A ripe plantain bread recipe baked with warm spices like nigella seeds and ghee makes our chai time sweeter!
You can cook both raw and ripe Plantains. The raw plantains are called green banana and when cooked resembles yam in texture. But today, we are talking about the sweet stuff! Don't we love all the recipes using ripe plantains that are sweet 😁 Kaai vaatiye, kaipola, unnakaya, pazham pori, and now this sweet bread!
Ever thought about what to make with that overripe plantain (nenthra pazham)? Can you use plantains for banana bread? or "What can I do with overripe plantains? A very valid question as we always have plenty in our home.
How I made this ripe plantain bread recipe?
Based on my everyday Banana bread recipe, I tried making ripe plantain bread three times and the second attempt was the best so sharing the recipe here finally! What happened the first and last time? I know it is better to know what went wrong so you don't make the same mistakes.
Mistake #1
The first time I made it while in Yanbu - just replaced the banana in my banana bread recipe but it gave me a dense gummy bread like you see here... (Yes, I hoard all my pics 😛) That is because the ripe plantains are not as smooth as banana, so mashing with a fork is not enough, you tend to have a lumpy dough making it dense bread. I learnt the hard way that it works better if you use a processor or mixie to mash the plantains.
Mistake #2
The third time went wrong when I tried making the batter with granulated brown sugar and baked it in a cast-iron skillet. The bread came out looking great, but there were undissolved sugar granules in each bite. Yikes! I should have whisked with the wet ingredients. Also, this version was way too dry!
Ingredients for Ripe Plantain Bread Recipe
- Whole wheat flour and all-purpose flour: We will be using both kinds but feel free to make it all maids!
- Sugar: White or brown sugar
- Baking powder and baking soda: You need both and no they are not the same thing!
- Salt: a little makes the magic
- Cardamom powder: Goes superbly well with ripe plantains
- Nigella seeds: my trademark for banana bread
- Egg: a large will help
- Ghee: melted and cooled
- Ripe plantain: Make sure they are ripe. Yellow skin with black dots doesn't always mean they are ripe. So it is better if it turns more black or not firm to touch to use in this recipe. I also prefer mashing them using a mixie if they don't turn out to be super ripe.
- Yoghurt: I tried adding a small amount of yoghurt to retain the moisture as the bread tends to get dry but this is optional.
Instructions
The appearance of yellow and the black dots on plantains can be deceiving. We assume the plantains are ripe but the truth unfolds when we peel them. Now what? it isn't ripe enough! I know that's frustrating! If it is a little riper and sweet to eat, then go ahead and use a processor to mash it. Apart from that, all you need is two bowls, one whisk, and a rubber spatula!
- Whisk the dry ingredients
- Whisk the wet ingredients
- Add the wet to the dry
- Fold gently taking care not to overdo (bits of dry flour is okay)
- Pour into a greased loaf and bake
Did You Know?
Did you know that some call this "banana bread with ripe plantains"? and that ripe plantains are mostly addressed as "Kerala banana" in the supermarkets here? and not long ago wiki had mentioned that this is not a banana family but now they call this "cooking banana"! What do you call this fruit?
📖 Recipe
Ripe Plantain Sweet Bread
Ingredients
Dry Ingredients
- 1 cup flour ½ cup atta and ½ cup maida
- ⅓ cup sugar
- ½ teaspoon baking powder
- ¼ teaspoon baking soda
- a pinch of salt
- ½ teaspoon cardamom powder
- ½ teaspoon nigella seeds
Wet Ingredients
- 1 large egg
- ¼ cup melted ghee
- ½-3/4 cup ripe plantain mashed using processor
- 2 tablespoon thick yoghurt whisked (optional but recommended)
Instructions
Baking mode details
- Place the oven wire rack in the middle (level 3).
- Preheat the oven to 180°c on top/bottom or 3D hot air mode.
- Lightly grease one 8x4 inch loaf pan OR two 5x3 inch loaf pans. You may coat with nonstick spray and line the bottom with baking paper.
Prepare the batter
- Add all the dry ingredients into a large bowl and whisk to combine (use a balloon whisk).
- In a smaller bowl, beat the egg, then add the mashed ripe plantain and cooled melted ghee.
- Whisk the wet ingredients until well incorporated.
- Fold the wet ingredients into the dry ingredients using a rubber spatula.
- DO NOT overmix. Fold in the same direction until combined.
Bake the ripe plantain bread
- Pour the batter into the lined loaf pan(s) and smooth the surface, sprinkle some more seeds.
- Bake for 30 to 35 minutes or until it passes the toothpick test.
- Cool the loaf pan on a rack for 5 to 8 minutes and run a spatula around to release the bread.
- Let the bread cool completely on a wire rack.
- Slice and serve with chai or coffee.
Store
- Store at room temperature in an airtight box for 2 to 4 days or in the fridge for a week or in the freezer for a month or until it lasts.
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