Banana Bread

Unsalted butter

1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour, plus more for dusting

1 teaspoon baking soda

1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon

1/2 teaspoon kosher salt

2 large eggs, beaten

1/2 cup neutral oil or melted butter

3/4 cup granulated sugar

2 large, very ripe bananas, mashed (1 cup)

Confectioners' sugar, for dusting

Preheat oven to 350°F. Butter and flour a 8 1/2-by-4 1/2-inch metal loaf pan. In a medium bowl, whisk together flour, baking soda, cinnamon, and salt. In another bowl, whisk eggs with oil (or butter), sugar and mashed bananas. Stir banana mixture into dry ingredients.

Scrape batter into prepared pan and bake in the center of the oven for about 50 minutes, until bread is golden and a toothpick inserted into the center of the loaf comes out clean. Transfer pan to a rack and let cool for 15 minutes, then turn bread out onto rack and let cool completely. Dust top with confectioners' sugar, cut into slices and serve.

Chole Tikki

1 cup boiled chickpeas (garbanzo beans, kabuli chana)

3 medium-sized potatoes

1 tbsp shredded ginger

1 tbsp chopped cilantro

2 chopped green chilies, adjust to taste

1/2 tsp black pepper

1 tsp salt

1 tsp lemon juice

Oil for shallow frying

For Serving

1/4 cup plain yogurt

2 tbsp cilantro chutney

2 tbsp tamarind chutney

Boil the potatoes until tender. Once done, drain the water and allow the potatoes to cool. Note: Avoid cooling the potatoes under running water, as this can cause them to absorb extra water and become mushy. Once cooled, peel and mash the potatoes.

Drain the chickpeas and dry them with a paper towel to ensure there's no excess water. Coarsely mash the chickpeas.

Combine all the ingredients; adjust salt and pepper to taste. With oiled hands, divide the mixture into 8 to 10 equal portions and shape them into patties about half an inch thick.

Heat oil in a flat-bottomed saucepan over medium-high heat (the oil should generously cover the pan's surface). To test the oil, place a small piece of tikki in it; it should sizzle.

Place the Tikkis in the pan and shallow fry them on both sides until golden brown. If the Tikki is too dry, add more oil as needed without making them too greasy.

You may need to adjust the heat as necessary while cooking.

Bakewell Tart

Dough

1 2/3 cups all-purpose flour (approximately 7 1/8 ounces)

1/3 cup powdered sugar

1/4 teaspoon kosher salt

1/2 cup unsalted butter, cut into 1/2-inch cubes, plus extra for greasing

1 large egg yolk

1 tablespoon cold water

Filling

1 1/4 cups very finely ground blanched almond flour (approximately 4 1/3 ounces)

1/2 cup granulated sugar

1/3 cup all-purpose flour (approximately 1 1/2 ounces)

1/4 teaspoon kosher salt

1/2 cup unsalted butter, cubed, at room temperature

1/2 teaspoon almond extract

1 large egg, at room temperature

1/3 cup seedless raspberry jam

Sliced blanched almonds (optional)

Powdered sugar

Prepare the dough

Combine flour, powdered sugar, and salt in a food processor bowl, and pulse twice to mix. Add butter, and pulse until the butter forms pea-sized and smaller pieces. In a small bowl, whisk together the egg yolk and water; gradually add to the processor bowl through the chute, pulsing until just mixed, about 34 pulses. (The mixture will remain crumbly but should hold together when squeezed.)

Press the dough evenly onto the bottom and up the sides of a 9-inch fluted round tart pan with a removable bottom. Prick the dough with a fork; freeze for at least 30 minutes or up to 12 hours. (Cover the dough once firm if freezing overnight.)

When ready to bake, preheat the oven to 375°F. Take the tart pan from the freezer; lightly grease one side of a piece of aluminum foil with butter. Line the tart pan with the foil, butter side down against the dough, and fill with pie weights; place the tart pan on a rimmed baking sheet.

Bake the dough for 20 minutes; remove from the oven, and take out the foil and pie weights. Continue baking the crust until it turns golden brown, another 10 to 20 minutes. (If the crust bubbles up while baking, gently prick and deflate it with a fork.) Allow the crust to cool in the tart pan on a wire rack until it reaches room temperature, 45 minutes to 1 hour. Meanwhile, reduce the oven temperature to 350°F.

Prepare the filling

Place almond flour, granulated sugar, all-purpose flour, and salt in the food processor bowl (no need to clean it first); pulse to combine, about 4 pulses. Add butter, almond extract, and egg; pulse until just mixed, about 6 pulses, stopping to scrape down the sides of the bowl as necessary.

To assemble, spread the jam evenly over the bottom of the cooled crust on the same rimmed baking sheet; spoon the almond flour mixture evenly on top and spread it into an even layer. Sprinkle with almonds (if using).

Bake the tart until the filling is puffed and golden brown, and a cake tester inserted into the center comes out clean, about 40 minutes, rotating the tart pan 180 degrees halfway through the baking time and covering with aluminum foil if the edges of the crust are browning too much.

Let the tart cool in the pan on a wire rack until it reaches room temperature, 1 hour, 30 minutes to 2 hours. Remove the tart from the pan and transfer to a platter. Dust with powdered sugar before serving.