Satisfy your cake cravings with this Fasting muffin made of Buckwheat (kuttu ataa) and Banana
Muffins are a favorite across age groups and across all seasons. Why not try something unusual on our fast and make it a bigger celebration with Banana Buckwheat Muffins. Yes we use buckwheat to make this suit our fasting menu. Not just that, this is free from any processed/chemical ingredients for obvious reasons- No baking powder, no soda- surprised? Lets understand more about Buckwheat before we move to the recipe.
What is buckwheat
Buckwheat or kuttu ka ataa is used during the fasting days in most of India. The reason behind this is, Buckwheat is neither a cereal, nor a grass- it is a fruit fruit that is closely related to wild rhubarb- and hence finds its place as a fasting meal. The name “buckwheat” comes from a Dutch word that means beech wheat, simply because the fruit is very similar in appearance to a small beech nut.
Benefits of Buckwheat
However, a less known fact about buckwheat or kuttu ataa or Fagopyrum esculentum (yes that's the less simple scientific name of this super food) is that it is Gluten Free and highly nutritious. Buckwheat is packed with many nutrients like proteins, carbohydrates, vitamins, minerals like potassium, calcium, phosphorous, magnesium and iron. Being very low on fats and super high on fiber (found in higher ratio in the darker buckwheat flour as it is not hulled before grinding), this superfood is advisable for boosting heart health, weight loss, indigestion, diabetes etc.
Unlike many other food ingredients this superfood is not known to have any side effect unless one is allergic to the buckwheat fruit itself which is very rare. Do we still need a reason to use this super ingredient, if yes, its the fasting season!
Buckwheat Banana Muffins
Various items are made of buckwheat during the fasting days. We all wish to have something different and tasty. During the fasting days the ingredients used are limited which makes it difficult to make new items with the same old ingredients. Instead of having fried dishes or only savories, we wanted to make something sweet and baked. Nowadays as people are more experimental, we have come up with a sumptuous muffin with buckwheat which is healthy and tasty as well. As contrary to belief healthy can be tasty as well. Youngsters always go for tasty stuff. This recipe is something very novel. Buckwheat adds a healthy note to the recipe while bananas add moistness and taste to the muffins.
Who can resist some homemade freshly baked healthy muffins! These are light in texture and are mixed with the goodness of health and baking.
Total Servings: 10-12 muffins approx
Ingredients
- Banana - 1 no.
- Buckwheat - 1 cup
- Plain yogurt - ¼ cup
- Cinnamon powder - 2 tsp
- Sugar - 60 gms
- Butter/Oil - ¼ cup
Ratios are critical here as any change might lead to a common baking mistake.
Method
Preheat the oven at 180°c or 356°f.
Peel and mash the bananas in a bowl and set aside.
Sift the buckwheat and cinnamon powder in a bowl and set aside.
Cream the butter and sugar in a large bowl using a whisk.
Once the mixture is creamed add in the dry mix, mashed bananas and yogurt to it.
Place the cupcake molds on a baking tray (preferably paper cupcake molds or silicon molds)
Pour the batter into cupcake molds
Bake the muffin batter at 180°C for 15-20 mins.
Cool down the muffins and it's ready to serve.
Suggested servings
You can garnish the muffins with whipped cream and chopped walnuts.
Enjoy your Fasting Banana Muffins!
To see more fast-friendly recipes for this navratri: click here!
