June 2011 ~ Tamalapaku

"Only - Baked" ~ Event Announcement

Pari's 'Only Series' of events is here at Tamalapaku this month and this time it would be 'Only - Baked'. As the name suggests, this event is all about baking and baking more!! I am personally very interested in baking and view it as a science. Who doesn't love the aroma of baked goods wafting through the kitchen? My sincere thanks to Pari for letting me guest host this event and picking up the theme of Baked Goods which is close to my heart!

I am sure this event will bring out some interesting and innovative baked goods for all our benefit. So you can bake anything sweet or savory - vegetables, fruits, cakes, casseroles, breads, buns, rolls, puffs, desserts, cup cakes, muffins, pizzas, and the list goes on. The list is limited only to your imagination!!

So roll up your sleeves, don your aprons and don't hesitate to experiment and create new goodies. So here is an open invite to all the experienced bakers , novice bakers and the 'yet to try their hand at baking' chefs to whip up magic out of their ovens and send in your lovely entries.

So what's in it for you? This time around there is something interesting for you. Let me elaborate.

This month, Pari has announced a giveaway!! There will be one giveaway book,Baked Dishes from Tarla Dalal for the Indian participants only. International participants can also opt for the giveaway in case they can provide an address in India as the book gets shipped only in India. Read ahead for more eligibility rules ..

One can win the giveaway only if

1.He/she follows Pari's blog publicly.

2.Is a fan of Pari's space.

Once you have sent your entries to me, leave your comments with links here and do mention how you are eligible for the giveaway. The winner will be chosen by Pari from among the comment/links.

However, you can send in your entries if the following rules are adhered to..

Rules of The Event

1. Any number of fresh entries can be sent but only 2 entries from the archive will be accepted. Archived entries to be re-posted, else will not be accepted.
2. Only Vegan / Vegetarian bakes accepted (eggs allowed). No alcohol please!! (I personally would appreciate eggless entries or at least suggestions on relevant egg substitutions).
3. Use of logo is mandatory as it helps spread the word.
4. The entry should be linked back to my event announcement page and Pari's 'Only'- Baked giveaway page.
5. The winner of the book from Tarla Dalal will be chosen by Pari (based on the comments left at her space) using random.org after the round up is completed.
6. Format of entry
Name
Blog Name
Blog URL
Recipe Name
Recipe URL
Picture re-sized to 300 pixel
Country of Residence - (Important - won't be published) If residing outside India and would want to qualify for the giveaway, please include any Indian address where the book can be shipped.
7. I shall post the roundup within 7 days of completion unless there is an unforeseen emergency.
8. I cannot participate in the giveaway as I am guest hosting it.
9. Non - bloggers, can send in their entries to me and I will post your recipes as part of the roundup.
10.Send in your entries to : mail2tamalapaku[@]gmail[dot]com before the 1st of August with the subject as 'Only-Baked'

So what are you guys waiting for? Fire up your ovens and dish out those lovely bakes and pass on the virtual treats to all of us!!

Posted by Harini on Thursday, June 30, 2011

24 comments

categories: Events | |

Brown Rice Adai

For the final day of this week long BM #6 session 2, I have been paired with Divya of Dilse. If you have followed the rules from the previous week, you already know how this works. For the others, this means we need to pick up a recipe from each other's blog which suits our respective themes, cook and post it here. I have posted this as part of 'Seven Ways of Using an Ingredient'. But it sounds irrelevant for this post and so I can post any recipe, I suppose! In the ocean of recipes at Divya's blog, I had to sift through so many mouth watering recipes and finally decided that these Brown Rice Adais are the best bet for me.

As I am constantly in need of breakfast recipes, it suits my requirement. Moreover Adais in general have not been made in my kitchen so far. (I mean, the traditional one with red chillies being incorporated in the batter and so on). So thanks to this Marathon and Divya's recipe, we got to enjoy yet another variety of Dosa!! I have added a couple more dals and also fenugreek seeds to suit our taste.

Posted by Harini on Wednesday, June 29, 2011

20 comments

categories: Beans And Dals, Blogging Marathon, Breakfast, Brown Rice, Dosas, Grains and its Products, Moong Dal (Pesarapappu), Toor Dal (Kandi Pappu), Urad Dal (Minapa pappu) | |

Bellam Maagaya

I am not sure about the origins of this kind of a pickle, but I am sure it is from the state of Andhra Pradesh. Though some parts of the state consume really fiery spicy pickles, there are some who prefer the mildly spiced, not so fiery with a hint of sweet kind of pickle to tickle their taste buds. One such is this Bellam Maagaya.

I got this recipe from my maternal aunt, Smt. Nandyala Sudha Mani. We used to have this pickle as a child but never saw my mom make it at home. It was always parceled to us by my aunt. To this day, she prepares it for the whole extended family (with help from all concerned) and churns out the most delicious one each and every time.

Last summer when we visited her, I grabbed a bottle of this Bellam Maagaya but it was consumed in 2 months and didn't set foot on the US soil :) This summer I decided I should learn this preparation so I could make this and enjoy it with my family here in the US. This would be under the theme ' Regional Specials - Andhra Cuisine' for the sixth day of this BM #6 session 2.

Posted by Harini on Tuesday, June 28, 2011

22 comments

categories: Blogging Marathon, Jaggery, Pickles, Raw Mango (Mamidi kaya), Sweetening Agents, Vegetables | |

Eggless Pineapple Upside Down Cake

Baking cakes has been a very interesting experience for me. I always look forward to bake a cake. But I have never baked such an exotic cake so far. I have seen so many pineapple upside down cake recipes in the blogosphere that have teased me over the past few months. Most of them have either been with eggs or needed condensed milk if eggless. Upon searching further, I found near perfect blend of ingredients in this cake. I tweaked the recipe a little to suit my taste and mood. Here I would like to thank Champa for guiding me. I always prefer using whole wheat flour hence I tried a blend of flours.
I planned on baking this cake for my dear husband's birthday and he sure was surprised. He refused to believe that I had baked it at home :) So trust me it is a sure shot way to impress your friends, family and loved ones.
'Types of Egg Replacers in Baking' would be the theme for the fifth day of this BM #6 session 2. Here I have used Apple Cider Vinegar as an Egg substitute.

Ingredients -

*Whole Wheat Flour 1 cup (minus 2 Tbsp)
Maida / All Purpose Flour 1 cup (minus 2 Tbsp)
Cornstarch 4 Tbsp
Baking Soda 1 tsp
Sugar 1 cup
Butter , softened 1/2 cup
Yogurt/Curds 1 cup
Pineapple Juice 1/2 cup
Apple Cider Vinegar 1 Tbsp
Rose Water 1 tsp
Pineapple Slices, 7-8 (I used from a 20 oz can)
Maraschino Cherries , 5-6
For the Caramel -
Sugar 1/2 cup
Water 1/4 cup
Lemon Juice 1 tsp
Notes -
*The original recipe called for just Plain Flour / Maida and plain vinegar. I wanted to use whole wheat flour and so tried out this blend of Whole Wheat Flour, All purpose flour and Cornstarch.

*Drain the pineapple slices, collect the juice in a bowl and pat the slices dry. The same juice is used as pineapple juice in the batter.

*Also the bottled Maraschino cherries need to be washed well and patted dry. Slice the cherries into 2 pieces and keep them ready.

To make 1 cup (measures 240 ml) of cake flour - In a 1 cup measure, spoon in 2 Tbsp of cornstarch and fill the rest of the cup with Flour/ Maida.

Method Of Preparation -

Preheat the oven to 350 F. I was using a non-stick 8 inch cake pan so I reduced the temperature to 325 F.

In a bowl, sieve the flours, cornstarch and baking soda. Add the sugar to the mix and keep aside.

In another bowl add all the liquid ingredients (softened butter, yogurt, apple cider vinegar, pineapple juice and rose water). Just whisk them together. They might look a little curdled but that is okay.

Pour the wet ingredients into the flour mix and gently mix so there are no lumps. The batter shouldn't be too thick or too runny. Keep it aside.

Prepare the Caramel -

In a small saucepan mix together the sugar and water (listed under the caramel ingredients).

Let it simmer on low until it starts to turn amber in color. (About 2 min or so)

Add the lemon juice and stir until it becomes a medium dark amber. Remove form fire.

Assembling the Cake -

Grease an 8 inch cake pan and arrange the pineapple slices in any pattern desired. Since I used a circular pan, I arranged them in a circular fashion and filled the gaps with the sliced cherries.

Pour the prepared caramel on the arranged pineapple slices and cherries. Brush the caramel evenly so all the slices are smeared with the caramel.

Pour the batter on top of the caramel and tap the cake pan a couple times on the counter to release any bubbles trapped in the batter.

Place in the center rack of the oven and bake it for 40-45 min or until the top of the cake is golden brown. Also insert a toothpick in the center of the cake and the cake is done if it comes out clean .(Mine was done in 42 min)

Look at the caramel dripping..slurp!!

Let the cake cool on a wire rack for a few minutes. Run a knife along the edges of the cake and invert the cake on to the wire rack to see the magic of the upside down cake!!

Pour some leftover pineapple juice on the cake for some extra flavor! Let the cake cool before slicing it. Take another look at the cake!

My Observations -
*I thought the batter would overflow in the cake pan and so didn't use the entire batter. I baked mini cakes in 3 ramekins which my kids enjoyed having for themselves!!

*The cake didn't rise too much and there was no 'doming' of the cake. But the cake was soft and fluffy inside.

*When I first tasted the cake in the ramekin, I felt that there was an after taste of baking soda and was initially disappointed. But I read somewhere that pineapple juice needs to be poured over the cake and the cake needs to absorb the flavors and tastes best after it is totally cool (2-3 hrs at least). It was true in my case. The after taste disappeared after about 2 hrs or so and the cake vanished in 10 min :)

*When I inverted the cake on the wire rack, couple of pineapple slices got stuck to the cake pan, which I had to remove and stick it up on the cake! Apart from that this cake was a breeze to bake!!

* The gooey caramel lent some extra sweetness to the cake. So if you need a little less of it, you could try reducing sugar either in the cake batter or the caramel.

Here are some of my favorite eggless cakes so far (of course in addition to the one you just drooled over!!) -

Eggless Almond-Date Cake - Vegan

Eggless Chocolate Sponge Cake

Eggless Vanilla Cake

Eggless Whole Wheat Strawberry Cup Cake

Eggless Yellow Sponge Cake

Mixed Berry Cup Cakes(Mini)

Vegan Banana Nut Muffin

Vegan Mango Mixed Fruit Cup Cakes

Sending this cake as an entry to Celebrate Sweets - Cakes hosted by Dinnerrecipesguide and Niveditha's Kitchen.

Preparation Time 15 min + Baking Time 40 min

Makes 8 inch cake + 3 regular sized muffins

Posted by Harini on Monday, June 27, 2011

28 comments

categories: All Purpose Flour (Maida), Baking, Blogging Marathon, Butter, Cakes, Cornstarch, Dairy Products, Flours, Fruits, Pineapple, Sugar, Sweetening Agents, Wheat Flour (Godhuma pindi), Yogurt (Curd/Perugu) | |

Vegan Black Bean Burger

'Picnic Foods' would be the theme for the fourth day of this BM #6 session 2. These black beans are sure packed with lot of protein, more fiber and less fat too. I heard / read that these black bean burgers are made for Father's day and are the preferred ones for a Father's day picnic. Surely a filling picnic food at that!! Though we don't follow the tradition of going to father's day picnics, I thought we could make these at home and enjoy the spirit of Father's day at home! I have heard that lot of Vegetarians make these in the open air grills installed at the local picnic spots / parks. So upon googling I came across many websites with different formulas for these Vegan Black Bean Burgers. Here is something I came up with ..

Ingredients -

Black Beans soaked, pre treated and boiled 2 cups
Rolled Oats coarsely ground 1/2 cup
Onions finely chopped 1/2 cup
Bell Pepper/Capsicum finely chopped 3 Tbsp
Carrot Grated 3 Tbsp
Garlic 1 clove + Green Chillies 2 + Coriander leaves few paste 2 Tbsp
Salt as needed
Oil 1 Tbsp
Cumin seeds 1/2 tsp
For the Burgers -
Buns as many as needed
Mustard, Mayo, Hot Sauce, Onion slices, Tomato slices as needed

Method Of Preparation -

In a wok/kadai heat oil and add cumin seeds. After they brown a little add the onions and saute them until golden brown.

Add the finely chopped capsicum and grated carrot and saute for a couple of minutes. Add in the Garlic-Green Chilli-Coriander leaves paste and salt and mix well.

Coarsely grind the cooked black beans and transfer into the veggie mix. Also add in the coarsely ground oats and mix well.

Remove from fire and let it cool. Ensure the mixture is stiff and not runny. If it is runny add some bread crumbs and if it is too stiff add some hummus or tomato ketchup.

Once the mixture is safe to touch, take a ping-pong ball sized mixture and flatten it into a disc.

Heat a griddle/tawa and spray some oil and place these flattened discs and let them cook on both sides. Though the 'traditional' way of cooking these patties would be on the grill!

Finish making all the patties and the biggest advantage of these patties is that they freeze pretty well. Store the unused cooked patties in a ziplock bag (in the freezer) and use it within a month.

Assembling the Burger -

Toast the Buns (Optional).

Apply Mayo, Mustard, hot sauce or any other spread which is preferred.

Arrange a few tomato slices, cucumber slices on the base of the bun, place the cooked Patty and place the top of the bun and munch away or pack it up for the picnic!!

Sending this to

'Proteinicious' event by Sobha,

Aqua's 'My Legume Love Affair' started by Susan and also

Srivalli's Sandwich Mela.

Preparation Time 30 min
Makes 8 Patties (3 inch)

Posted by Harini on Sunday, June 26, 2011

26 comments

categories: Beans And Dals, Black Beans, Blogging Marathon, Breads/Buns/Rolls/Puffs, Capsicum (Green Bell Pepper), Carrots, Grains and its Products, International Recipes, Oat Recipes, Oats, Onions, Vegetables | |

Strawberry-Mango Smoothie

For the third day of this BM #6 session 2, I have chosen to blog under the 'Recipe less Picture Posts'. This simple yet delicious smoothie is an inspiration from an advertisement on a Kids TV channel. On my little one's request I whipped up this smoothie to her delight!! Please observe that there won't be any words in the ingredients and the method of preparation sections adhering to the rules of the theme. Moreover the pictures are self-explanatory (or so I imagine!!).

Ingredients -

Method Of Preparation -

Check out who my fellow marathoners are and what they are upto !

Preparation Time 5 min
Serves 1

Posted by Harini on Saturday, June 25, 2011

19 comments

categories: Blogging Marathon, Dairy Products, Fruits, Mango, Shakes, Strawberry, Sugar, Sweetening Agents, Yogurt (Curd/Perugu) | |

Kara Sev ~ Vamupodi ~ Sanna Karappoosa

For the second day of this BM #6 session 2, I have chosen to blog under the 'Shelf stable goodies for Kids' series.
Now that the summer vacation is on for the kids, I have to constantly look out to make some snacks for them. Picky eaters as they are, it is getting tougher by the day to satisfy their 'snacky' needs. But it suddenly struck me that this Kara Sev might be popular with the kids as it was for us when we were kids! And these just vanished in 2 days. The kids would sprinkle the sev in anything and everything they ate. Imagine these in sandwiches, curd rice, dal rice, chapati wraps and as is :) I would have imagined they would like on top of some chaat but these kids beat me with their imagination. Now can I complain??

Ingredients -

Besan/Chick Pea Flour 2 cups
Ajwain / Vaamu , finely powdered 2 tsp
Salt as needed
Water to knead a dough
Oil for deep frying

Muruku press with the finely perforated disc (as shown in the picture)

Method Of Preparation -

In a mixing bowl, sieve besan and the ajwain powder to make sure there are no lumps or impurities which might block the muruku press. [Some might want to make a decoction of ajwain and add the strained decoction to the chick pea flour]

Add salt and knead into a soft dough adding as much water as is required.

Meanwhile, heat oil in a kadai/wok on medium heat.

Fill the muruku press fitted with the perforated disc with the dough and squeeze out the dough in circles into the hot oil.

Carefully flip the sev and cook on both sides.

Remove on to paper towel with a perforated ladle once the circular sev is light brown in color.

Continue with the rest of the dough.

Upon cooling, break the big circular sev into small bits and store in an air tight container if preferred.

Check out who my fellow marathoners are and what they are upto !

Sending this to Let's Cook : School Break-Time Snacks hosted by Tickling Palates.

Preparation Time 40 min
Makes about 4 cups of sev

Posted by Harini on Friday, June 24, 2011

24 comments

categories: Appetizers and Snacks, Blogging Marathon, Chick Pea Flour (Besan), Flours, Fried Snacks | |

Mango Rabdi/Rabri and Mango Rabdi Kulfi

As you may be aware that I am running a Blogging Marathon with a few of my blogger friends initiated by Srivalli, I am bound by certain rules and this time around, I have chosen to blog about recipes which fall under the falling categories.
1. Seven Days of shelf stable goodies for Kids
2. Recipe less picture posts
3. Seven Days of Regional Specials
4. Seven Days of Picnic food
5. Seven different ways to use an Ingredient (Irrelevant)
6. Seven different ways to replace Egg in Baking (Irrelevant)
7. Seven days of Mini Bites

So for the next week, I shall blog one recipe from each of the categories.
For the first day of this BM #6 session 2, I have chosen to blog under the Mini Bites series.

I agree that making this version of Kulfis is ~~a little~~ time taking. But I promise I shall soon post the easier version of enjoying these Kulfis which is just as delectable. This Mango Rabdi was originally prepared for general consumption [served in mini cups :)]. But I converted them into mini versions later on for the kids. But I must say the adults of our house enjoyed these mini versions just as much!! Take a look at the pictures and decide for yourself which versions each of you prefer!!

Ingredients -

Milk 8 cups
Milk Powder 2 cups
Mango pulp from 2 big mangoes or about 3 cups
Sugar 2 cups (Adjust according to the sweetness of the mangoes)
Cardamom powder
For Garnish -
Crushed Almonds 3 Tbsp
Saffron strands a pinch

Method Of Preparation -

Mix the milk powder in the milk and boil the milk while constantly stirring. [To avoid stirring for a long time, I chose to boil 3 cups milk + milk powder separately in the microwave for about 10 min and mixed it to the milk boiling on the stove top - Totally optional.] This step is likely to take about 30 min or more depending on what method you use. I had to do this for about 30 min.

Add sugar to the simmering milk about half way through and continue stirring.

Meanwhile extract the mango pulp from the mangoes (peel, discard the seed and blend the mango pieces smooth with adding any water). Keep aside.

When the milk condenses to half the quantity, add the cardamom powder, saffron soaked in milk (optional), mix well and remove from fire. Let the Rabdi cool down completely. Refrigerate if needed.

Just before serving mix the mango pulp into the Rabdi and garnish with crushed almonds and saffron strands.

I made this for a party of 6 and had some leftover Rabdi. I tried freezing it in small popsicle moulds for the kids and we enjoyed the mango rabdi kulfis too!!

Passing on these kulfis to Champa's 'Kid's Delight - Mini Bites' started by Srivalli and to Reva's 'Only-Icecreams' started by Pari.

Preparation Time 45 min
Makes 12 servings (4 oz each)

Posted by Harini on Thursday, June 23, 2011

30 comments

categories: Blogging Marathon, Dairy Products, Fruits, Kheers, Mango, Milk, Milk Powder, Shakes, Sugar, Sweetening Agents, Sweets and Desserts | |

Vegetable Sandwich

There was a twist in this session of the Blogging Marathon. As part of the last day of this session of Blogging Marathon, I was paired with Monika. The rule was to pick up some recipe from her blog which suits my theme. Since I had chosen to cook with Cucumbers, I picked up the most suitable and most admired sandwich of all!! Since the recipe had very convenient ingredients, it was a breeze to prepare these sandwiches for my kids. I have to mention that they were gobbled up almost instantly (save for some pictures!).

Recipe Source - Monika's Happy Sandwiches
Ingredients -

Bread Slices 4
Cucumbers and Carrots grated 1/2 cup
Yogurt/Curds 3-4 Tbsp (Preferably hung curd)
Onion slices few (as needed)
Potato, peeled,boiled and sliced 1 medium
Tomato , sliced 1 medium
Salt and Pepper to taste
Cream cheese or butter to apply on the bread slices as needed

Method Of Preparation -

To make the cucumber spread/dip -
In a bowl, add the grated cucumber and carrot and mix well with curds/yogurt. Add in salt and pepper to taste and make sure the dip is in spreadable consistency.

To assemble the sandwich -

Apply cream cheese/butter to the bread slices, layer onion, potato and tomato slices for 2 of the bread slices. (My kids like their sandwiches with the sides trimmed!)

Spread the cucumber dip on these slices and cover it with a plain bread slice.

I made 2 sandwiches so I did this twice :)

Cut the bread slices diagonally and serve them with hot sauce or ketchup. I hardly had to think about the serving as they just disappeared after I took the pictures :)

I put the slices in a sandwich maker and they were ready in a few minutes. Alternatively these sandwiches could be grilled or made on a stove-top griddle.

If you have missed any of the recipes from the 'Cucumber Mela' of the current week, here they are..
Day 6Kheera Raita ~ Cucumber in Yogurt Sauce

Day 5 Kheera Dosa ~ Cucumber Dosa
Day 4 Kheera Pachadi ~ Cucumber Chutney
Day 3 Kheera Masala Vada ~ Cucumber Fritters
Day 2 Kheera Koora ~ Cucumber Curry
Day 1 Kheera Pappu ~ Cucumber Dal

Don't forget to check the details of my fellow marathoners...

Watch out for the next week full of surprises!!

Passing on these sandwiches to Srivalli's Sandwich Mela.

Preparation Time 15-20 min
Makes 2 sandwiches (4 triangular ones)

Posted by Harini on Wednesday, June 22, 2011

20 comments

categories: Blogging Marathon, Bread, Breads/Buns/Rolls/Puffs, Breakfast, Carrots, Dairy Products, Kheera (Cucumber), Other Breakfast, Potatoes (Alu), Tomatoes, Vegetables, Yogurt (Curd/Perugu) | |

Tamalapaku

"Only - Baked" ~ Event Announcement

Brown Rice Adai

Bellam Maagaya

Eggless Pineapple Upside Down Cake

Vegan Black Bean Burger

Strawberry-Mango Smoothie

Kara Sev ~ Vamupodi ~ Sanna Karappoosa

Mango Rabdi/Rabri and Mango Rabdi Kulfi

Vegetable Sandwich

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