Basil seeds (sabja seeds) are one of the most sought-after summer ingredients in Asia. According to Indian Ayurveda and Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM), basil seeds are useful to lower the heat of our body. So it is a good idea to add basil seeds into our diet during summer to keep us cool & hydrated. This summer I have baked a loaf of egg-free banana bread using soaked basil seeds as a substitute for the egg.
Besides I like to add soaked basil seeds into my regular foods like chappathi (flat bread), raitha (yogurt-based salad), fruit juices, puddings, etc. to beat the notorious scorching summer heat here in Chennai.
It is a common sight in the supermarkets here displaying a number of basil seeds’ products, and the refreshment shops selling fruit juices & ice creams with added basil seeds to attract more customers during summer.
Now I have prepared an Indian-flavored banana bread using whole wheat flour, soaked basil seeds as the substitute for eggs, jaggery as sweetener, cardamom powder for a sweet aroma, ginger powder for the sharp flavor, and ghee-roasted coconut pieces & raisins for adding delicious texture. We could enjoy the gritty basil seeds, lovely banana flavor, and sweet cardamom aroma in every bite, and the chewy coconut pieces & juicy raisins made this bread even more delectable.
Basil seeds Banana Bread Recipe
Ingredients:
| Main ingredients: | |
| Whole wheat flour | 1 and 1/2 cups |
| Baking powder | 1 tbsp (heaped) |
| Cardamom | 2 |
| Dried ginger | 1/2″ |
| Mashed banana | 1 cup * |
| Powdered jaggery | 3/4 cup |
| Soaked sabja seeds | 1/2 cup ** |
| Neutral oil | 1/2 cup |
| Ghee-roasted coconut & raisins | as desired |
| For garnishing: | |
| Coconut pieces (slivered) | as desired |
| Cashew nuts | as desired |
* I used 2 large ripe red bananas.
** I added about 1 tbsp of basil seeds into 50 ml of water, these seeds absorbed all the water and swelled into gel-like globules in just 2-3 minutes.
Mise en place:
- Line the loaf pan with parchment paper as shown below.
- Powder the cardamoms & dried ginger using mortar & pestle and leave aside.
- Keep the banana & jaggery mixture ready.
- Roast coconut & raisins in hot ghee and keep aside.
Baking basil seeds banana bread:
- Preheat the oven to 170 deg C.
- Sieve the whole wheat flour along with baking powder, cardamom powder & ginger powder through a fine mesh into a mixing bowl.
- Pour banana-jaggery mixture followed by soaked basil seeds & oil into the bowl.
- Mix them using a hand mixer (or whisk) at low speed.
- Add roasted coconut & raisins into the dough and mix again.
- Pour the batter into the prepared loaf pan.
- Garnish with raw coconut pieces & cashew nuts.
- Bake for 40 minutes or until the toothpick inserted comes out clean.
- Remove the pan from the oven and leave it aside until it reaches room temperature.
- Transfer the loaf to a plate and slice it after few hours to enjoy the intense banana flavor.
- Serve delicious banana bread for breakfast with peanut butter or jaggery syrup.
How to use banana bread dough:
Instead of baking banana bread for 40 minutes, we can bake cupcakes for 15 minutes using the same batter after reducing baking powder to one teaspoon & adding half a teaspoon of baking soda. We can also make appam (pancake) or paniyaram (appe) quickly on the stove top. We just need to dilute the batter with little water or milk before making appam or paniyaram and serve them as after-school snacks for children.
Looks lovely and sounds delicious! I’ve never seen basil seeds in banana bread before, very creative and interesting
Glad you liked this. Thank you so much for stopping by.
This one just so cool!!!!
Lovely recipe. Bread looks so delicious.
Yes, it was delicious! Thank you.
That looks healthy and tasty as well. Love all the interesting ingredients in it almost like one of our sweet appams but baked 🙂
Yes, indeed! 🙂 Thanks Nisha.
I always enjoy reading your recipes and the exotic flavours you add. What a wonderful cake.
Thank you so much!
Wheat flour, jaggery and basil seed, that’s wonderful combo of flavor and health!!
Yes, thank you!
I love to cook and prepping my own meal. I always see to it to have something healthy for the whole day so thanks a lot to this blog…
I’m glad you feel so, thank you so much for reading my posts.
Once again, you outdo yourself. Amazing recipe!
Thank you so much for your time.
Such a nutritious and wonderful recipe Megala! You give such wonderful info too!!
Glad you find it useful, thanks Pooja.
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So many ingredients I’ve never used before but it looks delicious!
Yes, it was. Thank you!
Such an amazing and delightful treat with basil seeds, that’s something really interesting and unique ✌️
Thank you!
I have another Banana bread recipe to try this week. Your recipe is also very original and healthy. I would like to try it as well. I will look for basil seeds at the market. By the way, I had no idea we could use basil seeds as the substitute for eggs .Thanks for the tips.
Glad you liked this recipe, thanks Dominique!
this looks so yummy…will definitely try it soon..:-)
Thank you!
Wow–I didn’t know basil seeds had so many health benefits! This sounds like a great banana bread, too!
Thank you! 🙂
Wow! really?! Basil seeds! This is so amazing. Also, using dry ginger in baking is a great idea.
Thank you so much! I learned a great lesson again. I can’t wait to try this recipe this week.
Oh, thanks a ton! Looking forward to your feedback.
Dear Megala, it is delicious! I found basil seeds at store.
Also, I put a little walnuts… just for fun, but it turned out very nice!
Thank you for the beauty of food experience. Have a nice weekend! ^^
I’m so happy to hear this. Thanks very much for trying this recipe and sharing your feedback.
How fascinating! I have never heard of basil seeds in recipes but I do grow basil leaves. I wonder if the leaves have the same health benefits?
I hope basil leaves do possess the same health benefits to some extent.
Thanks Diane!
This is something new to me. I didn’t know basil seeds were used in cooking. Thanks for the great information.
Most welcome! Thanks much for stopping by.
Scrumptious. ?
Yes, it was! Thank you.
I am going to try this soon??
Oh! Thanks. Please let me know how you like it.
Absolutely, done deal??
We use sabja in juices and pudding but using it in baking is new information for me, thanks.
Yes, it is common to add them into every summer drinks & desserts, and I think you would like this avtar as well. 🙂
Thank you.
Yum! I love banana bread. I should look for some basil seeds.
Glad to hear this, thanks! 🙂
I have trouble finding basil seeds, but they do seem very similar to chia seeds for their binding properties. I’ll have to try your recipe with that substitute!
Thank you!
Thankyou for sharing this reciepe. It looks delicious ?
You are welcome! 🙂
Such a great idea to add basil seeds in the bread. Will try that next time
Oh, thanks! Please let me know how it turned out for you.
WOW.. A very interesting combination! Looks yum!??
Thank you!
I love the way you’ve replaced traditional ingredients to make your own Indian style banana loaf. Looks great.
Thank you!
I don’t recall seeing basil seeds at stores here. Thanks for telling me about them!
Oh! Here it is well known for the amazing health benefits. Thanks, Christy, for taking time off your wedding preparation!
What an amazing combination of ingredients, and a recipe for special occasions! I love the fact that the batter is versatile and can be used for our traditional paniyaram and appam.
Yes, the addition of baking powder made paniyaram & appam super soft & pillowy. 🙂
Thank you.
Again, a very interesting combination. How well does it rise and hold the rise?
This bread is like a cakey bread, I have added one heaped tablespoon of baking powder, yet it does not rise as much as the ones made using yeast. So if you are looking for perfect bread texture you may try using yeast in here.
Thank you!
Wonderful creation Megala.
Thank you!
Love all the flavors in this delicious bread ?
Thank you! 🙂
Interesting recipe, Megala… I love Banana bread but have never thought about using sabha seeds in Banana bread. Awesome!!
Thank you.
Another amazing recipe Megala…Thank you!! 🙂
You are welcome! 🙂
Wonderfully fragrant recipe, just reading the instructions is mouth watering, I didn’t know the basil seeds were so beneficial, now I do, thanks for the tip?
Thank you so much! 🙂
It’s my pleasure to enjoy your recipes?❤️
Oh my goodness Megala sounds amazing!! I love the pancake idea as well as the cupcakes. Thank you for giving us the options and telling us the adjustments we need to make them. I just had a procedure done and can not have anything that might have a seed(even the smallest) and no nuts or raisins. Why I don’t know. I will follow the doctors instructions but I look forward to making this. Thank you my dear friend for always giving us great comforting, healthy food recipes 🙂
Oh! Wishing you a speedy recovery, dear friend! Thank you so much for reading my post & commenting, it means a lot to me, truly encouraging. 🙂
It’s my pleasure 🙂
Another ingredient that we don’t have here that sounds amazing! At least I haven’t seen Basil Seed here~ sounds a bit like we use chia seeds though which are a fairly newish thing here~ maybe last ten years they popped up so maybe basil seeds are next! Is it Holy Basil/Tulsi seed?
Yes, they are similar to chia seeds, but not Holy Tulsi seeds (I have seen tulsi seeds, they are bit different). Hope you could source these seeds in your neighborhood, we find American Harvest basil seed drinks available here, I don’t know whether it is a fake brand or not. 🙂
Thank you so much.
Wow! I’ve learned something new! I must try basil seeds if I can find them here. I’ll look for them in a specialty Asian food store in Geneva. Thanks for this excellent recipe, Megala!
Yes, these are amazing ingredients, and I am glad you liked this version of banana bread. Thank you!
Delicious looking
Thank you.
Appreciate your culinary skills, Megala!!
Thank you!
Megala, This sure is a brilliant share! Love all the flavors in this banana bread and using subja seeds during the summer is such a fabulous idea!
Thank you!
Fantastic and yes basil seeds are so cooling to the stomach in this hot climate. It is very good to be taken in juices and you have done a beautiful cake, Megala. Too good. Thanks for this wonderful recipe.
I’m glad you liked this recipe. Thank you so much.
Welcome dear Megala and I love banana bread, awesome.
Interesting mix of ingredients… Never used sabja in baking … Bread looks delicious … There are two sad looking bananas on my kitchen counter… Thanks for posting this recipe ..
I hope those “sad” bananas will make your family happy. ? Thanks much for stopping by.
Oh wow! What an amazing play of ingredients Megala ? Can’t wait to try this recipe packed with flavours!!
Thanks Radhika! ?
(EN) Please, once invite me to your home ?.It look so yummy!
(IT) Per favore, una volta invitami a casa tua?. Sembra così appetitoso!
Sure, anytime! ? Thank you.