I was really looking forward to the Tom Cruise movie that day. I reached the theatre late, puffing  and panting, saw Harry and my friend waiting – with tickets in their hands and murderous looks in their eyes. The show had started and we three ran inside without another word. Inside, catching my breath, I waited for the handsome hero to come in the big screen. Only, he didn’t.

They were showing a Russel Crowe movie! After waiting for another 10 minutes and making doubly sure that Tom Cruise was not in the movie, I gathered courage to ask Harry what was happenening. Apparently, tickets were out for ‘The Last Samurai’ and we were watching ‘Master and Commander’ instead. Ahhhhh…that explained a lot!

So, if you are here looking for a Strawberry Banana Muffin, expected as part of August Sweet Punch Challenge, and confused a bit at finding an entirely different Muffin, worry no more. The tickets for Strawberry (in Chennai) were out a couple of months back. Harry and Bebo hate banana in baking, so I tried baking a muffin which will have takers in my home.

The original recipe is from here and I adapted it a bit to suit my taste. Harry loved these, which is unusual. Sweet, but not overtly sweet and with a hint of onion and chilli in every bite, these were a refreshing change from the usual baked sweets. So here I am, with great bravado, offering Strawberry Banana Muffins for the Sweet Punch Challenge.

Ingredients:

Onion                         : 1 large, chopped
Butter/oil                  : 1 tbsp, for sauteing the onion
Mixed dry herbs      : 1/4 – 1/2 tsp or per taste
All Purpose flour     : 1 1/2 cup
Sugar                         : 2 tbsp
Baking Powder        : 2 tsp
Salt                             : 1/2 tsp
Baking Soda             : 1/4 tsp
Buttermilk                : 1 cup
Oil                               : 1/4 cup
Egg                              : 1
Chilies                        : 1-2 seeded and chopped, per taste

Method:

1. Heat oven to 350F/180C. Line a muffin pan with paper cups.
2. Heat 1 tbsp butter in a pan and saute the onions for 3-4 minutes, till they start to brown. Take off the heat, add the chilies, herbs and keep aside.
3. In a big mixing bowl, whisk the flour, baking powder, sugar, salt and baking soda.
4. In another bowl, add the oil, butter milk and egg. Whisk till everything is well combined. Add this to the dry ingredients, along with the onion and chilies. Mix till everything is combined, do not over mix the batter.
5. Fill the paper cups till they are 3/4th full and bake for about 15 minutes or till a skewer inserted in the center comes out free. Serve them warm.

Note:

The movie incident happened in 2003. I still remember looking at the ship with bewilderment, wondering what was happening and where is Tom Cruise !!?