Banana Walnut Bread

We usually have a banana  daily. But this weekend dis not eat them. When I saw them today after the weekend they were over ripen and almost non-eatable. So I browsed and found that many breads, caked can be baked using ripen bananas. Ripen bananas are good substitute for eggs. yuppie... This bread is from Chefinyou, which I found easy more importantly I had almost all the ingredients.

So here it is 'Banana Walnut bread' with few changes from the original recipe. I added cardamom powder instead of cinnamon and also I did not have the wheat grem so replaced with all purpose flour itself.

Ingredients:

All purpose flour - 1 3/4 cups
Baking Powder - 2 table spoon
Banana (Ripen) - 3
Butter - 5 table spoons(Room temp)
cordammam powder - 1/2 tea spoon
Salt - 1/2 tea spoon
Sugar - 1/2 cup (I felt more may be because of banana's sweet)
Walnuts - 1/2 cup
Water - if needed

Method :

1. Pre-heat the oven at 200 c(400 F) for about 10 mins
2. Make the puree out of ripen bananas. (I put them into the mixer) and keep it aside.
3. In a bowl sift and mix all purpose flour, salt, baking powder. Into this add cardammom powder and mix well.
4. In a another bowl add butter and sugar and mix till it becomes nice foamy mixture.
5. Now add this butter,sugar mixture into banana puree and mix
6. Add the dry ingradients along with the walnuts and mix well.
7. Place this mixture into the loaf and bake for 45 mins- 50 mins. Mine was done by 45 mins

Allow the bread to cool completely (I could not wait till then) and cut into pieces. It tasted yum!!

Hesaru Kaalu Usli (A Spicy Moong snack)

Moong is known as hesaru kaalu in Kannada.We can make many dishes out of this. Here is recipe for usli. It is an easy and healthy snack.

Ingredients:

Moong (Green gram) - 1 cup
Onion - 1 medium
Green chilli - 1
Coriander (chopped) - 2 table spoons
Curry leaves - few
Coconut - 2 table spoons (optional)
Lemon juice - 1 table spoon
Salt - to taste

Tempering:
Mustard seeds - 1/4 tea spn
Urad dal (black gram) - 1/4 tea spoon
Oil - 2-3 table spoons

Method:

1.Soak moong for 7-8 hrs.
2.Cook it in pressure cooker (1-2 whistles) with little water and salt.
3.Chop onion, green chilli, coriander and keep aside.
4. Heat oil in a thick bottomed pan/vessel. Once oil is hot add mustard seeds.
5. After the mustard seeds splutter, add urad dal.
6. Add onion, green chillis, curry leaves and cook till onions become translucent.
7. Now add cooked moong, grated coconut and mix lightly (over mixing could make the moong  mushy). Turn off the stove.
8. Add lemon juice and mix once again.
9. Garnish with coriander leaves and serve hot..

Veg Pizza

Who does not like a mouthwatering pizza?? But its completely made out of maida(All purpose flour). So I thought of giving a shot with wheat flour though I did not dare prepare it completely with wheat flour the first time. Result was amazing. So now I have the confidence to try out completely with whole wheat flour.

Ingredients:

Pizza dough:

Whole wheat flour - 1 cup
All purpose flour (maida) - 1 cup
Active dry yeast - 7g or 1 packet
Water - 1 cup
Olive oil - 2 table spoons

Sauce:
Tomato - 2 big
Oregano, Basil leaves (dry) - little
Olive oil - 1 table spoon

For topping:
Onion - 1 medium
Tomato - 1 big
Capsicum (red, yellow, green) - 1 cup
Green chilli - 2-3
Olives - few
Basil, Oregano(I used dry)
Cheese

Method:


Dough preparation:
1. Warm the water and add the yeast and mix. Keep this mixture aside for some time till it becomes foamy.
2. Meanwhile add the sifted wheat flour, all purpose flour and salt in a mixing bowl and mix.
3. Make a well in mixing bowl and add yeast mixture, mix well and add oil.
4. Knead this mixture well for about 10-12 mins. By now the dough will be soft.
5. Place this dough in a greased bowl and set aside for 60-90 mins by covering with a wet towel.
6. After 60-90 mins, the dough would have doubled in size. Punch the dough to remove the air off it.
7. Let the dough rest for another 30-60 mins by covering with a wet towel.

Sauce preparation:
1. Heat 1 table spoon of oil in a thick base vessel.
2. After oil is hot, add tomato and fry it till it is completely soft.
3. Add little salt and dry basil and oregano leaves and allow it to cool.

Pizza preparation:
1. Preheat the oven for about 180 C for about 10 mins.
2. Take the dough and roll into a round pizza base (Mine was not completly round but, who cares the shape?)using a rolling pin.
3. Spread the sauce on the top, sprinkle some oregano and basil leaves.
4. Place all the vegetables and sprinkle the cheese on top.
5. Place it in oven and bake till the cheese melts and the edges become golden brown.

Let it cool for 5-10 mins and cut into pieces and enjoy the hot pizzas !!