Category Archives: Desserts

All Posts, Desserts

Eggless Banana Cake

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Eggless Banana Cake
Eggless Banana Cake

I wonder why it is said that the way to a man’s heart is through his stomach. The easiest way to make me happy is to gift me some great food! Isn’t it for most Indians?

Even better if I get the recipe along with the dish 😀

When a friend came over for an advanced Reiki class, he decided to bake a banana cake for me. And the moment I bit into it, I knew that it was made from atta – whole wheat flour, and not refined flour. I wanted the recipe immediately. He had it by-heart!

The most important thing to remember when baking anything with bananas is, the riper the better. It is ok if the banana looks as if it should be thrown away. All those bananas which you think need to go into the bin? Use them here.

This cake is so, so moist, it is amazing. It is also very easy to put together – do not use a blender as it will cause over-mixing and cracking on the surface. Just gently blend with a spatula.

Makes a 10″ cake

Ingredients:

2 cups whole wheat flour/ atta
1 cup brown sugar (or ½ white and ½ demerara sugar)
½ cup oil
¼ cup dry fruits and nuts (he used walnuts and cranberries)
1 tsp baking soda
¼ tsp baking powder
¼ tsp salt
4 cups mashed banana
1 tsp vanilla essence

Method:

Preheat the oven to 180°C/ 350°F.

Sieve together the flour, baking powder, soda and salt 3-4 times.

Mix oil and sugar together, using a spatula.

Add banana puree and mix for 2-3 minutes.

Now add the dry fruits, nuts, vanilla essence, stir 2 min and let it sit for 2 minutes.

Slowly stir the flour in, in 3-4 parts. If the batter seems dry, add a bit more oil.

Pour into a 10″ cake tin and bake for 30-40 min until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean.

All Posts, Desserts

Banana Sheera

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Satyanarayana Puja Prasadams - Banana Sheera
Satyanarayana Puja Prasadams – Banana Sheera

Banana sheera for me always conjures up memories of being invited to beautiful satyanarayan pujas. This was a sweet we never ate at home and was my favourite part of the puja, something I would eagerly look forward to. It was always a bit frustrating to receive so little as prasad, although as kids, we would sometimes turn on the charm and ask for more. The elders were always happy to oblige.

It was such a joy to learn to make this, and it remains one of my favorite dishes to whip up when cousins come visiting, as this is always, always a hit.

Traditionally for the puja, they use 1 cup of all the first five ingredients, along with a cup of water. This being too rich and too sweet for me, I tend to reduce the quantities a bit.

Ingredients:

1 cup semolina/ suji
¾ cup sugar
¾ cup ghee
2 cups milk
1 cup mashed banana
3 tbsp raisins and nuts
¼ tsp nutmeg powder

Method:

Heat the ghee and add the rava. Roast.

While the rava is still roasting, heat the milk and sugar together.

Once the rava is fragrant, pour the hot milk in and continue cooking. Be careful at this stage as the milk tends to boil violently and splash all over the place. Be ready with a lid to be safe.

Cook until it is nearly dry, and then add the raisins and banana.

Take off the flame when it has reached a semi solid consistency.

Heat some ghee and add the nuts. When light brown, pour them onto the sheera.

Serve Hot.

Serves 2 for breakfast, or 4 as dessert

All Posts, Desserts

Bananas in Coconut Milk

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Bananas in coconut milk

When I spent a few days with a Chinese friend, I was shocked when he told me that they don’t have any desserts in Chinese cuisine. Maybe they do, just not in his town, who knows. But it makes me wonder if one of my favorite Chinese desserts – sesame honey noodles, is also an Indian invention like much of our ‘Chinese’ food.

I don’t know why I’m talking about China in a Thai recipe post.

I was looking to make dessert along with Thai curry rice one day many years ago, which is when I discovered this dish. I know it looks a bit boring, but if you are a coconut milk lover like me, then it is beyond divine.

Traditionally, they use small bananas, or pumpkin, sweet potato or taro in this dish. I like to make it with Kerala banana (of the banana chips fame) called nenthra-pazham (നേന്ത്രപഴം)

Time Taken: 10 min
Serves: 4

Ingredients:

2 cups bananas, chopped into bite-sized pieces
½ cup grated palm sugar (can substitute with jaggery or molasses)
2 cups thick coconut milk
2 pandanus leaves – optional
a pinch of salt

Method:


Place the banana in a cup of water and bring to a boil. Cook until almost done, usually 2-3 minutes.


Add the palm sugar and the pandanus leaves


And finally, add the coconut milk.

If you want a thicker consistency, add a teaspoon of tapioca flour or cornflour to it. Make a paste of the flour with a little water before you pour it in.

Mix, bring to a boil and take off the heat.

Serve hot or cold.

All Posts, Basics of Cooking, Desserts

The Best Sponge Cake

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The perfect sponge cake
The perfect sponge cake

It is so interesting how the basics can be so hard to get right some times. I always tell people that dessert is my specialty. Almost every potluck, that is what I make and people are usually drooling. And yet, I’ve always had trouble with getting one simple thing right – the sponge cake. Somehow, something goes wrong.

Not that I need to make sponge cakes too often anyway, since I tend to make cakes more than pastries. Still, some dishes just cannot do away with this basic item.

It pays to have friends who cook. When a friend told me she had made a sponge cake as soft as the ones you get in bakeries, I was itching to know what she googled for. Where did she find a recipe so unique? ‘I searched for best sponge cake’, she said. Ah. Now why did I never think of that?

Preparation time : 20 min Baking time : 35 – 40 min
Makes one 9 inch sponge cake

Ingredients:

1 cup refined flour
1 cup cornflour
1½ cups sunflower oil
4 eggs
1 cup confectioner’s sugar
1 tsp baking powder
1 tsp soda bicarbonate
½ tsp vanilla essence

Method:

Grease a 9″ diameter baking tin and dust it with flour. Pre heat the oven to 180°C.

Sieve together flour, cornflour, baking powder and soda bicarbonate.

Mix oil and sugar, and beat in the eggs. Add the vanilla essence.

Add the flour to the batter till all the maida a little at a time, mixing in well so that no lumps form.

Pour the batter into the baking tin and bake in the preheated oven for 35-40 minutes or till the tooth pick inserted in the center of the cake comes out clean.

Remove from oven, cool for a while. Loosen sides of cake, using a knife if necessary. Turnout over a wire rack/plate

This cake can be used in several ways, and makes a great base for gateaux or trifle puddings. Or, just serve it with some custard and fruits!

All Posts, Desserts

Wholesome Healthy Muffins

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Healthy muffins

I’ve reduced the entry of maida (refined flour) into my house to quite an extent. Refined flour is too sticky for the intestines to process, and it compromises the functions of the small as well as the large intestines quite drastically, leading to poor absorption of nutrients, and obesity among many other problems.

In most dishes, you can replace it with whole wheat flour and get away with it. Except cakes. And that is why these few cakes where you can easily make a switch without much ado, are a blessing.

Preparation time : 20 min
Baking time : 10 – 12 min
Makes 12 muffins

Ingredients:

1 cup whole wheat flour (atta)
1 tsp baking powder or ½ tsp baking soda
3 tbsp cocoa pd OR raisins
½ cup sunflower oil
1 cup sugar
½ tsp vanilla essence
1 egg
½ cup milk
1 over ripe banana, mashed (Optional)
2 tbsp nuts or chocolate chips (Optional)

Method:

Preheat oven to 180°C/ 350°F.

Sieve the flour, cocoa powder, baking soda and baking powder together, or put them in a bowl and whisk to remove lumps.

Mix oil and sugar. Add the egg and vanilla essence and beat until fluffy.

Add flour and milk alternately, gently folding it in. Do not beat anymore.

Finally mix in raisins, banana, nuts or chocolate chips.

Grease the muffin trays and fill up to half with batter.

Bake  for about 10-12 min and remove from tray after cooling.