Banana and Cardamom Buns
This recipe for light, fragrant Banana and Cardamom Buns from Meera Sodha's Fresh India is a treat. Enjoy these buns with a hot drink for breakfast or afternoon tea.
From the book
Fresh India: 130 Quick, Easy and Delicious Recipes for Every Day
The go-to guide for vegetarian Indian cooking
130 stunning recipes with a fresh and light feel
Beautiful puddings with Indian-inspired flavours
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Introduction
These buns are a healthier take on the addictive deep-fried Mangalorean banana puris that locals queue up for at breakfast time. They’re not as sweet as you’d imagine, but perfectly sweet enough.
Ingredients
| 250g | plain flour |
| 3/4 tsp | dried yeast |
| salt | |
| 35g | caster sugar |
| 1/2 tsp | ground cardamom (or finely ground seeds from 6 pods) |
| 3 | very ripe bananas (150g peeled weight) |
| 100ml | whole milk |
| 25g | unsalted butter |
| 1 | egg |
Method
Preheat the oven to 190c/375f/gas 5.
Put the flour, yeast, 1/2 tsp of salt, the sugar and cardamom into a large bowl and stir to combine. Peel the bananas and weigh them – you will need 150g of banana for this recipe. Mash them, then add to the bowl and stir in.
Warm the milk and butter gently to body temperature (if it’s too hot it will kill the yeast), then pour into the bowl. Mix until the dough comes together, then knead for 5 minutes. It will be super sticky, which is no bad thing. Cover with cling film and leave to one side until doubled in size. If you’re making these for breakfast, you could do this the night before, and let the dough prove in the fridge.
When the dough has risen, divide it into 8 pieces (each weighing around 85g). Roll each one into a neat ball, then place on a baking tray lined with baking paper, making sure you leave at least 5cm between each bun. Cover with a clean towel, and leave to prove until nearly doubled in size again. This might take up to 2 hours, depending on how warm your kitchen is.
When the buns are nice and plump, crack the egg into a cup, add a decent pinch of salt and mix well with a fork. Brush the egg wash over the buns, and bake in the oven for 20 minutes, or until golden brown and hollow-sounding when tapped on the bottom.
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