Eggless Pillow Cakes in Sandwich Maker

I had bookmarked this recipe from Pari's space and was very excited to make these for the kids.

So over the weekend when the kids were out, I thought I would make this quick snack for them as a surprise. But to my disappointment the process took a longer time than was mentioned in the original recipe. But as soon as my kids tasted them and I saw their huge smiley faces, I felt that the time spent on these was worth every second!!

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For Week 4 Day 2 of BM #36, I had bookmarked this recipe from Suma's Veggie platter. I prepared them at least 3 times since then. This has become one of our family favorites.
I agree that this requires planning ahead but trust me it is worth every minute spent. 

Typically ponganalu are made with left over dosa/idli batter dressed up with some onions and green chillies. Here the addition of sago was very new and interesting and I am so glad for having tried these.

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Cabbage-Chana Dal Kofta Curry

For the last week of BM #36, I have chosen to highlight some recipes which I had bookmarked online. For Day 1 here is this delightful kofta curry which was enjoyed by my family..

Recipe Source - Vahchef
Ingredients - .

For the Koftas - 
Cabbage, finely chopped 3 cups
Chana dal 3 Tbsp
Green Chilli 2-3 (or to taste)
Salt as needed
Chilli Powder 1/4 tsp
Besan 1 Tbsp
Oil to cook
For the Gravy - 
Onions 1 cup
Salt as needed
Turmeric 1/4 tsp
Ginger-Garlic Paste 1-2 tsp
Chilli Powder 1/2 tsp (or to taste)
Dhania-Jeera powder 1 tsp
Beaten Yogurt 1/2 cup (more if needed)
Cashew Powder 2 Tbsp
Mint Powder 1 tsp
Coriander leaves for garnish
Seasoning (Oil 1 Tbsp, Cumin/Jeera 1/2 tsp)

Method Of Preparation -
To Prepare the Koftas - 
Boil Cabbage and Chana Dal until chana dal is cooked al dente. Squeeze out the water from the mixture and set aside. (The water would be used later in the preparation of the gravy.)

Add in the chopped green chillies, salt and chilli powder. Mix well and sprinkle some Besan as a binding agent and knead into a soft dough.

Pinch equal portions of the mixture and roll them as small dumplings and set aside.

I used the abelskiver / paniyaram pan / ponganala penam to cook these koftas the low fat way. The regular way would be to deep fry them until golden brown.

Set the prepared koftas aside until the gravy is prepared.
To Prepare the Gravy -
In a heated pan, add oil and jeera/cumin. After the cumin seeds crackle, saute onions until they are brown.

Sprinkle turmeric, add ginger-garlic paste and squeezed out water set aside while making koftas.

Sprinkle the chilli powder, dhania jeera powder and beaten yogurt let it boil.


After the gravy starts to simmer add cashew powder and mint powder and let it simmer for a couple of minutes.

Gently drop the prepared koftas and allow them to get coated with the gravy all over. Make sure the koftas don't break.

Remove from fire and garnish with coriander leaves.

Serve with Rice / Roti.

Check out the Blogging Marathon page for the other Blogging Marathoners doing BM# 36.

Preparation Time 45 min
Serves 5-6

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Posted by Harini R on Saturday, January 25, 2014

Eggless Baked Donut Holes

For Day 3 week 3 of BM #36, I made these cute donuts or donut holes as they are called sometimes.

The kids loved these subtly sweet treats. For chocolate lovers, a chocolate glaze would be a great idea. Though this was a last minute idea which came into my mind, they were gone within a few hours :).

Eggless Baked Donut Holes

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Baked Sweet Potato Tater Tots

For Day 2, Week 3 of BM #36, here are these delightful and healthy tater tots. I made them on a snowy evening and the kids enjoyed these tater tots hot out of the oven looking at the snowfall!!

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I had a huge pack of Bisquick Pancake Mix in my pantry and I wanted to finish it before it got rancid. So I thought the best place to look for ideas to use it up would be at the Betty Crocker website itself. And I landed up with this recipe which was truly a kid's delight!

If serving these to adults I would recommend adding in some crushed red pepper or crushed green chillies to add some kick.

This week look forward to some kid approved baked snacks as part of BM #36, Week 3, Day 1 check out these cheesy bread sticks.

Recipe Source here
Ingredients - 

Bisquick Pancake and Baking Mix 2 cups
Milk 1/2 cup (or a little more)
Olives, finely chopped 3 Tbsp
Shredded Cheese 1/2 cup (I used a 5 cheese blend I had on hand)
Butter for brushing

Method Of Preparation -

In a mixing bowl, add the baking mix, olives, cheese and knead the mixture into a soft dough adding milk as needed.

Knead for about 2-3 minutes. Divide the dough into 12 equal portions.

Roll each portion into thin logs. Make sure they are not thicker than your thumb.

Place them on a parchment lined baking tray.

Bake them for about 22 min until they are evenly brown.

Remove from the oven and brush them lightly with melted butter.

Serve them warm with marinara sauce.

Passing them on to Srivalli's "Kid's Delight - Baked Sweet/Savory Treats" hosted by PJ.

Check out the Blogging Marathon page for the other Blogging Marathoners doing BM# 36.

Preparation Time 15 min + Baking Time 22 min
Makes 12

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Vegan Low Fat Peanut Butter Cookies

For Day 3 Week 2 of BM #36, here are some guilt free protein filled cookies for a snack..

If your kids love peanut butter, then these would be a treat for them. Typically, to eliminate fat in baking, we use any fruit puree. I didn't have bananas on hand to try it out with banana as the original recipe called for. But the addition of applesauce didn't disappoint me!


Vegan Low Fat Peanut Butter Cookies

Recipe Inspiration - Here
Ingredients - 

Peanut Butter 1/2 cup (I used JIF natural creamy version) 
Sugar 3/4 cup (Use half 1/2 cup sugar and 1/4 cup brown sugar for a darker colored cookies)
Apple Sauce 3/4 cup (I used unsweetened)(Or use mashed banana)
All Purpose Flour / Maida 1 cup
Wheat Flour 1/2 cup
Baking Powder 1 tsp
Salt a pinch
Chocolate Chips 1/4 cup (Optional) (I used as a topping)(use non dairy version for vegan)


Vegan Low Fat Peanut Butter Cookies

Method Of Preparation -

Cream the peanut butter, sugar and apple sauce until light and fluffy.

In a separate bowl, whisk the flours, baking powder and salt.

Slowly add the flour mixture into the wet ingredients while mixing it gently. 

Mix well until the flour is incorporated well but don't over mix.

Preheat the oven to 375 °F.

Pinch approximately a tablespoon of dough and shape them into rounded discs. 

Place a chocolate chip on each of them and press down with a fork so as to flatten it slightly.

Arrange them on parchment lined trays spacing them about an inch or two apart.

Bake them for about 10-12 minutes until the undersides are slightly brown.

Remove and enjoy upon cooling.

Store the remaining cookies in air tight containers.


Vegan Low Fat Peanut Butter Cookies

Check out the Blogging Marathon page for the other Blogging Marathoners doing BM# 36.

Preparation Time 15 min + Baking Time 12 min
Makes 24-30 (depending on the size)

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Nan Khatai - An Indian Cookie

For Day 2 Week 2 BM #36, here are some cookies which are very popular in bakeries across India. Each bakery has a different proportion of the ingredients and each of them proclaim to be the best. 

I have tried this combination of ingredients and have found them to be very addictive as my friends who got to taste them on new year's eve will vouch! This surely a keeper of a recipe.


Nan Khatai - An Indian Cookie

Ingredients - 

Maida / All Purpose Flour 2 cups
Sooji / Semolina / Bombay Rava 1/2 cup
Besan / Chick Pea Flour 1/4 cup
Baking Soda 1/4 tsp
Salt 1/4 tsp
Cardamom Powder 1 tsp
Sugar 1 1/2 cups (I used the fine granulated variety)
Butter 3/4 cups (at room temperature)
Yogurt 3 Tbsp
Crushed Pistachios for topping (Optional) as needed


Nan Khatai - An Indian Cookie

Method Of Preparation -

Whisk together flour, sooji, besan, salt, baking soda and cardamom powder in a mixing bowl.

In another bowl, beat softened butter, sugar and yogurt until it is light and fluffy.

Transfer the fluffy butter mixture into the flour mixture and knead into a moist dough.

Don't be tempted to add more butter/yogurt to make the dough into a cohesive mass. When a spoon full of dough is rubbed between the palms of your hands, it should result in a crack-less disc.

So make as many discs as the dough permits depending on the size. I made about 50 cookies approximately an inch in diameter.

Press the chopped pistachios (if using) on top of each of the cookie discs. 

Preheat the oven to 375 °F.

Arrange the discs on a parchment lined cookie tray about an inch apart as they tend to expand. I used about 4 cookie trays.

Bake for about 12-14 min until they turn light golden brown all over. [I tried to take them out at 12 min when the tops were slightly creamish but felt they were under cooked, so popped them back in the oven for a couple more minutes.]

Remove and upon cooling store in an air tight container.


Check out the Blogging Marathon page for the other Blogging Marathoners doing BM# 36.

Preparation Time 20 min + Baking Time 14 min 
Makes 50 cookies

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Tutti Frutti Cookies

For Week 2 of BM #36, I have chosen to showcase some cookies which have been loved by my friends and family and have been made over and over again in my kitchen. 

For Day 1 , here are some colorful cookies which I made for Christmas and shared with my friends and neighbors.

My older one was so much in love with these that I am being pestered to make these again. I had bookmarked these a long time back but never attempted. I am glad to have tried these.

Recipe Source - here
Ingredients - 

Maida / All Purpose Flour 1 cup
Tutti Frutti 1/3 cup (any dried fruit finely chopped would work)
Butter 6 Tbsp (at room temperature)
Sugar, Powdered 1/2 cup
Milk 2 Tbsp


Tutti Frutti Cookies

Method Of Preparation -

In a mixing bowl, add the flour and tutti frutti and set aside.

In another bowl, whisk butter, sugar and milk until it is light and fluffy.

Mix the butter mixture to the flour and knead to a soft/sticky dough.

Divide the dough into two equal portions (for easy manageability). 

On parchment paper, roll each portion of the dough into a log of approximately 1 inch diameter and cover it up. Freeze the logs thus covered for about 45 min.

Preheat the oven to 375 °F.

Remove the dough logs from the freezer and slice them into 5-6 mm thick discs. [They do not increase in size as compared to their pre baked size].

Arrange them on cookie trays lined with parchment paper.

Bake them for about 12 minutes until the edges are light brown.

Upon cooling store them in air tight container.

Check out the Blogging Marathon page for the other Blogging Marathoners doing BM# 36.

Preparation Time 10 min + Cooling Time 45 min + Baking time 12 min
Makes approx 50 (depending on the size)

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Sweet Pongal 2

For Day 3 of BM #36, here is a sweet pongal recipe from my mom's kitchen. Apparently this recipe is from my grandma, altered by my mom to suit her taste.

My grandma feels that the moong dal in this version is a little too much for her comfort and my mom disagrees with her. Isn't this a common disagreement arising from a generation gap? I can so identify with this sentiment :)

Ingredients - 

Rice 3/4 cup
Moong Dal 1/2 cup
Milk 2 1/2 cups
Jaggery, Powdered 1 cup (or to taste depending on the sweetness of the variety of jaggery used)
Ghee 1/4 tsp 
Cardamom Powder 1 tsp
Saffron strands few soaked in a spoon of milk (optional)
Nuts (I used Almonds and Pistachios) crushed 2 Tbsp

Method Of Preparation -

In a heated pan, add ghee and slightly roast the moong dal and set aside.

Add rice and the roasted moong dal along with the milk and pressure cook it until two hisses or 16-18 min.

Meanwhile, in a heated heavy bottomed pan, add 1/4 cup of water and the powdered jaggery. After the jaggery melts strain to remove any impurities.

After the pressure is released from the pressure cooker, set the rice-moong dal mixture aside.

In the same heavy bottomed pan (used to melt jaggery), add the clean jaggery solution and the pressure cooked rice-moong dal mixture. Let it cook for 5-6 minutes while constantly stirring.

Add the crushed nuts, soaked saffron (if using) and cardamom powder into the simmering pongal.

Keep stirring for a few more minutes and remove from fire.

Garnish with more nuts if desired and serve while still warm.

Optionally ghee can also be added to make it richer.

Check out the Blogging Marathon page for the other Blogging Marathoners doing BM# 36.

Preparation Time 30 min
Serves 4-5

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Rava Pongal

For Day 2 of BM #36, in the Pongal series, here is a very simple and tasty version of Pongal. 
For all practical purposes, this tastes just like the upma which we are used to eating on a regular basis. An added advantage is the protein from moong dal making this a wholesome meal. I was also thinking that some vegetables can go into this as well. The kiddos loved it so much that they didn't mind going for seconds!!
Feel free to play around with the ingredients, seasoning and spices as per your taste buds.

Ingredients - 

Sooji / Semolina / Bombay Rava 1 cup
Moong Dal 1/2 cup
Salt as needed
Grated ginger 1 tsp
Whole Black Peppers 7-8
Seasoning (Ghee 2 tsp, Mustard Seeds 1/2 tsp, Chana Dal 1 tsp, Urad Dal 1 tsp, Curry leaves few, Cashews few, Asafoetida couple pinches)

Rava Pongal

Method Of Preparation -

Roast the moong dal in 1/2 tsp of ghee until they turn slightly golden brown.

Add 1 cup of water to the roasted dal and cook either on the stove top (about 10 min) or the microwave until the moong dal (about 5-6 min) is cooked through but not mushy. [We prefer that the pongal not be mushy.]

In a heated pan, add ghee and the rest of the seasoning ingredients.

Sprinkle turmeric, whole black peppers, grated ginger and add the sooji/semolina. Mix well and add the cooked moong dal. 

Add about 1/2 cup of water, sprinkle salt and mix well. Cover and let it cook on a low flame for about 3-4 minutes.

Remove from fire and serve it hot with an accompaniment of your choice. I served it with Tomato Gojju and Tomato Chutney

Check out the Blogging Marathon page for the other Blogging Marathoners doing BM# 36.

Preparation Time 20 min
Serves 2-3

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Poha Pongal / Atukula Pongal

After a brief break owing to ill health, I am back with BM #36. Thank you all for the good wishes sent my way. This week I plan to present some interesting versions of the traditional Pongal. 
In my growing up years back at home, my mom always prepared only the traditional Ven Pongal and Sweet Pongal. After my foray into blogging, I have tried Oats PongalQuinoa Pongal.
My mom first gave me the idea of making this Poha pongal almost 4-5 years back. The scribbled notes were in my storage box only to be unearthed when I was looking for some other papers. :)

Note that I have added green chillies instead of the pepper corns used traditionally. Feel free to play around with the flavors of your choice. This version was liked at home with all of us.
Poha Pongal / Atukula Pongal

Ingredients - 

Poha 1 cup
Moong Dal 1/2 cup (Split yellow moong dal)
Ghee 1/2 tsp
Green Chillies 1-2 (or as needed)
Jeera / Cumin Seeds 1 tsp
Salt as needed
Turmeric 1/4 tsp
Seasoning (Ghee 2 tsp, Mustard Seeds 1/2 tsp, Chana Dal 1 tsp, Urad Dal 1 tsp, Curry leaves few, Cashews few, Asafoetida couple pinches)

Poha Pongal / Atukula Pongal

Method Of Preparation -

Roast the moong dal in 1/2 tsp of ghee until they turn slightly golden brown.

Add 1 cup of water to the roasted dal and cook either on the stove top or the microwave until the moong dal is cooked through but not mushy. [We prefer that the pongal not be mushy.]

Meanwhile wash the thick variety of poha and set aside in a drain pan.

In a heated pan, add ghee and the rest of the seasoning ingredients.

Sprinkle turmeric, chopped green chillies and add the drained poha. Mix well and add the cooked moong dal.

Let them cook for a minute or two. Sprinkle salt and mix well.

Remove from fire and serve it hot with an accompaniment of your choice. I served it with Tomato Gojju. It tastes awesome with Okra Gojju as well.

Check out the Blogging Marathon page for the other Blogging Marathoners doing BM# 36.

Preparation Time 20 min
Serves 2-3

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