Banana Buns

Buns as they are called in Goa are a cross between a puri and bread, They are actually snacks that are made in variation in the coastal regions of Goa and Karnataka, especially Udupi and Mangalore. They are fried like puris and puff up like them but the interior is rather flaky and filled like a bun and hence the name. They are served with vegetable curry like Kurma or with chutney. You can sweeten them more and can have them just like that sans any accompaniment! Thats my favourite way of eating them.

Buns are a product of fermentation of the dough. Mashed bananas is a key to these buns.These bananas must be really ripe with black spots on them. If they are not very ripe, the sweetness is less and the time required for fermentation is also more. Only as much all purpose flour is added to mashed bananas as the bananas can hold. The consistency is rather soft and the dough has to be fermented for at least 8 hours. In winters the fermentation time goes up.

Here is the recipe to these wonderful snacky treats:

Ingredients

1. Very ripe bananas  2-3
2. All purpose flour  2-3 cups (how much ever the dough can hold)
3. Sugar – 4 tbsp
4. Cumin Seed – 1 tsp
5. Baking soda – a pinch
6. Curd – 1/4 cup
7. Salt – 1/4 tsp
8. Oil for frying

Method

1. Mash the bananas with a fork till smooth.
2. Add cumin seeds, sugar, salt, soda bicarb and curd into the bananas and mix well.
3. Finally add the the flour cup by cup till you get smooth dough. Add only the required quantity.
4. Keep the dough covered for at least 8 hours to ferment.
5. Keep the oil in a pan for heating. Knead the dough well and divide into small portions just the way you do for puris. Roll out each portion and fry in oil for each side till they turn golden brown.
6. Serve hot with your choice of accompaniment.

I reiterate here that the key is to get the dough right. We are not adding any water at all. All the liquidity is because of the bananas and the curd and then adding as much flour as they can hold. Increase or decrease the sugar as per your taste. Seemingly innocuous cumin seeds or jeera adds an oomph to the recipe. Salt is very essential to balance and bring out the sweeteness and flavour of the bananas. Pinch of soda works wonders along with the curd and the banana to make the buns lighter and flakier.

Give the recipe a try and let me know how it turned out.