Going bananas: the easiest ever banana bread recipe for the amateur baker

If you, like me, don't particularly relish bananas but buy them anyway because you have been conditioned to consider them as one of those things that taste bad but must be eaten because of the fount of health benefits they offer, you must be familiar with the inevitability of most of them turning into overripe brown mush before you finally get around to eating them. Now, no one—no matter how die-hard a fan you are of the fruit—likes a squishy banana, and disposing one off purely on account of its squashiness is nothing short of sacrilege (Yes, I'm a bit anal about wasting food. I'm the kind of person who eats the same thing for 3 days consecutively). Fortunately, there are many awesome ways—read desserts—to put squishy bananas to use, and none easier and more delicious than the banana bread (except for the banana raspberry frozen yogurt I ate at The Big Chill in Delhi a decade or so ago). 

So, here's presenting my first and very humble attempt at baking something: the delightfully scrumptious banana bread! Now it may seem like a complicated dish considering it takes something despicable like banana and converts in into an amazing dessert you can't have enough of, but, truth be told, this is something you can make with minimal effort and you probably don't even need to make a trip to the market. 

Serves: 3-4

Preparation time: 60 minutes
Cooking time: 45-60 minutes

Ingredients:
2 cups maida/flour
1 tsp baking soda
2 eggs, beaten
3 overripe bananas
3/4 cup sugar
1/4 cup butter
2 tbsp walnuts, crushed
2-3 pinches of ground cinnamon

Method:

• Preheat the oven to 165°C for 60 minutes.
• Meanwhile, melt the butter slightly and add it to a big mixing bowl along with the sugar. Mix the two well.
• To this, add the bananas and mash them till they become almost completely pulpy. Now add the beaten eggs.
• In a separate bowl, mix the flour and baking soda.
• Add this to the banana/egg/sugar mixture and mix till it acquires a thick paste-like consistency.
• Add the crushed walnuts and cinnamon.
• Now take a loaf tin and grease it lightly from all sides. (I used a round cake tin since I don't have a loaf tin yet and it worked just as well; though I recommend a loaf tin so that it looks like bread and not cake!)
• Transfer the batter into the tin and spread it evenly.
• Put the tin in the oven, setting it to 150-160°C for 60 minutes, and let it bake. Check the progress occasionally to ensure that the bread isn't getting burnt. After about 40-45 minutes, stick a knife in the bread to check how much it has baked. Once the knife comes out dry without any gooey residue, you know that your bread is ready.

Note: The baking time also depends upon the oven. Mine is an old 16-litre one.

Suggested serving: Cut 2 slices, slather on some (or a lot of) Nutella on both. If you really want to go bananas, slip in some chopped banana slices between the two and you have your very own decadent banana-Nutella sandwich!
PS: Since I'm not a big fan of bananas, I don't have the guts to try this, but if you do, let me know how it was :)

Monsoon recipe: Mushroom and leek soup

Since I became a vegetarian, I have developed this ardent affection for mushroom. It's distinct woody aroma and flavour has the same effect on me as butter chicken used to have during my non-veg eating days. The best part about mushroom is the versatility with which it adapts itself to such a wide variety of cuisine and preparations: make an Indian gravy out of it or a pulao, a Chinese main course or fried rice, a pie, pasta or just a sandwich and, one of my favourites, a soup. A bowl of creamy mushroom soup is not only healthy and absolutely delicious but is also filling enough to be a meal in itself, especially if, like me, you like your meals small and filling.

I have a tried and tested cream of mushroom soup recipe that I often make, but this time I decided to mix things up a little by throwing in some leek. Not only did it really transform the soup by infusing it with new flavours, it also countered some of that creamy richness of mushroom and milk combined. This time I also swapped regular milk for coconut milk and I must admit I was quite happy with the results. Try it out and see for yourself.

Serves: 2

Cooking time: 45 minutes approx

Ingredients:
5-6 medium-sized mushrooms, chopped
half a leek
1-2 cloves of garlic, finely chopped
1/2 cup coconut milk
2 cups vegetable broth
1/2 tbsp oil
1 tsp butter
salt and pepper to taste

Method:

• Heat oil and butter in a pan and add the garlic. Saute till it turns golden brown.
• Now add the leek and allow it to cook while stirring occasionally, till it starts turning white.
• Once the leek is cooked, add the mushrooms and mix well.
• Now turn the flame low and allow the mushroom and leek to cook for about 10 minutes, stirring occasionally.
• Once the veggies are cooked, take them off the flame and let them cool for a while.
• Now run the mixture through a blender till it reaches a fine consistency.
• Transfer this mixture back into the pan and add the broth. Mix well and allow it to come to boil on a medium flame. Remember to stir the soup occasionally so that it doesn't stick to the bottom of the pan.
• Once the soup starts to boil, add the coconut milk and mix well.
• Simmer the soup on a low flame for about 10 minutes or till it has reached the desired consistency.
• Season with salt and pepper.
• Add a dollop of butter if you aren't too health-conscious!

Monsoon recipe: Low fat pumpkin soup

I have always found the monsoon to be extremely mood-uplifting and inspiring. It makes me want to take long walks, go on random train rides, eat fried foods from all the stalls I encounter, sing, even cook. It's a different matter that I spend most of it sitting by the window, mindlessly gazing outside, because in the battle between procrastination and motivation, the former always wins. However, having noticed of late that I waste too much time letting procrastination get the better of me (and finding a lot of expensive ingredients in my refrigerator that need to be cooked post haste), I decided to get off my behind and indulge in some monsoon cooking ...

The first in the series (I hope the rainspiration sustains for this to be an actual series) is the hearty and delicious pumpkin soup. I recently had the opportunity to try some and was absolutely blown away by its delicate flavour and rich texture. So when I found a stray slice of pumpkin hanging around in my vegetable basket, I decided to put it to use and make my own version of the dish. I was pleasantly surprised that it took hardly any time to make (I assumed pumpkin takes ages to cook considering chopping it was nothing short of a workout) and that it tasted more or less the same as the one I had at the restaurant. The best part, however, was that I managed to make it without any cream. With just a teaspoon of oil and a little bit of milk, the soup is healthy, flavourful and wholesome: just the way soups should be ...

Request you to acknowledge my humble attempt at garnishing to make the soup look good

Serves: 1

Cooking time: 45 minutes approx

Ingredients:

250g pumpkin, peeled and roughly chopped

1/2 an onion, chopped

1 clove garlic, finely chopped

1 tsp oil

1.5 cup vegetable broth (I made my own broth by adding an onion, a carrot, half a leek and a pinch of salt to a deep-bottomed pan filled with water, bringing it to a boil and then simmering it for about half an hour.)

1/2 cup milk

Method:

• Heat the oil in a kadhai or pan and add the chopped onions and garlic. Saute till the onions become translucent.
• Now add the chopped pumpkin and mix well.
• Add 2 tbsp of the vegetable broth. Mix well, cover the pan and turn the flame to medium. Stir occasionally.
• Let the pumpkin cook till you're able to mash it with a spoon. If you think it's too dry, stir in some more broth. Now add the salt and pepper.
• Once cooked, allow the pumpkin to cool down and then put it in a blender, bringing it to a smooth consistency.
• Now put the mixture back in the pan along with the rest of the broth. On a medium flame, stir the pumpkin paste till it mixes in well with the broth.
• Once the mixture starts to boil, add the milk and stir well.
• Turn down the flame and allow the soup to cook, stirring occasionally, till it comes to your desired consistency.
• Serve hot!