Mass ap-peel

The humble banana has emerged as a cheap and readily available food item during the lockdown. Here are two recipes that make innovative use of it

All that crepe

Nutella banana crepes are suitable for dessert or for breakfast, and are super-easy to make. "They melt in the mouth, and are absolutely delicious," says chef Guntas Sethi Bhasin, who suggests the recipe.

Ingredients
For the crepes:
90g maida
180g milk
2 eggs
1 egg yolk
3 tbsp melted butter
Pinch of salt
1.5 tbsp sugar
1 tsp vanilla essence

Guntas Sethi Bhasin

Method
Add all the ingredients to a blender and cover. Blend on low speed until everything is mixed well together. Heat a medium-sized non-stick frying pan on the stove over medium heat. Brush the pan with butter. Pour 1/4 to 1/3 cup of batter in the pan and swirl around to spread thin. Cook for 30 seconds to one minute, until the bottom is golden. Carefully flip the crepe over and cook until the second side also turns golden. Remove from the heat and spread nutella evenly over the crepe. Spread banana slices evenly over half of the crepe. Roll or fold the crepe. Drizzle with warmed Nutella, and add more bananas on top and dust with powdered sugar if desired.

Have your cake

"Bananas are not just one of the most easily available fruits during the lockdown, but are also a natural sweetener and a great binding agent," says chef Monaz Irani, founder of Plate & Pint, who suggests a banana walnut cake recipe.

Ingredients
225g flour
200g castor sugar
115g butter (at room temperature)
3 bananas
50g walnuts
¼ tsp vanilla essence
¼ tsp baking powder

Monaz Irani

Method
Sieve the flour and baking powder together. In another bowl, cream the butter and sugar together till light and fluffy. Add vanilla essence to the eggs and gradually beat them into the butter-sugar mixture. Slice the bananas and walnuts and mix into the flour. Fold this into the creamed mixture and empty it into a greased tin. Bake at 150 degrees C for about an hour or until a toothpick comes out clean. Let it cool and then slice. Enjoy it along with a cup of hot tea.

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