~ Tamalapaku

Tofu Stir Fry

BM #96 Week 1 Day 1 -

Welcome to the New year 2019.

This year the first week of BM, I have chosen to highlight some easy dinner time dishes which are popular with my family.

In fact these days, any noodles/spaghetti which is served at home is being cooked by my older one. She has started enjoying cooking and she says it is a stress buster for her. Good for me, right?

the same stir fry can be served on a bed of steamed rice but my kids love it with noodles and so that is how I am presenting it here.

Recipe Source
Ingredients -

Coconut Oil / Sesame Oil 2 Tbsp
Tofu, cubed 14 oz
Carrots, sliced 1 cup
Onions, thinly sliced 1/2 cup
Salt as needed
Noodles/Spaghetti 3-4 servings
For the Sauce -
Garlic grated 2 cloves
Ginger grated 1 inch
Honey 2 tsp
Sriracha as needed (I added Tomato Chili Sauce and Hot Chili Sauce)
Lime juice 2 tsp or as needed
Soy Sauce 1/4 cup (I used the reduced sodium one)

*Serve the stir fry with noodles.

Method Of Preparation -

Boil water and cook the noodles/spaghetti as per instructions on the package. Drain and set aside.

In a heated wok, add a tablespoon of oil and saute onions until till translucent. Add in the carrots and saute until they are tender but crisp. Remove the sauteed onions and carrots onto a plate.

Reheat the wok, add another tablespoon oil and saute the tofu until all the cubes are evenly browned.

Add in all the ingredients listed under 'For the sauce', transfer the sauteed onions and carrots into the wok. Sprinkle salt, mix well and let the flavors blend in.

Remove from heat. toss in the noodles and mix well before serving.

Check out the Blogging Marathon page for the other Blogging Marathoners doing this BM#96.

Preparation Time 30 minutes
Serves 3-4

Posted by Harini R on Thursday, January 3, 2019

13 comments

categories: Blogging Marathon, Grains and its Products, International Recipes, Soy Products, spaghetti, Tofu, Vegetables | |

Roasted Chickpeas Buddha Bowl

BM #95 Week 4 Day 3 -

Here is a Buddha bowl with all our favorite elements namely, Avocado Rice, Roasted Chickpeas, Roasted carrots, Roasted Sweet potatoes, lettuce, tomato chutney and lettuce.

This combination is one of my older one's favorite after school snack and/or dinner.

Hope all the posts in the year 2018 have been enjoyable. I am blessed to be able to share these recipes with all of you.

Recipe Source Social media feed
Ingredients -

Lemon Cilantro Rice/Avocado Rice 2-3 servings
Roasted Chickpeas 1 1/2 cups
Roasted Carrots 1 1/2 cups
Roasted Sweet Potatoes/Baked Sweet Potatoes
Lettuce chopped as needed
Tomato Chutney
Yogurt/Sour Cream (Optional)

Method Of Preparation -

Prepare the Lemon Cilantro rice - Just blend cilantro, green chili and salt. Mix it in rice and squeeze lime juice as needed
or follow the recipe of Avocado rice.

In a wide bowl, add the Lemon Cilantro Rice or Avocado rice, top it with roasted chickpeas, roasted carrots, roasted or baked sweet potatoes, lettuce, tomato chutney and yogurt.

Serve it with a slice of lime to the side and my older one loves it.

Check out the Blogging Marathon page for the other Blogging Marathoners doing this BM#95.

Preparation Time 20 minutes
Serves 2-3

Posted by Harini R on Wednesday, December 26, 2018

10 comments

categories: Beans And Dals, Blogging Marathon, Carrots, Grains and its Products, Kabuli Chana (Garbanzo Beans), Lettuce, Rice Recipes, Sona Masoori Rice, Sweet Potato, Vegetables | |

Dahi Aloo Chaat - Using Air Fryer

BM #95 Week 4 Day 2 -

The second recipe which is a family favorite and yet another recommendation from my kids is this Dahi Aloo Chaat. Since the appearance of Air Fryer in our kitchen, making aloo fries has become a new normal. The kids got very comfortable with making these fries that it has become a midnight snack for them.

The typical street food attracted my kids when they had it at their friend's place. So the next time they made Aloo fries they wanted all the ingredients for the chaat and went ahead with the setup and enjoyed it.
The platter as shown in the picture was my share and I assembled it on the tray, took the pictures and guess what happened later. The older one swapped her bowl with mine saying my assembly is prettier than hers and the rest is history :).

Ingredients -

Potatoes, cubed 2-3 cups
Salt, Turmeric, Chaat Masala, Red Chili Powder, Garam Masala as needed
Oil 1 Tbsp
To Assemble the Chaat -
Garbanzo Beans, boiled 1 cup (may be seasoned as needed)
Beaten yogurt 1 cup (or as needed)
Coriander Mint Chutney as needed
Tamarind Date Chutney as needed
Onions, finely chopped as needed
Tomato, Cucumber finely chopped may also be added
Sev and or Boondi as needed
Coriander leaves, finely chopped as garnish

Method Of Preparation -

In a wide mixing bowl, add the cubed potatoes (I didn't peel them), spray oil and ensure all the cubes are coated evenly.

Sprinkle all the spices tossing the potatoes.

Preheat the Air Fryer to 400 °F. Toss in the seasoned potatoes and let it run for about 20-22 minutes or until the potatoes turn crispy. Make sure to toss them every 5 minutes.

Assembling the chaat -
In a bowl, add the crispy potatoes, seasoned Garbanzo beans, chopped onions, coriander-mint chutney, tamarind date chutney, beaten yogurt, sev and/or boondi and garnish with chopped coriander leaves.

Sprinkle additional chaat masala and red chili powder if needed. Serve immediately.

Check out the Blogging Marathon page for the other Blogging Marathoners doing this BM#95.

Preparation Time 30-35 minutes
Serves 3-4

Posted by Harini R on Tuesday, December 25, 2018

11 comments

categories: Air Fryer Recipes, Appetizers and Snacks, Beans And Dals, Blogging Marathon, Dairy Products, Healthy Snacks, Kabuli Chana (Garbanzo Beans), Onions, Potatoes (Alu), Vegetables, Yogurt (Curd/Perugu) | |

Hummus Pasta - Vegan

BM #95 Week 4 Day 1

This week I shall showcase some cherished recipes as they have been directed by my kids. These are some of the recipes which have been fished out by the kids and they loved them and loved the process as well.

These recipes prove to me that my kids are growing and their palates are changing as well. As we bid adieu to yet another year, I note that the kids are growing faster than we think.

Recipe Source - social media feed
Ingredients -

Spaghetti 2-3 servings
Salt, Pepper, Red Pepper Flakes as needed
Spaghetti water [The water after the spaghetti has cooked] 1/4 cup
Hummus 1/2 -3/4 cup [or as preferred]
(Oil 2 tsp, Onions sliced 1/2 cup, Garlic Grated 2 cloves)

Method Of Preparation -

Cook Spaghetti al dente as per the instruction on the packet.

In a heated pan, add oil and saute grated garlic until translucent. Saute the sliced onions as well until translucent.

Add in the hummus and the spaghetti water, mix well and add the salt and pepper.

Let it cook well for a minute or two. Add in the drained spaghetti, toss well until the flavors are blended and remove from heat.

Sprinkle crushed red peppers as needed before serving.

Check out the Blogging Marathon page for the other Blogging Marathoners doing this BM#95.

Preparation Time 25 minutes
Serves 2-3

Posted by Harini R on Monday, December 24, 2018

10 comments

categories: Blogging Marathon, Grains and its Products, International Recipes, spaghetti | |

Thinai Kozhakattai

BM #95 Week 2 Day 3 -

To conclude this series on steamed dishes, here is another millet based one which is my personal favorite. Thinai is Foxtail Millet in Tamil and Kozhakattai is a steamed dish.

These days, my little one has started disliking idlis in any shape or form while the adults at home love them.

So it was a tough one for the kids but the adults loved them. I had made a different version of these kozhakattai to a potluck party and was a great hit with everyone (Indian and non-Indian crowd).

Ingredients -

*Foxtail Millet Rava 1/4 cup
Wheat Rava 1/4 cup
Salt and Turmeric as needed
Water 3/4 cup + more as needed
Almonds and 1 Green Chili coarsely crushed 2 Tbsp
Seasoning (Oil 1 Tbsp, Mustard seeds 1/2 tsp, Chana Dal 1 tsp, Urad Dal 1 tsp, Cumin Seeds 1/2 tsp, Asafotida a pinch)
Soak and Coarse Grind -
Toor Dal 2 Tbsp

* I washed the millets, dried them on a clean kitchen towel overnight, roasted it until golden brown and coarsely crushed it.

Method Of Preparation -

Soak Toor dal in hot water for about 15-20 minutes. Coarsely grind with as little water as possible and set aside.

Coarsely grind the almonds and green chili and set aside.

In a heated pan, add oil and the rest of the seasoning ingredients. After the dals are brown and the mustard seeds pop, add the coarsely ground toor dal.

Saute for a couple of minutes and add the crushed almond. Mix well.

Add the millet rava and wheat rava. Mix well.

Add in about 3/4 cup of water mix well and cover.

After the water is absorbed, remove from heat.

Let the mixture cool down a little but make sure it is covered.

When it is safe to touch, pinch small lime sized portions and make oblong shaped bites. Place them in a greased idli plate or any dhokla plate. [I made about 20 bite sized portions].

Meanwhile, heat the steamer with about 2 cups of water.

When the water in the steamer is boiling, place the idli plate with the prepared kozhakattai, cover and allow it to cook in the steam for about 12-15 minutes.

Allow them to sit in the steamer for about 5 minutes and remove them onto a serving plate. Garnish with coriander leaves and serve warm with any chutney.

Check out the Blogging Marathon page for the other Blogging Marathoners doing this BM#95.

Preparation Time 30 minutes
Makes 20

Posted by Harini R on Wednesday, December 12, 2018

12 comments

categories: Almonds, Appetizers and Snacks, Beans And Dals, Blogging Marathon, Dry Fruits and Nuts, Foxtail Millet, Grains and its Products, Healthy Snacks, Millet Recipes, Toor Dal (Kandi Pappu), Wheat Rava | |

Leftover Rice-Rava Idli

BM #95 Week 2 Day 2 -

Here is another steamed dish for the series this week.

All of us face the problem of leftovers in our everyday routine. In this post, I deal with leftover rice, which is a perennial problem. There is always a mismatch between what I cook and how much is consumed at home.

With two 'strong minded' eaters at home, I constantly battle with what to cook and how much to cook. As a typical Indian mom, I err on the side of cooking more than needed. The result being LEFTOVERS. I repurpose the leftovers almost all the time and here is one more idea to use up the leftover rice.

Recipe Source - notes from a tv program
Ingredients -

Cooked Rice 1 cup
Yogurt 1 cup + more if needed
Sooji / Semolina / Bombay Rava 1/4 cup
Mixed Vegetables, finely chopped 1 cup
Ginger grated 1 tsp
Green Chili, chopped 1/2 tsp (or as needed)
Salt as needed
Nuts, Chopped 2 Tbsp
Seasoning (Oil 1 Tbsp, Mustard seeds 1/2 tsp, Chana Dal 1 tsp, Urad Dal 1 tsp, Cumin seeds 1/2 tsp, Asafotida a pinch, Curry Leaves few)

Method Of Preparation -

Mash the cooked rice and add yogurt and sooji. Set aside.

In a heated pan, add oil and the rest of the seasoning. After the dals are golden brown, add the finely chopped vegetables, ginger, green chili, chopped nuts and saute for a few minutes.

Add this mixture to the cooked rice+ yogurt mixture.

Add salt to taste and set aside.

Meanwhile, heat a steamer with 2 cups of water. Grease the idli plates. Place a roasted cashew in each of the slots[Optional].

Pour ladleful of batter into each of the slots and put the idli stand in the steamer.

Let it cook in the steam for about 15 minutes. Allow another 5-10 minutes for it to cool down a bit.

Carefully unmould and serve with a chutney of your choice.

Check out the Blogging Marathon page for the other Blogging Marathoners doing this BM#95.

Preparation Time 30 minutes
Makes 10-12

Posted by Harini R on Tuesday, December 11, 2018

11 comments

categories: Blogging Marathon, Breakfast, Dairy Products, Grains and its Products, Idlis, Semolina(Sooji/Bombay Rava), Sona Masoori Rice, Yogurt (Curd/Perugu) | |

Foxtail Millet Dhokla

BM #95 Week 2 Day 1 -

This week I shall highlight some healthy steamed dishes. I have slowly begun to switch over to millets substituting rice wherever I can and I am thoroughly enjoying it.

In my attempt to make consuming millets an easy transition, I have tried various methods and this dhokla is one of them.

The millets here are not actually identifiable in this dhokla and so it was easily accepted.

Recipe Source here
Ingredients -

*Millet Flour 1/2 cup
Besan / Gram Flour 1/2 cup
Ginger-Garlic Paste 1/2 tsp
Salt as needed
Lemon Juice 2 tsp
Water upto a cup (or as needed)
Seasoning (Oil 1 tsp, Mustard seeds 1/2 tsp, Green chilies finely chopped as needed, Asafotida 1/8 tsp, Sesame seeds 1 tsp, Sugar 2 tsp, Water 2-3 Tbsp)
Garnish - Fresh Shredded Coconut and chopped coriander leaves

* I washed the millets, dried them on a clean kitchen towel overnight, roasted it until golden brown and powdered it.

Method Of Preparation -

Sieve the besan and millet flour into a mixing bowl. Add in salt, ginger-garlic paste and mix well. Add in the water to make a smooth batter (idli batter consistency).

Squeeze in lime juice and set aside.

Heat a steamer filled with 2 cups of water, grease the dhokla plates and wait for the water to boil.

Add the ENO fruit salt or baking soda [honestly, I have never used baking soda for dhokla but it is supposed to work as well], mix gently until combined and pour into the dhokla plates.

I used 2 dhokla plates each 5-6 inches in diameter.

Place the dhokla stand in the steamer, cover and allow it to cook in the steam for about 15 minutes.

Remove from heat and run a knife around the edges to loosen the dhokla.

Slice it as needed and remove onto a wide serving bowl.

Prepare the seasoning - Heat oil and add mustard seeds, green chilies and sesame seeds. After the mustard seeds pop, add the asafotida and remove from heat. Add in 2-3 Tablespoons of water and into the seasoning and sprinkle it on the dhokla pieces evenly.

Garnish it with grated coconut and chopped coriander leaves.

Serve with any chutney of your choice.

Check out the Blogging Marathon page for the other Blogging Marathoners doing this BM#95.

Preparation Time 25 minutes
Serves 3-4

Posted by Harini R on Monday, December 10, 2018

13 comments

categories: Blogging Marathon, Breakfast, Chick Pea Flour (Besan), Flours, Foxtail Millet, Grains and its Products, Millet Recipes, Other Breakfast | |

Green Beans in Creamy Sauce

BM #95 Week 1 Day 3 -

Under the theme of Meal time dishes, here is the last one. This is a simple and delicious version which can be made in a jiffy. Add in the flavors which the family favors and a side dish is ready for the meal.

This creamy sabji with Green beans was an accidental hit at home. My husband, in an attempt to sabotage my dinner prep plans threw in some cream into the sabji while it was cooking. It so happened that we all loved the addition of cream in the sabji and now it has become a defacto standard. He got all the praises for that 'creamy addition', though that was not the reaction he expected :).

Ingredients -

Green Beans 4 cups (I used the frozen French cut beans)
Onion sliced 1/2 cup
Ginger-Garlic Paste 1 tsp
Salt, Turmeric, Red Chili Powder as needed
Garam Masala, Chaat Masala as needed
Cream 1/4 cup
Seasoning (Butter 2 tsp, Mustard Seeds 1/2 tsp, Chana Dal 1 tsp, Urad Dal 1 tsp, Jeera 1/2 tsp, Curry leaves few)

Method Of Preparation -

In a heated pan, add oil and the rest of the seasoning ingredients. After they dals are brown and the mustard seeds pop, add ginger-garlic paste and saute for a few seconds.

Then toss in the onions and let them saute until they are translucent.

Add in the green beans, sprinkle turmeric, cover and let them cook.

After they green beans are cooked through, after about 8-10 minutes, remove the cover and sprinkle salt, red chili powder, garam masala and chaat masala to taste.

Add in cream and mix well. Let it simmer for a couple of minutes and remove from heat.

Check out the Blogging Marathon page for the other Blogging Marathoners doing this BM#95.

Preparation Time 15-20 minutes
Serves 4-5

Posted by Harini R on Wednesday, December 5, 2018

8 comments

categories: Blogging Marathon, Curries (Gravy), Dairy Products, Green Beans, Heavy Whipping Cream, Onions, Thali, Vegetables | |

Jhanak - Tomato Sabji

BM #95 Week 1 Day 2 -

This week we are talking about quick meal time dishes and I wanted to highlight this ever popular and no nonsense sabji which is a God-send. I am not sure how the name jhanak came by, but my mom used to make this during my growing up years and that is how I remember. I am not sure if my mom used onion. But I add it.

This is our go-to accompaniment for rotis. It works well for me as it is my husband's all time favorite. When I run out of ideas or veggies or time, I make this sabji. The best part is that it gets done in under 15 minutes. I keep a can of chopped tomatoes in my pantry for emergencies. It comes in handy when I need to make a quick sabji and my refrigerator is empty :).

Ingredients -

Tomatoes, chopped 2 cups
Onions, chopped 1/2-3/4 cups (as preferred)
Salt, Red Chili Powder, Green Chilies, Turmeric as needed
Seasoning (Oil 2 tsp, Mustard seeds 1/2 tsp, Chana Dal 1 tsp, Urad Dal 1/2 tsp, Jeera 1/2 tsp, Curry leaves few)
Coriander leaves for garnish

Method Of Preparation -

In a heated pan, add oil and the rest of the seasoning ingredients. After the mustard seeds pop and the dals are brown, add in the onions and saute until they are golden brown.

Sprinkle turmeric, chopped green chilies and mix well. Add in the chopped tomatoes. Mix well and cover for a couple of minutes.

After the tomatoes become mushy, add salt and red chili powder to taste, mix well and remove from heat.

Serve it hot with roti or rice.

Check out the Blogging Marathon page for the other Blogging Marathoners doing this BM#95.

Preparation Time 15 minutes
Serves 3

Posted by Harini R on Tuesday, December 4, 2018

9 comments

categories: Blogging Marathon, Curries (Gravy), Onions, Thali, Tomatoes, Vegetables | |

Mixed Vegetable Saute

BM #95 Week 1 Day 1 -

We have come to the last edition of Blogging Marathon for this Calendar year. For this week, I have opted to highlight some meal time dishes. Here is a simple vegetable saute which pairs very well either with rice or roti.

We all encounter situations when we have to clean out the vegetables in the refrigerator and also come up with a side dish for meal time. I usually make this sabji in such circumstances. I found adding so many vegetables adds color and variety to the dish.

Ingredients -

Cauliflower Florets, small 1 cup
Broccoli Florets, small 1/2 cup
Cabbage, finely chopped 1 cup
Potatoes, chopped 1/2 cup (I used 1 small red potato)
Carrot, shredded 1/2 cup
Ginger + Green Chili Paste 1 1/2 tsp
Salt and Turmeric as needed
Coriander leaves few for garnish
Seasoning(Oil 2 tsp, Chana Dal 1 tsp, Urad Dal 1 tsp, Mustard Seeds 1/2 tsp, Cumin Seeds 1/4 tsp, Curry leaves few)

Method Of Preparation -

In a heated pan, add the cooking oil and the rest of the seasoning.

After the mustard seeds pop and the dals are golden brown, add the chopped cabbage and saute for a couple minutes.

Then goes in the chopped potato and carrot. Sprinkle turmeric and the green chili + ginger paste.

Add in the cauliflower and broccoli florets. Cover and let the vegetables cook until tender. It takes about 8-10 minutes.

Remove the cover and sprinkle salt as needed. Mix well and remove from heat.

Serve it warm with roti or rice as part of a meal.

Check out the Blogging Marathon page for the other Blogging Marathoners doing this BM#95.

Preparation Time 25 minutes
Serves 4-5

Posted by Harini R on Monday, December 3, 2018

10 comments

categories: Blogging Marathon, Broccoli, Cabbage, Carrots, Cauliflower, Curries (Dry), Potatoes (Alu), Vegetables | |

Tamalapaku

Tofu Stir Fry

Roasted Chickpeas Buddha Bowl

Dahi Aloo Chaat - Using Air Fryer

Hummus Pasta - Vegan

Thinai Kozhakattai

Leftover Rice-Rava Idli

Foxtail Millet Dhokla

Green Beans in Creamy Sauce

Jhanak - Tomato Sabji

Mixed Vegetable Saute

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