There can be few countries in the world that do not grow bananas... and in all seasons. These are the common man�s table fruit. And they are comfort foods. Cheap, available, and extremely satisfying as well. But they lend admirably to some cuisines, to desserts, and to all kinds of exotic fusion foods. India grows several variety of this fruit. And to each community, their own...

Ingredients:
75 gm plain wholemeal flour
50 gm plain white flour
2 tsps baking powder
pinch of salt
1 tsp mixed spice
1/4 cup soft brown sugar
1/4 cup polyunsaturated margarine
1 egg, beaten
2/3 cup semi-skimmed milk
grated rind of 1 orange
1 ripe banana
1/4 cup porridge oats
1/4 cup chopped hazelnuts

Procedure:
Preheat the oven to degree 200C/ degree 400F/ Gas 6. Line a muffin tin with 12 large paper cake cases. Sift together both flours, the baking powder, salt and mixed spice into a bowl, then tip the bran remaining in the sieve into the bowl. Stir in the sugar. Melt the margarine and pour it into a mixing bowl. Cool slightly, then beat in the egg, milk and grated orange rind. Gently fold in the dry ingredients. Mash the banana with a fork, then stir it gently into the mixture, being careful not to overmix. Spoon the mixture into the paper cases. Combine the oats and hazelnuts and sprinkle a little of the mixture over each muffin. Bake for 20 minutes until the muffins are well risen and golden, and a skewer inserted in the centre comes out clean. Transfer to a wire rack and serve warm or cold.

Ingredients:
250 gm plain flour
2 tbsps baking powder
1/2 tbsp ground nutmeg
160 gm unsalted butter, at room temperature
230 gm soft light brown sugar
2 eggs
3 ripe bananas, mashed

Procedure:
Preheat the oven to degree 170C (degree 325F/gas 3). Grease and flour a loaf tin, about 23 x 13 x 6 cm (9 x 5 x 2 1/2 inches).
Sift together the flour, baking powder, nutmeg and 1/2 tbsp salt into a bowl. Cream the butter and sugar together and add the eggs one at a time. Add the mashed banana and mix until well combined. Add the sifted flour and mix until smooth.
Pour the mixture into the loaf tin and bake in the upper half of the oven for about 45 minutes, or until the top is coloured and the sides are beginning to pull away from the tin. Cover the top of the cake loosely with foil if it starts to darken too quickly. A skewer inserted into the centre should come out clean.
Allow to cool for five minutes before removing from the tin and cooling on a wire rack.

Ingredients:
1 small ripe banana
1 cup whole milk
2 scoops vanilla ice cream
1 tsp sugar (optional)
1 tsp lemon juice (optional)
Grated nutmeg, banana slices, to decorate

Procedure:
Peel and chop the banana into chunks. Place in the blender along with the milk, ice cream, sugar, and lemon juice. Process for 30 seconds until smooth. Pour into glasses and decorate with grated nutmeg and banana slices.
The combination of rich vanilla ice cream and fresh fruit produces a shake that is sweet enough for most palates. Should you require a sweeter shake, add up to one tbsp sugar syrup, sugar, or honey. Don't forget: the riper the fruit, the sweeter the flavour.

Ingredients:
3 large firm, ripe bananas
2 tbsps plain flour
1 egg, lightly beaten
1/2 cup dried breadcrumbs
2 tbsps ground almonds
1/2 tbsp ground cinnamon
60 gm butter
1 tbsp oil
2/3 cup cream icing sugar

Procedure:
Line a tray with greaseproof paper. Cut bananas in half horizontally and then in half again lengthways. Toss banana lightly in flour; shake off excess. Dip banana in egg a few pieces at a time. Coat with combined breadcrumbs, almonds and cinnamon; shake off excess. Arrange crumbed pieces on tray. Heat butter and oil in large heavy-based frying pan. Add bananas in single layer.
Cook over medium heat two minutes or until underside is golden. Turn fritters over and cook other side for one minute. Remove from pan, drain on paper towels. Dust banana fritters lightly with icing sugar and serve warm. Serve with ice-cream, if desired.

Ingredients:
60 gm butter
2/3 cup caster sugar
1 tsp vanilla essence
2 bananas, well mashed
1 egg, lightly beaten
1-1/2 cups self-raising flour
1/2 cup milk

Procedure:
Preheat oven to moderate degrees 180C. Brush 9 x 23 cm loaf tin with melted butter or oil. Coat base and sides with flour; shake excess. Using electric beaters, beat butter and sugar in a small mixing bowl until light and creamy. Add mashed banana; heat until combined. Add egg gradually, beating thoroughly after each addition. Add essence; beat until combined. Transfer mixture to large mixing bowl. Using a metal spoon, fold in sifted flour alternately with milk. Stir until just combined and mixture is smooth. Pour mixture into prepared tin; smooth surface. Bake for 45 minutes or until a skewer comes out clean when inserted into the centre of cake. Leave cake in tin 5 minutes, then turn onto a wire rack to cool. Serve buttered, or top with lemon icing.

Ingredients:
A lemon-sized piece of tamarind pulp
3/4 cup hot water,
3 raw green bananas
1/2 tbsp ground turmeric
Sat to taste
2 green chillies (chilli peppers), slit sideways
1 tbsp curry powder
2 tbsps grated fresh coconut or 2-1/2 tbsps flaked coconut
For Tempering
2 tbsps oil
1 tbsp brown mustard seeds
1 tbsp cumin seeds
1 tbsp washed urad dal,
picked over and rinsed
1 tbsp chana dal,
picked over and rinsed
1 red chilli, halved
1/4 tbsp asafoetida powder
A few curry leaves

Procedure:
Soak the tamarind in 3/4 cup hot water for 15 minutes. Strain the tamarind water into another container, squeezing as much liquid as possible out of the tamarind pulp. Discard pulp. Set the juice aside.
Peel and chop the green bananas into 1 cm pieces. Add the chopped bananas, tamarind juice, ground turmeric, and salt to taste to a heavy saucepan.
Cover pan with a lid and cook over a low heat until the bananas are tender and dry. Set aside. Tempering: Heat 2 tbsps oil in a heavy saucepan. Add the mustard seeds, cumin seeds, urad dal, chana dal, halved red chilli, asafoetida powder, and a few curry leaves.
When the mustard seeds splutter, add the slit green chillies, cooked bananas, curry powder and coconut. Cook for 1 minute, until thoroughly blended. Serve hot with rice.

Ingredients:
Pastry:
125 gm plain flour
Pinch of salt
75 gm unsalted butter
25 gm caster sugar
1 tbsp sesame seeds
2 tsps water Filling:
175 gm cream cheese
25 gm caster sugar
4 medium-sized bananas
1 tbsp lemon juice
150 ml double cream, whipped Glaze
1-1/2 tbsps lemon juice
3 tbsps water
3 tbsps icing sugar, sifted
3/4 tsp arrowroot

Procedure:
Sift together the flour and salt and rub in the butter. Add the remaining ingredients and work to a firm dough. Chill for at least 15 minutes, then roll out on a lightly floured board and use to line a deep-sided 8-inch/ 20 cm fluted flan tin. Chill until firm, then bake blind in a preheated degree 190C/375F/ gas mark 5 oven for about 40 minutes until crisp and golden. Leave to go cold. Beat the cream cheese and sugar together. Mash two of the bananas and fold into the mixture with the lemon juice and cream. Spoon into the pastry case.
Combine all the ingredients for the glaze in a small saucepan and bring to the boil, stirring.
Cook for one minute, then leave to cool slightly.
Peel and slice the remaining bananas and arrange them decoratively over the surface of the pie.
Brush with the lemon glaze and chill until required.
This pie is best served fresh on the day it is made.

Ingredients:
125 gm butter
1/2 cup caster sugar
2 eggs, lightly beaten
1 tsp vanilla essence
1-1/2 cups mashed ripe
4 bananas
1 tsp bicarbonate of soda
1-2 cup milk
2 cups self-raising flour
Butter Frosting
125 gm butter
3/4 cup icing sugar
1 tbsp lemon juice
1/4 cup flaked coconut, toasted

Procedure:
Preheat oven to moderate degree 180C. Brush 20 cm round cake tin with oil or melted butter, line base with baking paper. Using electric beaters, beat butter and sugar in small mixing bowl until light and creamy.
Add eggs gradually, beating thoroughly after each addition. Add essence and mashed banana, beat until combined. Transfer mixture to a large mixing bowl. Dissolve soda in milk.
Using a metal spoon, fold in sifted flour alternately with milk. Stir until all ingredients are just combined and the mixture is smooth. Spoon into prepared tin; smooth the surface.
Bake for 1 hour or until a skewer comes out clean when inserted into centre of cake. Leave the cake in tin for 10 minutes before turning onto a wire rack.

To make Frosting:
Using electric beaters, beat butter, icing sugar and lemon juice until smooth and creamy. Spread onto cooled cake, sprinkle with toasted coconut flakes.
Storage time: One week in an airtight container, or one month in freezer, un-iced.

Ingredients:
6 tbsps warm skimmed milk
1 tsp dried yeast
pinch of sugar
2 cups strong plain flour
2 tsps mixed spice
1/2 tsp salt, 1/4 cup caster sugar
2 tbsps soft margarine
1 egg

For the filling:
1 large ripe banana
1 cup ready-to-eat dried apricots
2 tbsps light sugar
For the glaze
2 tbsps caster sugar
2 tbsps water

Procedure:
Lightly grease an 18cm/7in square tin. Put warm milk in a jug and sprinkle yeast on top. Add a pinch of sugar to help activate yeast, mix well and leave for 30 minutes. Sift flour, spice and salt into a mixing bowl. Stir in caster sugar, rub in margarine, then stir in the yeast mixture and egg. Gradually mix in the flour to make a soft dough, adding extra milk if needed. Turn out the dough on to a floured surface and knead for 5 minutes until smooth and elastic. Return dough to the clean bowl, cover with a damp dish towel and leave in a warm place for 2 hours, until doubled in bulk. To prepare the filling, mash the banana in a bowl. Snip the apricots into pieces, then stir into the banana with the sugar. Knead the dough on a floured surface for 2 minutes, roll out to a 30x23cm/12x9in rectangle. Spread the banana and apricot filling over the dough and roll up lengthways like a Swiss roll, with the join underneath. Cut the roll into 9 buns. Place, cut side down, in the tin, cover and leave to rise for 30 minutes. Preheat the oven to degree 200C/ degree 400F/ Gas 6 and bake for 20-25 minutes. Meanwhile, mix the caster sugar and water in a small saucepan. Heat, stirring, until dissolved, then boil for 2 minutes. Brush the glaze over the buns while still hot.