these options need some time.Another option when one is really hungry & bananas need to be consumed just then  is to make banana poha. Moreover ,Vaishnavite tradition is to eat poha in many forms.After all,Krishna devoured poha  brought in as gift, by his dear chum Sudama. Krishna had to stopped from eating more poha by Rukmini, lest all the wealth got transferred to Sudama.

I can survive  on savoury poha almsot daily.Even during  Ekadashi,we consume savoury poha.

Ingredients : 1/3 cup thick poha,2 over ripe small bananas,1 tbsp brown sugar,ghee for garnish ( optional ),1/3  cup warm milk.

Method : Wash poha two to three times.Drain water & keep aside.Mash bananas,add milk & sugar & mix nicely .Add washed poha to this &  mix nicely.This can be topped by a tsp of ghee if desired.More milk can be added if one wants it to have  more liquid consistency.

This must be consumed immediately as keeping it makes it dry & more milk will be needed.

This is enough for 1 person.

Thin poha can be used...only it need not be washed as washing will make it into a paste.Take thin poha & add mashed bananas,milk & sugar to it & mix nicely.Consume it as soon as it is ready otherwise...it will get pasty & tasteless.

Banana jaggery bread

I had tried making banana bread with jaggery & it had turned out well.So ,I googled for the recipe & came across one @http://panchamrutham.blogspot.in/2011/02/eggless-banana-bread-with-jaggery.html

I made some changes & here is my recipe.

Ingredients: 1 cup multi grain atta ,1 tspbaking powder ,1/4 tsp,baking soda,1/4 tsp cardamaom  powder,1/3 cup powdered jaggery,1 tbsp oil ,2 over ripe bananas, 1/4 cup dahi ( yoghurt ),a pinch of salt.

Method : Mix multi grain flour with baking soda & baking poder nicely.Add cardamaom powder.Mix nicely.Keep aside.

Peel off the banana skin & mash the bananas.Add powdered or grated jaggery to mashed bananas.Blend this mix in mixer or blender.Add dahi.Blend. Add oil & blend again.

Now ,add this banana puree to the multigrain  mix .Mix nicely with whisk.No lumps must remain.

Take a bowl or bread vessel ( a rectangular glass container ) & line it with butter paper.Pour the batter on to the butter paper .Bake in microwave for 8 minutes.Let it cool.Prick the bread with toothpik .If the toothpik is clean ,then bread is ready.Otherwise bake for 1-2 minutes.Cool for 5 minutes after putting off microwave.

Cool bread out of the microwave for another 15 minutes.Now put the vessel upside down on to a plate.The bread will drop down.If butter paper is sticking to bread ,please remove carefully.Cut into desired shapes & serve.

This turned out to be on the drier side-rubbery texture.Next time around ,I will add more dahi. Maybe, add 1/4 cup dahi more,making a total of 1/2 cup dahi so that consistency will be drop down consistency.This is because for microwave baking ,consistency has to be thinner than for electric oven.

Banana bread :eggless

There were over ripe bananas & I thought of trying banana bread recipe .I had come across this recipe @ http://www.jeyashriskitchen.com/2012/03/eggless-banana-bread-no-egg-no-butter.html.

I made my own changes & the bread turned out great !

Ingredients :1 cup multigrain atta ( I used Pillsbury- any other multigrain atta or wheat flour or maida can be used ), 3/4 cup brown sugar( white sugar can be used as well ), 1/4 tsp baking soda, 1 tsp baking powder,a pinch of salt,3 tbsp olive oil ( any other oil can be used ),1/4 cup yoghurt,1/4 cup milk,1tsp vanilla essence,2 over ripe bananas.

Method : Mix all dry ingredients - atta,sugar,baking powder & soda nicely.I do not sieve -hence I use fork or even whisk can be used to mix dry ingredients thoroughly.Keep aside.

Mash bananas into a puree.Add vanilla essence.Mix.Add yoghurt & milk.Add olive oil .Mix nicely.Keep aside.

Make a hole in the dry ingredient mix.Pour the liquid mix of banana,milk ,yoghurt,oil  into the dry mix.Whisk nicely till all ingredients are nicely mixed.The mixture must have drop down consistency.If the mixture has thicker consistency ,little water or buttermilk can be added to get drop down consistency.

Take a glass vessel or a microwaveable vessel.Line it with butter paper.Pour the mixture into the vessel.Bake in microwave for 10 minutes.After 10 minutes,switch off.Let the bread  be in the microwave for 5 minutes.Check if bread  is done by inserting a knife into the cake.If knife comes out clean ,it is done.Otherwise bake for another minute.Check again.

Cool bread  outside the microwave for another 10- 15 minutes.Now turn the vessel upside down on a plate.The bread will drop down after 10-15  minutes on to the plate.Cut into desired shapes & serve.

I felt that my bread had a nice brown colour as I had used multigrian atta as also brown sugar.The  banana taste was not prominent. So maybe 1 more banana & perhaps no milk in the next attempt.I felt that I should have baked for 9 minutes.The bread was on drier side.The sugar was just apt.So for those, who want a sweeter version, more sugar can be added.Instead of 3/4 cup sugar , 1 cup sugar can be used.