Banana Cinnamon Bread

I don't think an wonderful Brunch party will be completed without an dense and moist banana-cinnamon bread......

This banana-cinnamon bread is one of my favorite baked goodies for many reasons, first it is very easy to pull out. Next they taste great with little effort and it is a satisfying breakfast in my house. This recipe can be customized to our wish. I some time do without cinnamon or it can be turned to be a spiced banana bread by adding cinnamon, cloves, nutmeg and allspice powder. In the same way the walnut can be substituted with toasted almonds or any other nuts out our choice.

So my Banana Cinnamon Bread goes for this month's Monthly Mingle - "Brunch"  hosted by Meeta of What's For Lunch, Honey?….

Ingredients :

All purpose flour - 1 1/4 cups
Butter - 1/2 cup
Sugar - 1 cup
2 eggs
Mashed ripe bananas - 3/4 cup
Baking soda - 1 teaspoon
Salt - 1/2 teaspoon
Chopped toasted walnuts - 1/2 cup
Cinnamon - 1/2 teaspoon

Procedure

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.

Cream the butter and sugar until smooth. Now add the eggs 1 at a time and beat well. Now add the mashed bananas and mix gently.(wet ingredients)

Sift flour, baking soda, salt, cinnamon together.(dry ingredients)

Now add the dry ingredients in 3 different batches into the wet ingredients and mix it very slowly till all the flour mixture is incorporated into the wet ingredients. Do not over mix the cake mixture.

Now slowly fold in the chopped walnuts. Transfer the batter into a well greased and floured loaf pan. Bake the banana bread for 1 hour or till the knife inserted comes out clean.

Now remove the bread from the oven and let it cool completely. Then start slicing it.




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Coconut Rice / Thengai Sadam / Kobbari Annam

This is one of the South Indian's favorite Rice delicacy.

Coconut rice is a quick fix mix rice varieties. This can be put together very fast if all the ingredients are ready. Coconut rice is very important rice in all occasions in South India.

I always try to use the fresh coconut for making this rice, It makes a huge difference than making it with the frozen stuff. This is a very nice recipe for left over rice, they taste very good.

Ingredients :

Rice - 1 cup(cooked)
Fresh grated coconut - 1 cup
Ghee - 1 tablespoon
Green Chillies - 3
Coriander leaves - few
Curry leaves - few
Salt as required
Oil

For tempering:
Mustered seeds - 1 teaspoon
Urad Dal - 1 1/2 teaspoon
Channa Dal - 1 1/2 teaspoon
Red chillies - 1
Cashews - few(Optional)

Procedure :

Cook the rice with little salt. Make it to cool completely. Spread it on a sheet pan to separate the grains. Now add the ghee to the rice and mix it well.

Heat oil in a pan. Fry the cashews till golden brown and remove and keep it aside. In the rest of the oil add the mustered seeds and let it splutter. Then add the dals and red chillies. Fry them until light golden brown.

Now add the slit green chillies and curry leaves, fry for few seconds. Now add the coconut and add some salt. Fry the coconut only for few seconds. Immediately remove from fire and mix it with the rice. Now add the coriander leaves and fried cashews and toss it with the rice.

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Kalakand

Wish u all a happy and prosperous Diwali!....

(Img Source : Indiaglitz)

This is a very easy and short cut recipe for kalakand. Traditionally kalakand have a very long process to be done. The Chena (fresh home made paneer) have to be prepared separately and a semi solid koya have to prepared from milk, again preparing koya is a long process.

Another short cut method is using store bought paneer. Grate the paneer and then crumble it with the hands to make a soft and smooth chena. Then follow the same procedure given below. If using paneer, the soft chena should be 2 cups for 1 tin of condensed milk.

So kalakand is the Diwali special sweet my house.

I would like to send this Kalakand to Mansi of Fun & Food cafe, she is hosting A Sweet Celebration - Recipe Contest. All the best to u Mansi for hosting the event.

I would also like to send it to Purva Desai of Purva's Daawat. She is hosting Diwali Dhamaka. All the best to u Purva for hosting the event.

This Kalakand also goes to Seericha of Mom's Recipes. She is hosting Sweet Series Event. All the best to u Seericha for hosting the event.

Ingredients :

Condensed milk – 1 tin
Whole milk Ricotta cheese – 1 tub (16 oz tub) or 2 cups fresh homemade paneer crumb
Cardamom Powder – 1 teaspoon
Saffron – 2 heavy pinches
Yellow food color (optional)
Ghee – 2 tablespoon

Procedure :

In a non stick pan melt half the ghee, add the full container of ricotta cheese and saute the mixture. All the moisture from the ricotta cheese must evaporate completely.

Now add the condensed milk, cardamom powder, saffron and the food color. Keep on stirring the mixture until the mixture leaves the sides of the pan or the whole mixture comes together as a single ball.

Transfer the mixture to the greased pan and let it cool and cut into desired shape.


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Ring Murukku/ Chekodi / Kodubale

This is another crispy snack variety which is great for Diwali time.

This snack is been called in different names in different parts of the places. We call it ring murukku in Chennai. If there is a different and unique name for it please let me know.

As this snack is called in different names in different place, they are flavored differently in each place. In Andhra the Chekodies are flavored with ajwain. In Karnataka the Kodubale are flavored with some black pepper. In Tamil nadu the Ring murukku is flavored with cumin seeds and hing.

Me, in personal like all the three kinds of flavors. This is a perfect tea time snack in our house. I love to have it with a cup of tea in the evening.

Ingredients :

Rice flour – 1 cup
Channa dahlia or Chutney gram powder – ¼ cup (Grind it to a fine powder. Sive the powder and use the finely ground powder)
Butter – 1 tablespoon
Shredded coconut – 2 tablespoon
Chili powder – ½ teaspoon
Hing 1 pinch
Cumin seeds– 1 teaspoon
White sesame seeds – 2 teaspoon
Salt – ¼ teaspoon
Oil for deep frying.

Procedure :

Mix all the above ingredients in a bowl. Add water little by little and mix to form dough. Let the dough set for at least 10 mins.

Pinch a small round of dough and roll it into a small log in between the palms. (Grease the palms with some oil). Attach both the ends forming a ring. Set it aside. Repeat the same with rest of the dough.

Not drop them slowly into the hot oil. Fry them until golden brown or till the bubbles are stopped coming from the murukku. (They turn a bit darker when they are removed from the hot oil and more chilli powder, more dark it becomes)


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Thattai/Chekkalu

Diwali is on its way and what else would be more suitable to celebrate the festival time other than thattai/ chekkalu.

We use to make all kind of snacks and sweets a week before Diwali at my mom’s place, one of my favorite snack was this thattai/ chekkalu. So I thought this is the right time to share this recipe.

These thattai/chekkalu can me flavored in many ways. One on my favorite is the garlic and red chillies. I grind together some garlic pods and red chillies and add them to the dough. It gives a very unique taste and flavor.

Ingredients :

Rice flour – 2 cups
Urad dal flour – ¼ cup (Dry roast the urad dal and cool it completely and grind it to a fine powder. Sive the powder and use the finely ground powder.)
Butter – 2 tablespoon
Channa Dal – 2 tablespoon (Soak for 15 mins in warm water)
Red chillies – 2 or more according to taste
Garlic pods – 2
Sesame seeds – 2 teaspoon
Curry leaves – 1 spring cut into small pieces
Salt as required
Oil for deep frying the thattai.

Procedure :

Grind the red chillies and garlic in a small mixer and add it to the rice flour.

Mix all the other ingredients together. Slowly add some water and make a tight dough. Let the dough rest for 10 mins.

Grease some thick plastic cover (zip lock) with oil. Now form small balls out of the prepared dough.

Place the balls on the greased plastic cover and press it with your greased fingers to make them flat.

Take a fork and prick some holes on the thattai. This will allow the steam to escape and the thattai will not puff up and remains flat.

Repeat the same with rest of the dough.

Not slowly remove the thattai from the greased cover and drop it in hot oil. Fry until golden brown. Remove from oil and transfer it on a paper towel to remove excess oil. Let it cool and store in a air tight container.

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