Banana Cardamon Muffins Kosher-Indian Style

When I bought my first Indian vegetarian cookbook, I hadn't even tasted cardamom-- or if I did, didn't know it. Makes me feel very parochial.

It is likely that the chefs at the kosher restaurants in Seattle and St. Louis cooked with cardamom (we haven't discussed the latter). Surely it is n desserts and lassies, but when you don't know what you're looking for you can't see it, can't put a label on it.

Thus the story goes that after following several recipes on the Internet at some point I found this one, altered somewhat (experience helps!) from Meera Sodha's FRESH INDIA. Ever since that first batch-- and it wasn't great, I over-baked them-- cardamom became a serious contender as one of my favorite visceral pick me ups, morning, noon or night. You simply inhale the flavor to raise your serotonin.

Meera warns that this is a sticky dough and difficult to work with, but the warning should be emphasized ten times over. Making these muffins is a super pain! But if you wash your hands well, and often, they are worth it.

The banana makes the dough slimy, and the ratio of flour to liquid is very different than that of any other type of bread I've made. To work with the dough after the first rise, powder your hands with flour.

You can almost see the moisture of the bananas, milk and butter in the picture to the right, first rise. FD tells me that the oil in this recipe is from the bananas. It isn't as low cal as I had hoped it to be.

One thing to know, when reading the Indian chefs, is that Indian yeast must be much more active than American yeast. Or so it would seem. Meera's recipe suggests that the dry yeast in the recipe be tossed in along with the rest of the ingredients, meaning the yeast will do its job, awaken, grow, and lift the dough, I guess by contact.

She should say that yes, in your lifetime it will rise in this fashion. (Rachelle, if you're reading, this is what happened to ours, they never rose and then I over-baked them. It is a learning curve).

 On the fourth try I realized that starting the yeast in a little water with sugar and waiting for it to bubble is a far wiser strategy.

This morning I made these for my mother-in-law, started the first rise at 8:00 am. The eight rolls were complete by 10:30 am. She loved them. She can't get over how the cardamom seems to blend with the banana to create an entirely new flavor. She's right.

Thus let's try it again, this time with the American method (very similar to how this Jew would go about making challah in step 2., but I'd use less sugar for challah).

Step 1: Soften 2 T of butter and set aside.

Step 2: In a large mixing bowl place 2 t. yeast (it doesn't have to be fast-acting) in 1/4 cup water with 1/2 T  sugar.

Step 3: Take the chill off 1/2 cup of milk (microwave 8 seconds) but be sure it isn't hot or it will kill the yeast.  If you're unsure, don't bother. The chill won't matter. Set that aside, too.

Step 4: When the yeast is bubbling, add the milk and butter.

Step 5: Mix the following together in another bowl :

1 T plus 2 t. sugar 
1/2 t. cardamom mixed 
2 cups of flour or a little more

Mash in 2 ripe bananas.

Step 6: Add that to the large bowl with the yeast, milk, and butter and mix/knead the dough the best you can;  it will be sticky. Don't worry. You can't ruin this recipe.   Let it rise until it is double in size.

Step 7: Preheat the oven to 375.

Step: 8  Divide into large pieces and roll them into balls. Place in a muffin tin and allow to rise again.

Step 9: Baste with a whole beaten egg. You can see how it will slide off the muffins from the picture.

Bake until brown-- test with a toothpick.

Heavenly.