~ Tamalapaku

Almond Ginger Snap Cookies

Sometime back I saw some Ginger Snap Cookies in a supermarket aisle and was wondering how the taste of ginger would tickle our taste buds. After a look at the ingredient list I felt that those cookies are better left on the shelves than in our pantry (and eventually into our tummies). But thanks to Kalyani's Magic Mingle #2, I could make my version of Ginger Snap Cookies and satisfy my curiosity and craving.

The cookies were not so sweet, not so gingery but just slides down your mouth with the awesome taste of almond and ginger swirling...yumm..

Adapted from here

Ingredients -

Almond Meal 1 cup (I cup almonds powdered fine)
Salt a pinch
Baking Soda 1/8 tsp
Cinnamon Powder 1/2 tsp
Ginger Powder 1 tsp
Cloves 4-5 Powdered
Cardamom Powder 1/8 tsp (or more)
1 Tbsp Ghee (or unsalted butter)
Honey 1 Tbsp (I used Agave Nectar)
Cinnamon and Sugar for topping (Optional)

Method Of Preparation -

Preheat the oven to 300 F and prepare a baking tray by lining it with parchment paper.

In a mixing bowl, mix in all the ingredients except honey and ghee and mix well.

Rub in the ghee into the almond meal and mix until it resembles crumbs. Add honey and mix well to make a stiff dough.

Pinch a tablespoon of dough and roll them into thick discs (I flattened them with a fork) and arrange them on the prepared baking tray 2 inches apart as they will puff out while baking.

I sprinkled some brown sugar and cinnamon on each cookie for some extra zing!

Bake them for 12 min and carefully flip them and bake them for another 3-4 min. But be careful with the temperature and baking times as each oven might behave differently.

Cool them on a cooling rack and enjoy! But be careful when transferring onto the cooing rack. They might not be firm.

They might be soft to touch but will firm up upon cooling.

Preparation Time 5 min + Baking Time 15 min + Cooling 10 min
Makes 8 cookies

Posted by Harini on Friday, February 10, 2012

19 comments

categories: Almonds, Baking, Cookies, Dry Fruits and Nuts, Ginger (Allam), Herbs and Spices, Magic Mingle | |

Vegan Whole Wheat Cookies

Here is yet another wednesday and mind you not an ordinary wednesday at that! Today we Blog Hoppers have spread out a virtual feast as part of Blog Hop Wednesdays. So check them out here.

I have been paired with Nayna of Simply.food for the 14th edition. It was lot of fun going through her blog and a difficult choice to pick just one recipe to showcase here! I bookmarked many recipes out of which I decided to go with these Whole Wheat Cookies for now.

The texture and taste were very good. These cookies reminded me of the 'Good Day' Biscuits. I agree that these cookies were not the melt in your mouth kind but the smell and taste were very similar! The kids had a feast too.

Please note that there was a difference in temperature settings and baking time and hence a batch of these cookies had slightly burnt under sides.

Ingredients -

Whole Wheat Flour 1 1/2 cups
Baking Powder 1 tsp
Nuts, Coarsely Powdered 1/3 cup (Walnuts,Almonds, Cashews)
Coconut dessicated 1/4 cup
Salt 1/4 tsp
Apple Sauce 1/2 cup (I used sweetened)
Sugar 2/3 cup (I added brown sugar)
Oil 3 Tbsp
Vanilla Extract 1 tsp
Almonds chopped 3 Tbsp for garnish
Notes -
The original recipe calls for addition of milk to knead the dough. But I found the dough was a little runny and I had to add 3-4 Tbsp of extra flour to make a stiff dough. So I didn't have to add milk at all.
Also I baked these cookies for 15 min at 400 F but the bottoms very slightly burnt. So I would reduce the temperature to 375 F the next time.

Method Of Preparation -

In a mixing bowl, add the flour, coconut, salt, baking powder and coarsely powdered nuts and mix well.

In another bowl, add apple sauce, oil, vanilla extract and sugar. Mix well until the sugar melts.

Pour the liquid mixture into the flour mixture and mix well to form a stiff dough. Cling wrap the dough and refrigerate the dough for 30 min. (I refrigerated the dough for about 10 min).

Preheat the oven to 375 F.

Pinch small portions of the dough and shape them like discs of 1 to 1 1/2 inch diameter. Flatten them further with a fork and garnish with coarsely chopped almonds.

Prepare 2 baking trays by lining them with parchment paper.

Arrange the cookies in the baking trays at least 1 inch apart and bake them for 15-18 min or until the bottoms turn light brown.

Remove the cookies onto a cooling rack and enjoy!

Store the cookies in a cookie jar and use within a few days.

Linking it to -

Preparation Time 10 min + Baking Time 15 min
Makes 18 cookies

Posted by Harini on Wednesday, February 8, 2012

22 comments

categories: Almonds, Baking, Blog Hop Wednesdays, Brown Sugar, Cashews, Coconut(Kobbari), Cookies, Dry Fruits and Nuts, Flours, Sweetening Agents, Wheat Flour (Godhuma pindi) | |

Roasted Baby Potatoes with Rosemary and Garlic

I have been observing for the past so many months. Whenever I ask my older one what she would love for her lunch box, pat comes the reply 'Alu Curry with Rice'. I am amazed at the kind of loyalty exhibited by her :) And Again for dinner she would love to have Potato Wedges!!

S who is a Potato freak himself, appreciates her affinity to the tuber and brought home a bag of baby potatoes asking for roasted baby potatoes. Upon googling, I came up with this simple recipe which came out very crispy and watching the 'freaks' enjoy the potatoes is a delight in itself!!

Ingredients -

Baby Potatoes 1 lb
Rosemary (dried) 1 tsp
Salt as needed
Garlic Mashed 1 Tbsp
Olive Oil 1 Tbsp

Method Of Preparation -

In a small bowl, add oil and mix in rosemary, salt and mashed garlic. Mix well and set aside.

Wash and dry the potatoes. (Don't peel them). Quarter the baby potatoes and sprinkled the herbed oil and mix well until all the potatoes are coated with the oil.

Preheat the oven t0 400 F.

Prepare a baking sheet lined with parchment paper or foil.

Arrange the potato pieces in a single layer and bake for 30 min. Make sure the potatoes are tossed in between for even roasting.

I wanted a nice golden brown crunch and so I broiled them in high for about 5 min keeping a keen watch over them.

Preparation Time 10 min + baking time 35 min
Serves 5-6

Posted by Harini on Sunday, February 5, 2012

9 comments

categories: Curries (Dry), Garlic, Herbs and Spices, International Recipes, Potatoes (Alu), Rosemary, Vegetables | |

Alu-Capsicum Masala - Version 2

This version of Alu-Capsicum Masala has been in my drafts for some time now. This curry was created in my kitchen upon my husband's request to make a gravy which is bright red in color and very spicy one too!! I then remembered that by adding tomato ketchup and kashmiri chilli powder we can arrive at the bright red color of the gravy and so here it is!!

Ingredients -

Alu/Potatoes peeled and diced 4 cups
Red Capsicum/Red Bell Pepper diced 2 cups
Onion chopped 1/4 cup
Tomato chopped 1/2 cup
Salt as needed
Turmeric 1/4 tsp
Red Chilli Powder 1/2 tsp
Kashmiri Chilli Powder 2 tsp
Tomato Ketchup 1 Tbsp

Seasoning (Oil 1 Tbsp , Jeera 1 tsp, Fennel seeds (Sounf) 1 Tbsp)

For Gravy -
Onion chopped 1/2 cup
Tomato chopped 1 cup
Ginger-Garlic paste 1 Tbsp

Method Of Preparation -
For the gravy -
In a heated wok/kadai add a teaspoon of oil and saute the onions until they are golden brown. Add ginger, garlic and tomatoes. After the tomatoes are mushy, remove from fire and let it cool.

Grind the above to a fine paste and set aside.

For the Curry -
Meanwhile, in the same wok/kadai add the remaining oil, cumin seeds and fennel seeds. Saute the onions until they golden brown. Add the tomatoes and cook until they are mushy.

Now is the time to add the potatoes, red capsicum and the gravy paste which we set aside.

[I parboiled the potatoes and red capsicum to make the process faster. It is totally optional]

Sprinkle in the turmeric, red chilli powder, kashmiri chilli powder and salt. Also stir in the tomato ketchup.

Add a little water and cover with a lid and let the vegetables cook until they are tender.

Mix well and let it simmer until oil oozes out.

Remove from fire, garnish with coriander leaves and serve warm with roti.

Preparation Time 40 min
Serves 4-5

Posted by Harini on Wednesday, February 1, 2012

13 comments

categories: Curries (Gravy), Onions, Potatoes (Alu), Red Bell Pepper (Red Capsicum), Tomatoes, Vegetables | |

Mango Kulfi - The Easier Way

Last summer I had prepared Mango Rabdi/Mango Kulfi and I had also prepared Mango Kulfi the easier way. Ironically, I had misplaced the pictures in another computer and so totally forgot about these kulfis.

Yesterday when I was looking for some files in my other computer, I came across these pictures and dreamt of summer [:)] and decided to post it for Day 7 of BM 12. Don't you think it is a crime to forget about such a delightful dessert??

Ingredients -

Evaporated Milk 1 can (approx 350 ml) - I used Fat Free
Sweetened Condensed Milk 1/2 cup - I used Fat Free
Whipped Cream 1 cup (I didn't use)
Mango Pulp 1 cup (I used canned but fresh mango pulp works best!)
Cardamom Powder 1 tsp (Optional)
Chopped Nuts 3 Tbsp

Method Of Preparation -

Mix the evaporated milk and the condensed milk and bring to a boil. Cool the mixture and then whisk whipped cream (if using) and mango pulp.

Mix in the chopped nuts.

Freeze the above mixture for about an hour or two. When it is just about to solidify, remove and whisk again so that ice crystals don't form.

Now pour into popsicle moulds and cover and freeze them over night.

To unmould, run in hot water or dip in hot water and slowly twist off and remove.

Enjoy on a summer afternoon or for a dessert!! Kids and Adults enjoy this alike!!

Check out the other Blogging Marathoners doing BM# 12.

Sending these Kulfis to

Kid's Delight hosted by Edible Entertainment and

Suma's CEDD hosted for Raven

A re-cap of the past 2 weeks of Blogging Marathon -

Week 1 - Delicious Dals Day 7 - Kudumulu ~ Toor Dal-Jaggery Dumplings
Day 6 - Red Chori Beans - Bottle Gourd Sambar
Day 5 - Toor Dal Chutney ~ Pigeon Pea Chutney ~ Kandi Pachadi
Day 4 - Masala Vada ~ Chana Dal Fritters
Day 3 - Bottle Gourd - Lentil Curry \| Sorrakaya-Senagapappu Koora
Day 2 - Kabuli Chana Fry ~ Garbanzo Beans Fry
Day 1 - Mixed Lentil Khichdi

Week 2 - Kid's Delight - Something Sweet

Day 7 - Mango Kulfi - The Easier Way
Day 6 - Godhuma Rava Halwa ~ Wheat Rava Halwa
Day 5 - Vegan Pumpkin Scones
Day 4 - Vegan Chocolate Cupcake
Day 3 - Vegan Sweet Potato Kheer
Day 2 - Carrot Poli ~ Carrot Bobbattu
Day 1 - Eggless Orange-Corn Muffins

Preparation Time 10 min + Cooling Time 7-8 hours
Makes 6-8 (depending on the size of popsicle moulds)

Posted by Harini on Sunday, January 29, 2012

30 comments

categories: Blogging Marathon, Condensed Milk, Dairy Products, Evaporated Milk, Fruits, Mango, Other Sweets, Shakes, Sweets and Desserts, Whipped Cream | |

Godhuma Rava Halwa ~ Wheat Rava Halwa

We always make this Godhuma Rava Halwa as an offering to Lord Satyanarayana (Another form of Lord Vishnu). We perform this puja once/twice every year. I never had the opportunity to take a picture so far, as we perform the puja in the evening and the halwa is distributed to the attendees after the puja and is usually over by the end of the evening. But a few weeks back (Vaikunta Ekadasi), we had a huge gathering for the puja and surprisingly there was a little halwa left after the gathering. So I took the pictures the following day. :)

This is a popular halwa at home with the kids and the adults as well. Usually a little more ghee is added but I prefer that the ghee content be kept to a reasonable amount. The usual ratio of Rava:Ghee:Sugar is 1:1:1.

This is for Day 6 of BM 12.

Ingredients -

Godhuma Rava / Wheat Rava 1 cup (fine variety)
Milk 2 1/2 cups
Sugar 1 cup
Ghee 1/2 cup
Garnish with fried nuts and sliced /chopped banana

Method Of Preparation -

In a heated non-stick kadai/wok, add a teaspoon of ghee and roast the Wheat Rava until it gives out a nice aroma (about 3-5 min). [Roasting is optional but I prefer roasting it.]

Pour the milk and 3-4 Tbsp of ghee and mix well so there are no lumps. Cover with a lid and reduce the heat to low-medium.

After about 10-12 min check to see if the grain is cooked through. Now is the time to add in the sugar. Make sure sugar is added after the rava is cooked.

Mix well until the halwa comes together as a single mass.

Keep adding the remaining ghee as needed. Once there is glossy finish to the halwa and it doesn't stick to the sides, remove from fire, garnish with fried nuts and banana.

Since I offered this as naivedyam, we enjoyed it after offering it to God!!

Check out the other Blogging Marathoners doing BM# 12.

Linking this Halwa to

Kid's Delight hosted by Edible Entertainment

Preparation Time 30 min
Makes 2 cups

Posted by Harini on Saturday, January 28, 2012

24 comments

categories: Blogging Marathon, Dairy Products, Ghee, Grains and its Products, Laddus n Halwas, Milk, Sugar, Sweetening Agents, Sweets and Desserts, Wheat Rava | |

Vegan Pumpkin Scones

I was looking for some ideas of low fat, low sugar goodies for day 5 of BM 12 and it suddenly struck me that I used to make scones and we all liked those. After taking a quick look into the refrigerator, I found a small wedge of red pumpkin begging to be used and so I googled for pumpkin scones and I tinkered around with the ingredients to suit my requirement to make it vegan.

I thought these scones were more or less guilt-free and a small portion is good enough for a snack. Don't you think? At least my kids thought so. :)
Please feel free to unveganize, if you will, substituting with yogurt of your choice.

Ingredients -

Whole Wheat Flour 1 cup
All Purpose Flour (Maida) 1/2 cup
Brown Sugar 2-3 Tbsp (or as needed)
Baking Powder 2 tsp
Cinnamon Powder 1/2 tsp
Nutmeg Powder a pinch
Salt 1/4 tsp
2 Tbsp Oil (I used Olive Oil)
Pumpkin Puree 1/2 cup (I used home made)
Soy Yogurt 1/2 cup
Chopped Walnuts and Brown Sugar for topping (Optional)

Method Of Preparation -

Preheat the oven to 375 F.

Sieve together wheat flour, all purpose flour, baking powder, cinnamon powder, nutmeg powder and salt. Mix in brown sugar as well.

To this mixture add the oil and mix well to get a crumbly texture.

In a separate bowl, whisk pumpkin puree and soy yogurt together and gradually add it to the dry ingredients.

It should result in a very sticky dough.

Transfer the sticky dough onto a parchment paper lined baking sheet and with oiled hands pat the dough into 1/2 inch thick circular disc (approximately 6 inches in diameter).

With an oiled cutter (like a pizza cutter) make 6-8 wedges on the dough.

Sprinkle the chopped walnuts and brown sugar evenly on the dough.

Bake for about 18 min-20 min until a tester inserted in the center comes out clean.

Let it cool on a wire rack and enjoy! If you like it a little sweeter, enjoy it with jam/jelly of your choice!

Check out the other Blogging Marathoners doing BM# 12.

Sending these scones to

Kid's Delight hosted by Edible Entertainment,

Suma's CEDD hosted for Raven and

Pradnya’s Bake Fest # 3, an event started by Vardhini

Preparation Time 10 min + Baking Time 18 min
Makes 6-8 scones

Posted by Harini on Friday, January 27, 2012

29 comments

categories: All Purpose Flour (Maida), Appetizers and Snacks, Baking, Blogging Marathon, Flours, Healthy Snacks, Pumpkin, Scones, Soy Products, Soy Yogurt, Vegetables, Wheat Flour (Godhuma pindi) | |

Vegan Chocolate Cupcake

I had these Vegan Cupcakes in mind for a long time now and was waiting for my little one to spell out the request. :) She is the only one at home who can tolerate or to some extent enjoy chocolate.

So for all the chocolate lovers, here is a Vegan version of a decadent chocolate cupcake for Day 3 of BM 12!! The cupcakes were very moist and fluffy too. They were not too sweet and hence I dusted some powdered sugar.

Needless to say, these cupcakes can be unveganized, so to say by substituting regular milk instead of soy milk and using butter instead of oil.

Adapted from here
Ingredients -

Soy Milk 1 cup (Almond Milk can also be used)
Apple Cider Vinegar 1 tsp
Sugar 3/4 cup (I used Organic Brown Sugar)
Oil 1/3 cup (Any flavorless oil)
Vanilla extract 1-2 tsp
Whole Wheat Flour 1/2 cup
All Purpose Flour 6 Tbsp
Custard Powder 2 Tbsp (Cornstarch can be used)
Cocoa Powder 1/3 cup
Baking Soda 3/4 tsp
Baking Powder 1/2 tsp

*Instead of the Whole wheat flour -All Purpose Flour - Custard Powder blend, cake flour or simply All purpose flour can be used

Method Of Preparation -

In a bowl, pour soy milk and apple cider vinegar and set it aside to curdle.

Add in sugar, oil and vanilla to the curdled milk and whisk until frothy.

Sieve together the dry ingredients and transfer into the wet ingredients. Beat until smooth making sure it is not over mixed.

Preheat the oven to 350 F and prepare a muffin pan lined with paper liners.

Fill the batter in each cup, about 3/4th full.

Bake in the pre-heated oven for about 17 min or until a tester inserted in the center comes out clean.

Cool them on a cooling rack and devour! Oh and don't to dust some powdered sugar or swirl some frosting of your choice!

Check out the other Blogging Marathoners doing BM# 12.

Sending this kheer to

Kid's Delight hosted by Edible Entertainment,

Srivalli's 'Chocolate Mela',

Pradnya’s Bake Fest # 3, an event started by Vardhini and

Srav’s Cooking Concepts # 6: Chocolate Fest

Preparation Time 15 min + Baking Time 17 min
Makes 12 standard muffins

Posted by Harini on Thursday, January 26, 2012

24 comments

categories: All Purpose Flour (Maida), Baking, Blogging Marathon, Brown Sugar, Cakes, Cocoa Powder, Cocoa products, Flours, Soy Milk, Soy Products, Sweetening Agents, Wheat Flour (Godhuma pindi) | |

Tamalapaku

Almond Ginger Snap Cookies

Vegan Whole Wheat Cookies

Roasted Baby Potatoes with Rosemary and Garlic

Alu-Capsicum Masala - Version 2

Mango Kulfi - The Easier Way

Godhuma Rava Halwa ~ Wheat Rava Halwa

Vegan Pumpkin Scones

Vegan Chocolate Cupcake

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