~ Tamalapaku

Teepi Vadalu ~ Sweetened Vada

BM #104 Day 6 -

To conclude this series of Sweets in this month long Marathon, here is a simple yet a traditional sweet from the North Coastal Andhra region. These Urad Dal dumplings are fried and soaked in Jaggery syrup.

I typically make the savory version of these vadas and decided make a sweet version for Varalakshmi Pooja this year along with Pala Munjalu.

The initial reaction to making this sweet version was of surprise and my family couldn't accept the idea. But then after they tasted one they couldn't stop until they were all gone!

Here is a recap of the sweets I have posted this past week..

Day 1 - Pala Thalikalu ~ Bellam Thalikalu

Day 2 - Atukula Bobbattu ~ Poha Puran Poli

Day 3 - Chandrakanthalu ~ Moong Dal Dessert

Day 4 - Mokkajonna Boorelu ~ Sweet Corn-Jaggery Fritters

Day 5 - Pala Munjalu

I have used jaggery as the sweetener for the sweets this past week and successfully stayed away from white sugar and maida (all purpose flour).

After a brief break for sunday, I will be back with some Savory snacks from the Indian state of Odisha.

Ingredients -

Urad Dal 1/2 cup
Rice 1 Tbsp
Salt as needed
Powdered Jaggery 1/2 cup
Cardamom Powder 1/4 tsp
Oil for deep frying

Method Of Preparation -

Wash and soak the urad dal and rice for about 2-3 hours.

Drain and grind into a thick and fine batter adding water as little as needed.

Add salt to the batter and beat to make the batter fluffy.

Heat oil in a wok and keep the heat to medium.

While the oil is heating up, in another pan, heat jaggery powder adding about 2-3 tablespoons of water until a one string consistency of the syrup is achieved. Remove from heat but make sure the syrup stays warm.

If the batter is thick enough, shape it like a flat disc and gently slide it into the hot oil. As the batter got runny in my case, I just scooped the batter with a small spoon and dropped gently into the hot oil.

Fry the vadas until they are all golden brown. Remove using a slotted spoon and drop them into the warm syrup.

Let them soak up the syrup for about an hour. Remove and allow them to dry.

Serve and enjoy.

Check out the Blogging Marathon page for the other Blogging Marathoners doing BM#104

Preparation Time 45 minutes
Serves 6-8

Posted by Harini R on Saturday, September 7, 2019

6 comments

categories: Beans And Dals, Blogging Marathon, Jaggery, Other Sweets, Sweetening Agents, Sweets and Desserts, Urad Dal (Minapa pappu) | |

Pala Munjalu

BM #104 Day 5 -

Here we have another traditional festival delicacy from the shores of North Andhra even bordering Odisha. It is also known as Sooji Kakara Pitha in Odiya. It is a jaggery coconut filling with a semolina-milk outer crust.

The first time I came across this sweet was when I was talking to my Odiya friend. I later realized that there was an Andhra equivalent.

These cute cousins of boorelu were a pleasure to make and enjoy.

Recipe Source here
Ingredients -
For the Outer cover -
Sooji / Bombay Rava / Semolina 1 cup
Milk 2 cups
For the Filling -
Chana Dal 3/4 cup
Jaggery (powdered) 3/4 cup
Cardamom Powder 1/2 tsp

Method Of Preparation -
To prepare the outer cover -
In a saucepan, boil 2 cups of milk.

Gradually add the semolina to the boiling milk and stir continuously without any lumps.

Reduce the flame to low and let the mixture cook for a couple of minutes or until it thickens.

When the mixture thickens, remove it from heat allow it to cool down.

When the mixture is warm enough to handle, knead it well with lightly greased palms, to make a smooth dough.

Grease your hands with little ghee and divide the dough into 10-12 portions. Knead each portion well. Cover and set aside.

To prepare the filling (Poornam) -
Wash and boil chana dal either in the pressure cooker or on the stove top until it is just tender.

Drain the extra water and let the cooked dal cool. Grind the cooked dal into a fine powder (though it will be a moist one).

Meanwhile heat the grated jaggery with about 1-2 tablespoons of water until it melts.

Pass the jaggery solution through a metal tea strainer and discard the impurities. (Optional)

Add the powdered dal from step 2 to the and cook for a few minutes. It should result in a stiff dough. If it is runny, heat it further and let the extra moisture evaporate. Remove from heat and allow it to cool.

Make about 10-12 lime sized portions of the filling.
To Prepare the Pala Munjalu -
Knead each portion of the outer cover and slowly make a cup shape to accommodate the filling. Place the filling and seal neatly making sure that there are no cracks so that the filling doesn't ooze out.

Cover the prepared ones with a moist cloth so that they don't dry out.

Prepare the rest of the pala munjalu(dumplings) and keep them covered.

Meanwhile heat oil in a kadai/wok and when the oil is hot enough, gently slide 5-6 of these prepared dumplings and fry until they are evenly browned all over.

Remove with a slotted spoon onto paper towels to drain excess oil.

Continue frying the remaining dumplings until they are all fried.

Serve warm as part of a festival meal or snack.

Check out the Blogging Marathon page for the other Blogging Marathoners doing BM#104
Preparation Time 45 minutes
Makes 12

Posted by Harini R on Friday, September 6, 2019

6 comments

categories: Beans And Dals, Blogging Marathon, Chana Dal (Senaga Pappu), Dairy Products, Grains and its Products, Jaggery, Milk, Other Sweets, Semolina(Sooji/Bombay Rava), Sweetening Agents, Sweets and Desserts | |

Mokkajonna Boorelu ~ Sweet Corn-Jaggery Fritters

BM #104 Day 4 -

These sweet corn boorelu are made out of sweet corn, rice flour and jaggery and trust me when I say these are addictive.

Initially I had Ariselu jotted down for today but when I checked my pictures folder, I found that the pictures were taken in poor light and were in no shape to be used. So I switched gears and made these boorelu and thought they were a good adaptation.

I was in two minds if I should deep fry or shallow fry them and then decided shallow frying to be a better option as sweet corn tends to absorb too much oil. But with 2 tablespoons of oil, I was able to get away with 8 boorelu and about a tablespoon oil left in the pan.

Recipe Inspiration from here
Ingredients -

Sweet Corn Kernels 1 cup (Frozen or Fresh)
Rice Flour 1/4 cup + more as needed
Coconut Powder 2 Tbsp
Jaggery Powder 2-3 Tbsp (Adjust as per taste)
Cardamom Powder 1/4 tsp
*Oil for shallow frying (about 2-3 Tbsp)

* They can be deep fried but I chose to shallow fry them.

Method Of Preparation -

Thaw the frozen kernels, drain any moisture and grind into a coarse mixture without adding any water. [I got about 1/2 cup of the mixture].

In a mixing bowl, Add the sweet corn mixture, rice flour, jaggery powder, coconut powder and cardamom powder.

Mix well and form a stiff dough adding more rice flour as needed.

Pinch 8-10 equal portions of the dough and pat into 2-inch flat discs.

In a flat griddle, add oil and shallow fry the discs so both the sides are golden brown. Please ensure they are fried on low heat.

Remove onto kitchen paper towels to drain the excess oil.

Garnish with chopped nuts and serve warm.

Check out the Blogging Marathon page for the other Blogging Marathoners doing BM#104
Preparation Time 20 minutes
Makes 8

Posted by Harini R on Thursday, September 5, 2019

6 comments

categories: Blogging Marathon, Coconut(Kobbari), Dry Fruits and Nuts, Flours, Jaggery, Other Sweets, Rice Flour (Biyyam Pindi), Sweetening Agents, Sweets and Desserts | |

Chandrakanthalu ~ Moong Dal Dessert

BM #104 Day 3 -

Chandrakanthalu is a delicacy made with Moong Dal and jaggery. It is basically a form of moong dal halwa cut into the shape of a waxing moon and fried in ghee/oil. The name also indicates the shape of a waxing moon.

It is traditional Andhra recipe which is very popular in certain regions. It is a typical sweet made for festivals and I know of my friends who have fond memories associated with these.

In spite of the name indicating the shape, they are often made in different shapes as per preference.

I was very skeptical of the taste and thought they would be dripping with oil but surprisingly, they were very light and crispy and ever so delicious. To be clear, I have never made or tasted them before and my family got addicted to these. Please let me know how you liked them if you ever get to making these.

Recipe Source friends and web
Ingredients -

Moong Dal 1/2 cup
Rice 1 Tbsp
Ghee 1 tsp
Coconut (fresh/frozen/dry) 1 Tbsp
Jaggery, Powdered 3/4 cup
Cardamom Powder 1/2 tsp
Oil to Deep Fry

Method Of Preparation -

Wash and soak moong dal and rice for 2 hours.

Drain and grind into a coarse paste adding as little water as possible.

In a heavy bottomed pan (I used a non stick pan), add a teaspoon of ghee and transfer the ground moong dal paste and cook on a low heat. Keep stirring continuously.

After about 4-5 minutes, the moong dal changes color and starts smelling aromatic.

Add grated coconut, jaggery powder and keep stirring so that the paste doesn't form lumps.

After the jaggery melts, use a potato masher to make sure the jaggery mixes well into the moong dal paste and not form lumps.

After another 4-5 minutes, the mixture comes together as a single mass without sticking to the pan.

Remove it onto a greased tray. (I used a silicone sheet).

Pat the mixture onto the sheet in a 2-3 inch wide strip about a foot or so long.

Take a round cookie cutter or any sharp edged bowl/cup/lid and cut into half moon shapes as shown in the picture. Allow them to cool for about 10 minutes or so.

Heat oil in a wok and gently slide these half moon shaped slices and fry them on low heat until they are golden brown all over. [Take care to keep on low heat as they tend to brown faster because of the jaggery].

Remove with a slotted spoon onto paper towels to absorb excess oil.

Serve them as a dessert or part of a snack.

Check out the Blogging Marathon page for the other Blogging Marathoners doing BM#104
Preparation Time 45 minutes
Makes 16

Posted by Harini R on Wednesday, September 4, 2019

7 comments

categories: Beans And Dals, Blogging Marathon, Jaggery, Moong Dal (Pesarapappu), Other Sweets, Sweetening Agents, Sweets and Desserts | |

Atukula Bobbattu ~ Poha Puran Poli

For Day 2 of BM #104, I have these delicious puran polis made out of poha. I made these for Krishnashtami this year.

The filling was relatively easy to prepare and I felt that these polis were very easy to make. In fact my family couldn't guess the ingredient. Try making it and I am sure it will be a popular one.

Ingredients -

For The Filling (Poornam) -
Atukulu / Poha 3/4 cup
Powdered Jaggery 1 cup
Almond Powder 2 Tbsp
Cardamom Powder 1/4 tsp

For the Outer Cover -
Wheat Flour 1 1/4 cup
Salt as needed
Turmeric 1/4 tsp
Warm Water as needed

Method Of Preparation -

To prepare the filling (Poornam) -
Wash and drain the poha. Set aside for 10 minutes.

Add the jaggery powder and the drained poha and blend in a food processor. Add almond powder as well.

In a heated non stick pan or any heavy bottomed pan, add about 1/2 tsp of ghee and add the poha mixture.

Sprinkle cardamom powder and let the mixture get heated through. Keep stirring until mixture becomes stiff. Allow it to cool.

Pinch about 10-12 small lime sized portions of the mixture and set aside.

To Prepare the Dough -
In a mixing bowl, add the wheat flour, salt, turmeric and add water gradually. Knead it into a soft dough. Cover and set aside for a few minutes

To Roll out the Bobbattu -
Divide the dough into equal parts (about 10) and roll each portion of the dough into small circles. Put in a portion of the filling set aside previously and close the edges.

Roll out this ball into a thin circle like a roti making sure that the filling doesn't ooze out. Also carefully roll it so the filling spreads out evenly. [I used a puri press/tortilla press to make it simple instead of rolling it out :)]

Gently place it on a heated tawa/griddle, drizzle a little ghee/oil and cook until both the sides are light brown.

Remove the bobbattu from the tawa. Store in an insulated container.

Continue with the rest of the dough. Serve them warm and enjoy!

Check out the Blogging Marathon page for the other Blogging Marathoners doing BM#104

Preparation Time 40 minutes
Makes 10

Posted by Harini R on Tuesday, September 3, 2019

7 comments

categories: Atukulu(Poha), Blogging Marathon, Flatbread, Flours, Grains and its Products, Jaggery, Other Sweets, Sweetening Agents, Sweets and Desserts, Wheat Flour (Godhuma pindi) | |

Pala Thalikalu ~ Bellam Thalikalu

Happy Ganesh Chaturthi for all who celebrate.

Welcome to all our readers to this new space. Over the summer, my cousin encouraged me to move to my own domain and so we are now https://www.tamalapaku.com .

BM #104 Day 3 -

Pala thalikalu is a traditional kheer from my native state of Andhra Pradesh, made with homemade rice noodles and jaggery. Pala meaning Made with milk; Thalikalu meaning noodles. It is also one of the kheers perfect to make for Naivedyam (Offering to the Lord).

September is the time for another month long Mega marathon and this year, the theme is "Sweets and Snacks".

The first week is all about Sweets, the next week about snacks from a particular state in India, week 3 is the 'happy hour' week with no rules and week 4 has predetermined snacks from 8 different states.

With so much going on this month, let us explore together and enjoy the various treats. We have about 8 other friends doing this marathon so it will be a lot of fun.

Notes about this kheer -

*I made a few noodles and tried boiling them in milk when I observed that they were disintegrating after a couple of minutes. To circumvent this problem, I tried boiling the noodles in a separate pan and then adding them to the milk and that trick worked for me.

* The kheer thickened upon cooling because of the almond powder and also the disintegrated noodles added to the texture and thickness of the kheer.

Ingredients -

For the Noodles (Thalikalu) -

Water 1 cup
Salt 1/8 tsp

Powdered Jaggery 2 tsp
Rice Flour 1/2 cup (adjust as per need) + more for dusting
For the Kheer -
Water 1 cup
Milk 3 cups
Almond Powder 2-3 Tbsp
Powdered Jaggery 1/2 cup (Adjust as per need)
Cardamom Powder 1/2 tsp

For The Garnish -

Ghee 1/2 tsp
Almonds chopped 1 Tbsp
Cashews Chopped 1 Tbsp
Raisins 1 tsp

Method Of Preparation -
To prepare the Noodles (Thalikalu) -
In a heated non stick pan, add 1 cup of water and let it come to a rolling boil. Sprinkle salt and jaggery powder and allow them to dissolve in water.

Reduce the heat, sprinkle the rice flour while stirring continuously until a stiff dough is formed. Cover and remove from heat.

Allow the dough to cool for a few minutes.

Pinch small marble sized portions and roll into a 1/2-3/4 cm thick rope using the rice flour to dust as needed. Cut the noodles to 2 inches approximately. See picture for reference.

In a heated thick bottomed pan, boil 1 cup of water and gently slide the prepared noodles and allow the noodles to cook for 2-3 minutes.

To prepare the Kheer -
In a separate pan, boil the milk and almond powder. Gently pour this into the boiling noodles.

Mix gently and reduce the heat. Add the powdered jaggery and cardamom powder. Allow the jaggery to dissolve and remove from heat.

To prepare the Garnish -

In a pan heat ghee and fry the chopped almonds, chopped cashews and raisins until they are golden brown.

Garnish the kheer with the fried nuts and serve it warm.

Check out the Blogging Marathon page for the other Blogging Marathoners doing BM#104

Preparation Time 30 minutes
Serves 5-6

Posted by Harini R on Monday, September 2, 2019

7 comments

categories: Almonds, Blogging Marathon, Cashews, Dairy Products, Dry Fruits and Nuts, Flours, Jaggery, Kheers, Milk, Raisins, Rice Flour (Biyyam Pindi), Sweetening Agents, Sweets and Desserts | |

Mixed Fruits Chutney

BM #101 Week 2 Day 3 -

To conclude this series of condiments here is a lip smacking chutney recipe from the state of Bengal. I understand that there are many variations of this chutney and is unique for each family.

A few months back, my good friend, Seema, shared the chutney and the recipe too. She gave me about 4 versions of this chutney and I intend to explore all the varieties in due course.

I loved the sweet-sour-spicy chutney as a spread on toast.

Recipe Source Seema
Ingredients -

Apple peeled, seeded and finely chopped 1 cup
Prunes/Plums peeled, pitted and finely chopped 1/4 cup
Raisins 2 Tbsp
Pear peeled, seeded and finely chopped 1/2 cup
Peach peeled, pitted and finely chopped 1/4 cup
Salt, Turmeric, Red Chili Powder as needed
Vinegar 1 tsp
Seasoning (Oil 2 tsp, Panch Phoran coarsely crushed 1 tsp)

Note - Pineapple, kiwi, mango or other seasonal fruits can be used. There is no limit to the number and variety of fruits that can be used. I just used what I had on hand.

I shall take a short break from blogging for the summer and hopefully come back in a few weeks with loads of new recipes and experiences.

Method Of Preparation -

Heat the oil in a pan for 1/2 minute. Add the crushed panch phoran and saute for a few seconds.

Add the chopped fruits and salt, turmeric, red chili powder and vinegar. Mix well and cover the pan.

Lower the flame, add little water and cover the pan. Cook for more 5-7 mins.

Cook for 3-4 minutes or until the chutney comes together as a single mass.

Cool it for sometime and refrigerate it.

Serve it with rice or as a spread on toast.

Check out the Blogging Marathon page for the other Blogging Marathoners doing this BM#101.

Preparation Time 20 minutes
Makes 1 1/2 cups

Posted by Harini R on Wednesday, June 12, 2019

9 comments

categories: Apple, Blogging Marathon, Chutneys And Powders, Fruits, Kitchen Basics, Peach, Pear, Plum, Raisins | |

Sour Cream Avocado Dip

BM #101 Week 2 Day 2 -

For today, here is a simple yet a very flavorful dip which can be used in innumerable combinations.

I served this dip with Almond Crusted Tofu Fingers along with salad. There is no measurement for the ingredients and the recipe is straightforward as well.

Ingredients -

Sour Cream 2-3 Tbsp
Avocado Pulp from 1 Avocado
Salt, Red Chili Powder and Lime Juice as needed

Method Of Preparation -

Blend all the ingredients in a processor until the mixture is fluffy. Adjust the spices as needed and serve as a dip for vegetables or as in this case Almond Crusted Tofu Fingers.

Check out the Blogging Marathon page for the other Blogging Marathoners doing this BM#101.

Preparation Time 5 minutes
Makes 1/2 cup (approximately)

Posted by Harini R on Tuesday, June 11, 2019

10 comments

categories: Avocado, Blogging Marathon, International Recipes, Kitchen Basics, Salads n Dips, Sour Cream | |

Tamalapaku

Teepi Vadalu ~ Sweetened Vada

Pala Munjalu

Mokkajonna Boorelu ~ Sweet Corn-Jaggery Fritters

Chandrakanthalu ~ Moong Dal Dessert

Atukula Bobbattu ~ Poha Puran Poli

Pala Thalikalu ~ Bellam Thalikalu

Mixed Fruits Chutney

Sour Cream Avocado Dip

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