bananarama pan bread

I feel a bit of a relic as I still collect hard-copy recipes from newspapers and magazines (though I suspect I’m not totally alone in this) and “file” them in three-ring binders. More and more, recipes are being collected and stored digitally, but I’ve yet to take that leap. I still enjoy the look and feel of paper with print.

There are recipes in my collection I’ve yet to try and there are recipes I come back to repeatedly. Today’s recipe is the latter. I don’t remember the when, where, and why of how it was collected, but I do know that it intrigued me. It still does.

This isn’t a banana bread as Americans know it. Rather, it’s a dosa-style pancake-like crêpe. What intrigues me most is that the only “liquid” used is a mashed banana. The final result is decidedly savory and can be eaten as-is, spread with cream cheese and/or jam, stacked with meat and cheese and rolled as you would a wrap sandwich, or filled and folded as you would a crêpe. The flatbreads are slightly chewy and only hint of banana. They take especially well to rich cheeses such as brie. I’ve enjoyed dressing them up for breakfast, lunch, snack, and even dinner. Once made, they can be stored and used as needed for quick snacks and meals.

I like knowing Banana Pan Bread is a part of my collection. Should I ever transfer to the digital age, it’s definitely a recipe that will make the cut.

Banana Pan Bread

Depending on the size of banana, you might need more than one to bind the dry ingredients together.

1 ripe banana
1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon chili powder
1/2 teaspoon sugar
1/4 teaspoon ground turmeric
Vegetable oil or butter

In bowl, mash banana with fork. Stir in flour, chili powder, sugar, and turmeric just until dough forms. Separate dough into 6 portions; shape into disks. On flour-dusted work surface, roll each disk into thin, flat round.

On hot griddle or in hot skillet, heat oil or melt butter (or spray with cooking spray). “Fry” dough rounds, in batches, on griddle 45 seconds on each side or until browned. Cool on wire rack. Store in refrigerator or freeze, separated between sheets of wax paper, in large resealable plastic food-storage bag. Makes 6 flatbreads.