Are you thinking banana loaf isn’t very Indian and not very spicy, well, that’s true as most Indian mums use their ovens to store their oil filled Karahi, a thick steel deep fat fryer, my mum’s was a juggling act as it didn’t have a flat bottom and it was filled with oil and stored in the oven until I started baking and roasting; that’s when the Karahi would be set aside, hoping nobody knocked or spilled it. My oven, an absolute beast of a thing, is always on standby for me to use.
Back to the banana loaf, it’s new year and I wanted to start my recipe writing on a sweet, healthy and delicious note. Where better to start than my loyal banana loaf? An easy recipe and I have adapted it to fit my new sugar-free regime until I do my skydive, I’m unashamedly using garam masala, why not? It’s a fabulous home-blend that replaces all spice and used sparingly, delivers a spicy, yummy hit.
This has got to be my genius recipe, full of “squidgyness”, plumped up with sultanas, offering sweetness and the crunch from those yummy walnuts. I kid you not, sultanas can be swapped for raisins or dates, for crunch, walnuts could be swapped for seeds, ground almonds, coconut and there’s always the option of adding plain chocolate drops. This is my preferred recipe, the most difficult part of making this is allowing the bananas to get ripe enough, Krish, my husband, struggles to resist the banana bowl and Sam, was absolutely delighted that this very recipe of banana loaf can be posted to him at university and it survives.
Remember it’s a low sugar recipe so it’s a healthier version, try it, you will be pleasantly surprised.
Persons
10
Serving Size
1 Slice
Prep Time
15 minutes
Cook Time
45 minutes
Total Time
1 hour
Notes
Naturally Dairy Free
As there’s no butter or margarine, only 4 tablespoon of oil and 2 eggs to offer
Usually, we just have a slice on its’ own but I’ve been known to serve mine with sugar free jam, try it toasted and a little drizzle of honey or a some fresh fruit
GLUTEN FREE ALERT
I have switched both flours with 325g of gluten free flour and a half teaspoon of xanthum gum and the recipe worked very well, I was pleasantly surprised with the end result
Ingredients
150 Grams wholemeal flour
150 Grams plain flour
1/4 Teaspoon garam masala
2 Teaspoons baking powder
1 orange, juice of
1 Teaspoon vanilla essence
2 eggs
3 bananas, ripe
2 Tablespoons maple syrup
4 Tablespoons Cooking Oil
75 Grams sultanas
50 Grams walnuts, broken
Instructions
Preheat your oven to 175ºc and line a loaf tin with baking powder.
Sieve the two flours, baking powder, and the garam masala into a big bowl.
Put the bananas into the jug and give them a good mash, using a fork and then juice the orange into the bananas, add the vanilla essence, eggs, maple syrup and oil and give the jug a good mix.
Pour the contents of the jug into the dry flour mix and give the bowl a good stir.
Now add your sultanas and walnuts to the mix and give the bowl a good stir.
Place the mix into the loaf tin and ensure your oven is heated to the 175ºc, place your banana loaf in the oven to cook for 40 minutes.
I check the banana loaf is cooked by inserting a skewer and it should come out clean, if not, cook for a further 5-10 minutes until it’s cooked through.
Allow the loaf to cool before tucking in, although I understand how difficult this, enjoy this easy, yet delicious and scrumptious recipe!
