Dressed up BANANA CAKE

Time taken - Around one hour

Makes one loaf

Ingredients
1/2 cup All Purpose flour (Maida)
1 cup whole wheat flour (Atta)
1 teaspoon baking powder
teaspoon baking soda
teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
cup crushed jaggery
4 tablespoons coconut water or coconut milk
2 medium sized, very- ripe bananas
cup yoghurt (homemade dahi)
teaspoon vanilla extract
2 tablespoons ghee or butter or canola oil plus some more for greasing baking tin
1/3 cup walnuts or mixed nuts

few thin slices of banana, tbsp of sugar, pinch of cinnamon powder and poppy seeds
(optional) to sprinkle over the top for decoration, before baking

Preparation
Butter a 9-inch (23 cm) square pan or a loaf pan. Preheat the oven to 350F (180 C).

Directions
1. Sift together in a bowl the flours, baking powder, baking soda, salt, and
cinnamon.

2. In a mixer, put in the bananas, jaggery, coconut water and yoghurt. Blend into a
fine puree.

3. In a large bowl, place the melted ghee. Add the puree into this along with
vanilla essence.

4. Make a well in the center of the flour mixture and stir in the wet ingredients
with a spatula until almost mixed. Add in the nuts and stir until just combined,
but don't overstir: stop when any traces of flour disappear.

5. Scrape the mixture into the prepared pan - top with banana slices nicely
arranged, sprinkle sugar and cinnamon with some poppy seeds over the top and bake
for 40 minutes, or until the center feels lightly-springy and just done.

6. Cool on a wire rack.

Notes:
This cake is very low in fat, from the two tbsp used. Sugar is replaced by jaggery
which is a healthier source of sweetness, not to mention the lovely golden brown
colour it imparts. Eggs are replaced by coconut water and 2/3rds of the the AP
flour is replaced by whole wheat flour, adding to the fibre content.

I have also tried using 1/4th cup Semolina and 3/4 cup whole wheat flour, for a
cake with added texture. Diabetics can enjoy a slice of this cake too, right after
lunch or dinner without worrying about shooting up their blood sugar too much.