Mangalore Buns

I've been getting many requests to post the recipe for Mangalore buns after I put up a picture of these beautiful babies on Orkut.
When I first made Mangalore buns,it was out of pure nostalgia. I was missing home and wanted to make something to remind me of home. It helped that I had some bananas which were over-ripe and they were perfect for making these buns.
Contrary to the name, these are made more like Pooris, with maida and banana. However, unlike crispy Pooris, these buns are spongy and sweet and go very well with evening tea.

Ingredients
•Maida/All purpose flour: 2 cups
•Overripe Bananas :2 mashed well
•Yogurt/curd diluted : 1/4 cup
•Sugar : 3 tbsp
•Salt: a pinch
•Dry active Yeast: 2 tsp or Baking Soda: less than 1/4 tsp
•Cumin Seeds: 1 tsp
•Oil: for deep frying
•Warm Water: as required

Kitchen Items Required
•A big flat vessel or bowl to mix and knead the dough
•Poori Rolling slab and a rolling pin
•Pan to fry the buns
•A slotted or perforated spoon to remove the buns

Method

1) Soak the yeast in a small cup of warm water with a little sugar added and keep aside for half an hour.
Note: Ignore this step if using baking soda
2) Mix up all the dry ingredients ( maida, salt, sugar, cumin seeds) in a flat vessel
Note: Baking soda is also to be added at this step, if you are not using yeast
3) Now add the mashed bananas and yogurt and mix well.
Add in the yeast and water and continue kneading the dough till it reaches a soft, spongy poori dough consistency. You may need to add more water or more maida, to get to the right consistency.
4)After kneading well, apply a little bit of oil (to avoid drying out) to the dough and let it sit for about 3 hours, allowing the yeast/soda to work.
If you don't want to wait long, you could use quick rising yeast. However you need to allow the dough to breathe at least for half an hour in this case.
5)Heat oil in a fryer/ pan.
6)Make small golf ball sized rolls from the dough and roll them into pooris.
7)Fry the buns in hot oil. The buns should puff up nicely. Turn them around and fry on the other side till the buns turn golden brown.
8)Once cooked, remove from oil and drain excess oil using a perforated spoon.
9)Serve nice and hot with tea, as an evening snack.
Note:
a)It is a good idea to roll one poori at a time and fry it, instead of rolling the whole batch at once.
b)You can reduce the quantity of sugar to suit your taste. If you are using less sugar, these buns can also be served with chutney.