I’m not a breakfast person. I don’t always wake up in the mood for food. However, I know that breakfast is the most essential meal and that it revs your metabolism for the day ahead. But eating bowls of cereals or oats everyday bores me. Then again, waking up in the morning and cooking myself a fancy breakfast while getting ready for work is a little bit of a nightmare (I’m not a morning person either!). That’s why I like make-ahead breakfasts; breakfasts whipped in advance which gives me just enough time to get ready, grab a bite and dash out of the door!

Banana Bread is one such meal. Two slices of banana bread, a fruit of your choice, one hardboiled egg and a mug of your favorite beverage will give your day a terrific kick start! Easy to bake, tasty as hell –  Banana Bread will definitely add a zing to your breakfast routine. 🙂

This is a simple Banana Bread recipe. You can add nuts and raisins to the batter to give your loaf of bread an edge or you can also make Banana Bread Muffins with cherries on top! 🙂

Banana Bread

Ingredients

Ripe bananas – 2 (The riper, the better!)

All-purpose flour (Maida) – 1 ½ cups

Sugar – 1 cup

Egg – 1

Butter – 1/3 cup

Cardamom (Elaichi) Powder – 1 tsp

Baking soda – 1 tsp

Vanilla essence – 1 tsp

Salt – one pinch

Directions

• Preheat the oven at 350^o F (175^o C).
• In a bowl, mash bananas till they become mushy. Stir in melted butter and mix well.
• Add baking soda, salt and cardamom powder and stir. Add the egg and sugar and mix well. If you’re using a hand mixer, do not over-mix, since it may harden the bread.
• Stir in the essence.
• Finally, add flour (3 spoons at a time, to avoid lumps) and mix well until a smooth batter is formed.
• Pour the batter into a greased and floured loaf pan. Bake for 50 minutes or until a skewer inserted into the middle of it comes out clean. (If the top of the bread is browning quickly and the center is still raw, cover the bread with aluminium foil. This will prevent the bread from burning).
• Let it cool to room temperature. Cut and serve with a dollop of sweet whipped cream or enjoy as it is! 🙂

Storage Tip:

• Store Banana Bread slices in an airtight container at room temperature for upto two-three days or wrap it in aluminium foil or plastic wrap and refrigerate it to keep it fresh for a whole week.