banana halva with cream

I was going to wait until tomorrow to post this, but some things just can’t wait.  If you have overripe bananas in your kitchen that desperately need to be put to use, don’t resort to that old boring banana bread recipe. Try this banana halva from Madhur Jaffrey’s Quick & Easy Indian Cooking. It’s sweet, sticky, and incredibly rich (well, the depth of richness depends on whether you use oil, butter, or ghee). One important thing to note is that even though making banana halva is a simple and straightforward process, the bananas do require continuous stirring when cooking.

Banana Halva with Cream
(adapted from Madhur Jaffrey’s Quick and Easy Indian Cooking)
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4 ripe overripe bananas
1 T vegetable oil, ghee, or butter (I used butter)
2 T sugar
2.5 T chopped nuts, unsalted (pistachios, walnuts, pecans, almonds)
1/3 c heavy cream or clotted cream

Peel and mash bananas in a large bowl.

Add oil, butter, or ghee to a large non-stick frying pan over medium-high heat. When hot, add bananas. Stir continuously for 5 minutes, then turn the heat to medium and stir for another 10 minutes, or until the bananas have turned to a deep toffee color. Add a little more oil, ghee, or butter, if necessary.

Turn down the heat to low and stir in sugar for about 30 seconds, or until dissolved. Fold in the nuts. Remove from heat, transfer to a plate and set aside.

Meanwhile, chop nuts and whip the cream until it holds stiff peaks. By now, the banana halva should be easy enough to handle. Use your hands to break it in two and form whatever shape you like. Cover the halva and cream with plastic wrap and refrigerate until serving time. Serve the halva with the whipping cream and more chopped nuts.

Serves 2

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Related posts:

1. mint chip ice cream
2. buttermilk ice cream with strawberry sauce
3. plantains with yogurt and pistachios
4. double chocolate ice cream
5. vanilla ice cream

Tags: dessert, gluten-free, indian