What are Mangalore Buns and a Quick Dessert Recipe to Make Them

Mangalore buns are a popular breakfast and tea-time snack that come from the coastal region of Mangalore in Karnataka. You can also call them banana puri or sweet puri, so, forget the tea cake recipe and bake these instead. They are soft, pillowy, and slightly sweet puffed breads made with overripe bananas, flour, sugar, and yoghurt. A little cumin is added to the recipe too and then they are fried to golden perfection.

Usually, Mangalore buns are eaten with coconut chutney and sambar, as part of a full meal, but you can have them standalone with some tea or coffee. There are other curries, chutneys, and jams that pair well with Mangalore buns too. Typically made with all-purpose flour, they can also be made with finger millet, sorghum, or whole wheat flour.

If you have overripe bananas at home, and you don’t want to make banana bread this time around, it’s the perfect opportunity to try this recipe out. They are perfect to start your Sunday morning with, or even as part of a late lunch. Also, you don’t need to be an expert chef or cook to make them at home. Follow this step-by-step recipe to achieve the perfect Mangalore buns.

Recipe for Mangalore Buns

Ingredients:

1 medium-sized ripe banana

3 tbsp jaggery powder

½ tsp ground cumin

Pinch of salt

2 pinches of baking soda

1 tbsp homemade curd

180 gm maida or whole wheat flour

1 tsp ghee or oil

Neutral oil for deep frying

Instructions:

• Mash the banana well and add it to a bowl with jaggery powder. You can also use brown sugar or regular granulated sugar if you like.
• You can also blend the sugar and banana in a food processor or mixer grinder to get an absolutely smooth purée.
• Once done, incorporate the dry ingredients: flour, ground cumin, salt, baking soda, and homemade curd, into the banana and sugar purée.
• Mix well so the ingredients are well incorporated. If the dough seems dry, add a little more curd.
• Take the dough out from the bowl and onto a flat surface.
• After this the dough might feel sticky, so to continue kneading it you should grease your palms with some ghee or oil. If it’s too sticky, then add more flour.
• Transfer the dough back into a bowl, and cover with a cling film or kitchen towel. Let it rest for at least four hours at room temperature or overnight in the fridge.
• To avoid the top of the dough from drying, rub some oil or ghee over it. You can also grease the bowl you’re placing the dough ball in.
• When you’re ready to make the Mangalore buns, take the dough out of the fridge and make out medium-sized balls.
• Roll out the balls into circles that have a 4-inch diameter. Don’t roll the puris out too thin, they have to have a slight thickness to them.
• Arrange the rolled-out puris in a thali and cover them with a kitchen towel to prevent them from drying as you wait for the oil to heat in a pot on medium to medium-high heat.
• When the oil is hot enough, cook one puri at a time and wait for it to puff up and become golden on both sides.
• Remove the cooked puris on a kitchen towel to soak any excess oil.

Serve them hot with some masala chai, milk, or coffee.