Baby marrow (kousa) loaf bread that is easy to make and best in taste with a soft crumb and crunchy crust studded with sugar and pumpkin seeds. Serve with tea or coffee as is or take it up a notch with a schmear of your favourite nut butter or salted butter.
When I shared my Zucchini bread recipe post a lot of you had this question - Can you use baby marrow (kousa) as a substitute for zucchini? Well, they are essentially the same thing. Zucchini, Baby Marrow, Courgettes, Squash, Summer squash, etc. are in the same vegetable family and probably at different maturity stages.
Now, you know can most definitely use Zucchini in this recipe too! 😁
What is Kousa?
Kousa is the Arabic name for zucchini that are short in size. These are often called Mexican Squash or Grey Zucchini. Kousa is used extensively in Middle Eastern Levant cuisine with minced meat. As this variety is abundantly available here and is cheaper than the Zucchini of the west, I had to try making a bread using it.
Let's look at what you need to make this crusty sweet bread.
Ingredients
- baby marrow: I have used Kousa variety but you can make this recipe with any kind of zucchini.
- egg
- oil: you can use olive oil, sunflower oil, coconut oil, melted butter or melted ghee.
- sugar: regular white granulated sugar
- salt
- vanilla extract
- cinnamon: you may use allspice or cardamom instead.
- baking soda
- baking powder
- flour: All-purpose or plain flour aka as maida in India.
- garnish: demerara sugar and pumpkin seeds
How to make it?
I came across this recipe on Smitten Kitchen by Deb Perelman where she calls this the Ultimate Zucchini Bread. The best part about the recipe is that you don't have to squeeze out the moisture. It doesn't end there. You need only one bowl to make the batter. And read this - you add the levening agents in the wet ingredients!
Yes, you add the baking soda and baking powder into the wet ingredients! I was sceptical at first, but trusted the recipe and wasted no time once the batter was in the pan.
For this recipe, I had halved the portions to bake using my 8x4 loaf pan. I made this recipe twice each time altering the sugar quantity and using a different oil. Both the time the crunchy crust and the specks of zucchini won my heart!
What is zucchini in Malayalam ? If you know, please do let me know in the comments!
📖 Recipe
Kousa Sweet Bread | Baby Marrow Loaf
Equipment
- 1 8x4 loaf pan
Ingredients
- 1 cup grated baby marrow (kousa) (grated using the large holes)
- 1 large egg room temperature
- ⅓ cup cooking oil (olive oil or melted butter or melted ghee)
- ½ cup white sugar
- ½ teaspoon salt
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- ½ teaspoon cinnamon powder (or allspice or cardamom powder)
- ½ teaspoon baking soda
- ¼ teaspoon baking powder
- 1 cup all-purpose flour (maida)
- 1 tablespoon demerara optional but recommended
- 1 tablespoon pumpkin seeds optional but recommended
Instructions
Prepare the pan
- Heat the oven to 175°C. Lightly grease and line an 8×4-inch loaf pan with baking paper.
Prepare the batter
- Place grated baby marrow in a large bowl and add oil, eggs, sugars, vanilla, and salt. Use a hand whisk to mix until combined.1 cup grated baby marrow (kousa), 1 large egg, ⅓ cup cooking oil, ½ cup white sugar, ½ teaspoon salt, 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- Sieve the cinnamon powder, baking soda, and baking powder over the surface of the batter and whisk thoroughly. Sieve in the flour and fold until just combined.½ teaspoon cinnamon powder, ½ teaspoon baking soda, ¼ teaspoon baking powder, 1 cup all-purpose flour
Bake the bread
- Pour the batter into the prepared loaf pan and smooth the top. Sprinkle some raw or demerara sugar and pumpkin seeds.1 tablespoon demerara, 1 tablespoon pumpkin seeds
- Bake for 45 to 50 minutes, until a toothpick test, comes out batter-free.
- Remove from the oven and let the bread cool completely in the pan. It is best served the next day or at least until it is completely cooled.
Serve and store
- Remove the bread and slice using a bread knife. Serve with tea or coffee. Store any leftover slices in an airtight box. This bread stays good for 3 to 4 days at room temperature. But you may refrigerate during warmer days.
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