Coconut banana brownies

First of all, let me express my most sincere apologies for being away from blogging for a while.  Though I know a serious blogger would never allow a long hiatus to happen, I couldn't help but stay out of my kitchen for the following reasons:

• I have been feeling extremely bloated for nearly a week, and I still do.  I don't know what I have eaten that has caused such a severe reaction in my digestive system.  I cannot eat much, only subsisting on raw fruits and hot liquid soups.     
• I have been working on my thesis that is due for submission in the next two weeks.  Combating writer's block has left me too weary to step into my kitchen.

The emphasis of today's recipe is that the brownies are grain-free.  You probably may not have realised, but grains, in all their diverse forms, are ubiquitous and integral in the standard modern diet.  However, that wasn't the case in many traditional societies, in which more emphasis was placed on fruits, vegetables and free-range animals in the immediate environment.  Where grains were consumed, traditional methods of preparation had been developed to ensure that these grains were suitable for consumption.  Traditional methods of preparation included soaking, fermentation and sprouting, which, of course, would be deemed time-consuming from a modern perspective.  But why should grains undergo such intensive treatment prior consumption?  Well, simply because they are not digested and assimilated well in the human digestive system.  Moreover, grains have substantial anti-nutrients, which are substances interfering with absorption of micronutrients.  The most notorious anti-nutrient found in all grains is phytic acid, which chelates with minerals like zinc and iron and thus, deprives the body of their absorption.  In the absence of proper preparation of grains, prolonged consumption of grains could lead to many types of health problems.

Now, I am not sure how many of you are aware of celiac disease, a condition characterised by chronic intestinal inflammation due to gluten intolerance.  Gluten is a type of protein that is found in many grains, most notably wheat.  Other gluten-containing grains include rye, barley and spelt.  Gluten-intolerant individuals cannot eat foods containing gluten, and their dietary restriction is extremely challenging to adhere to, especially in the standard modern diet which is heavily based on wheat and its derivatives.  The worse thing is, many people are ignorant of the importance of proper preparation of wheat.

For example, modern wheat bread is made using quick-rise yeast whilst its traditional counterpart utilises sourdough, a dough containing both (natural) yeast and bacteria (a Lactobacillus strain) in symbiotic co-existence.  Quick-rise yeast allows the dough to ferment and rise more quickly, but compromises optimal fermentation that is necessary to break down gluten and phytic acid in the wheat flour.  In contrast, sourdough is able to break down the gluten, and especially phytic acid much more effectively because its Lactobacillus bacteria produces a favorably stronger acidic environment.  Moreover, in traditional bread-making, the wheat dough needs to be fermented for a much longer time, even up to two weeks to ensure thorough degradation of the harmful substances.  The fact that at least some gluten-intolerant people are able to consume traditional sourdough bread testifies to the importance of proper grain preparation, which unfortunately, many of us are unaware of.

Because of my condition, I have been abstaining from grains for a few days now.  In fact, I suspect that my poor digestive health may be attributable to prolonged consumption of ill-prepared grains.  Even though it is merely a suspicion, I would rather not take chances.  Although I am still bloated, I must admit that I feel slightly better.  I hope my suspicion proves me right; at least, I have better control over my own body by knowing what to eat and what not to eat.  Being a person who loves bread, however, I find the elimination of grains to be challenging.  And so, I tried to make for myself coconut flour bread, but which turned out to look more like brownies due to using a wider baking tray.

Coconut banana brownies

(Lightly adapted from the Nourished Kitchen)

Ingredients

• 6 small bananas (acting as egg replacement and its natural sugars acting as sugar replacement)
• 75 g coconut flour *
• 50 g almond meal (aka ground almond; I used it here to add some density)
• 100 - 120 ml virgin coconut oil (adjust according to the consistency of batter)
• 1 tbsp ground cinnamon, or to taste

Directions

1. Pre-heat oven at 180 degrees Celsius.
2. Mix all the dry ingredients together, including the bananas to form dry batter.
3. Slowly add in the VCO to test for the desired consistency, which should not be too wet.  What I achieved was somewhat sticky and slightly wetter version of bread dough.  
4. Pour batter into oiled/ parchment-covered tray and bake in oven for 40 minutes.

 * I made my own coconut flour using grated coconut flesh bought from a wet market.  Grated coconut was used for two purposes.  First, I placed it in a muslin bag and squeezed to procure coconut milk.  Second, I dehydrated the dried coconut remaining and then used a food processor to further grind it into finer shreds which formed the flour.

Verdict
Unless you are a coconut fan, you probably won't enjoy the coconut aroma and taste in the brownies.  My parents said they were pretty strong, but I love them anyway.  Yums!!!  If you don't like the brownies to be too coconut-ty, you could incorporate other types of flour, or replace the VCO with butter.