Eggless Chocolate ~ Banana Bread

Ingredients:
All purpose Flour - 1 3/4 cups
Unsweetened Cocoa Powder - 1/4 cup
Sugar - 1 cup
Baking Powder - 1 tsp
Baking Soda - 1/4 tsp
Salt - 1/4 tsp
Unsalted Butter - 1/2 cup (melted and cooled)
Ripe Bananas - 2 or 3
Unsweetened Apple Sauce - 4 oz
Vanilla Extract - 1 tsp
White, Dark or Milk Chocolate chips - 1/2 cups
Flax Seed Powder - 1 TBSP (mixed with 3 TBSP of water)
Walnuts or Pecans - 1/2 cup (lightly toasted and chopped)

Method:

1. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F (180 degrees C).
2. Butter and flour (or spray with non stick vegetable spray) the bottom and sides of a loaf pan.
3. In a large bowl whisk together the flour, cocoa powder, sugar, baking powder, baking soda and salt.
4. In a medium-sized bowl combine the mashed bananas, apple sauce, flax seed mixture, melted butter and vanilla extract.
5. Combine the banana mixture to the flour and fold lightly with a rubber spatula or wooden spoon.  Mix thoroughly.
6. Fold in the chopped nuts and chocolate chips.
7. Transfer the batter into the prepared pan and sprinkle  the top with some brown sugar (optional).
8. Bake until the bread has risen and a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean (about 55 to 65 minutes).
9. Place the pan on a wire rack to cool.
10. Serve warm or at room temperature.

Recipe adopted from here.

Baked Plantain Kofta Curry

Ingredients:
For the Kofta:
Plantains -  4 small or 2 big (cut into half cook until tender, peeled and finely grated)
Grated Paneer - 1/2 cup
Mixed Vegetables - 1/2 cup (carrot, peas and beans - cooked and roughly chopped)
Coriander Powder - 2 tsp
Cumin Powder - 1 tsp
Chili Powder - 1 tsp or to taste
Turmeric Powder - 1/2 tsp
Chopped Fresh Coriander - 2 TBSP
Cashews - 2 TBSP (coarsely ground)
Raisins - 10 (roughly chopped)
Salt - to taste

For the gravy:
Onion - 1 medium (chopped)
Tomato - 3 (chopped)
Ginger-Garlic paste - 2 tsp
Garam Masala Powder - 1 tsp
Coriander Powder - 2 tsp
Chili Powder - 1 tsp or to taste
Kasuri Methi - 2 tsp
Milk - 1/2 cup
Heavy cream - 2 TBSP
Coarsely ground Cashews - 2 TBSP
Salt - to taste
Oil- 2 TBSP

Method:

1. In a large bowl, combine all the ingredients from the kofta list and knead well.
2. Line a baking tray with foil and spray with cooking oil.
3. Roll the mixture into lemon size balls and place it on the tray.
4. Spray the koftas with cooking oil.
5. Broil the koftas in the oven on high until golden brown.
6. Flip the koftas over and cook again until golden brown.
7. Remove from the oven and keep it warm.

To make gravy:

1. Heat oil in a skillet and add the chopped onion and ginger-garlic paste.  Cook until soft.
2. Add the chopped tomatoes, coriander powder and chili powder.  Cook until tomatoes turn soft.
3. Remove from the heat and let it cool.
4. Grind the mixture to a fine paste.
5. Heat 2 TBSP oil in deep pan.  Add the ground paste and cook until oil separates.  
6. Add 1 cup of water, salt and kasuri methi.  Bring it to a boil.  Reduce the heat to simmer and cook the gravy for 7-8 minutes.
7. Mix in the heavy cream and milk and add it to the gravy.  Cook for 5 minutes.
8. If the gravy is too thick, add some hot water.
9. Add the cashew powder and mix well.
10. Arrange koftas on a serving dish and pour the gravy on top of  koftas.
11. Sprinkle garam masala powder and fresh coriander.
12. Serve hot with Naan or Chapati.

Whole Moong dal and Broken Wheat payasam with Roasted Coconut and Sun Flower Seeds

Ingredients:
Whole Moong Dal - 1/2 cup
Broken Wheat - 1 cup
Jaggery - 1/2 cups or to taste
Coconut Milk - 1/4 cup
Sliced Coconut - 2 TBSP
Sun Flower Seeds - 1 TBSP
Cardamom Powder - 1 tsp
Ghee - 2 tsp
Water - 4  cups

Method:

1. Wash and soak moong dal over night or for 6 - 8 hours.
2. Wash broken wheat couple of times with enough water.
3. Drain the soaked moong dal.
4. Combine the broken wheat and moong dal and add 4 cups of water.
5. Pressure cook for 3-4 whistles.
6. Add jaggery to 1/2 cup of water and bring it boil.  Strain to remove impurities.
7. Add the jaggery water to the cooked mixture.
8. Add coconut milk, and cardamom powder.  Mix well.
9. Cook 2 minutes.  Remove from the heat.
10. Heat 2 tsp of ghee in a skillet and fry the sliced coconut until golden brown.  Remove from the pan and keep it aside.
11. Roast the sun flower seed in the same ghee until golden brown.
12. Add the coconut and the seeds to the broken wheat and moong dal payasam.
13. Serve warm.

Sending this to Priya's cooking with seeds event.