April 2012 ~ Tamalapaku

Vegan Mango Cupcakes

Frosted by my little one !

V for Vegan Cupcakes. I have been itching to share these cupcakes for so long. These were a delight for both kids and adults. The best part of these cupcakes are they don't need any fancy ingredients. In mango season, mango pulp can be made at home and so it is a breeze to bake these.

I am sure I am going to bake many times over this summer. Thanks to Vaishali whose recipe I have followed to the T and vouch for it.

Before looking into the recipe for Day 7 BM # 15, here is a recap of the past week..

P - Poha Upma ~ Atukula Upma
Q - Quinoa Cake Donuts
R - Ragi Idli ~ Steamed Finger Millet Cakes
S - Sago Curd Vada ~ Sabudana Yogurt Fritters
T - Tomato Masala in Tofu Gravy
U - Uppu Pindi ~ Rice Rava Upma

I ignored Vaishali's note to smoothen the tops to avoid the lumpy look :)

Ingredients -
Dry Ingredients -
All Purpose Flour 1 cup
Whole Wheat Flour 1/2 cup (I used Aashirwad Atta)
Baking Powder 2 tsp
Baking Soda 1/2 tsp
Salt 1/2 tsp
Cardamom Powder 1 tsp
Wet Ingredients -
Mango Puree 1 1/2 cups ( I used store bought sweetened condensed Kesar mango pulp)
Oil 1/3 cup (I used Olive Oil)
Brown Sugar 2/3 cup (Regular sugar can be used too)

Method Of Preparation -

Preheat the oven to 350 F.

Sift all the dry ingredients and set aside.

Whip the wet ingredients together until well combined.

Mix the wet and dry ingredients until just combined. Don't over mix or over beat.

Divide the batter into a muffin pan lined with cup cake liners. I used a 24 mini muffin pan and divided the remaining into a regular sized muffin pan(filled about 4 muffins).

Bake for 25 min or until a tester comes out clean.

Cool on a wire rack and enjoy!

I let the kids decorate their cupcakes with the store bought frosting and sprinkles and had a great time! Note that the frosting was not vegan.

Check out the Blogging Marathon page for the other Blogging Marathoners doing BM#15.

Preparation Time 15 min + Baking Time 25 min + Cooling 20 min
Makes 24 mini muffins + 4 regular muffins

Posted by Harini R on Sunday, April 29, 2012

17 comments

categories: All Purpose Flour (Maida), Baking, Blogging Marathon, Brown Sugar, Cakes, Flours, Fruits, Mango, Sweetening Agents, Wheat Flour (Godhuma pindi) | |

Uppu Pindi ~ Rice Rava Upma

Uppu Pindi with Chintapandu Pachadi

U for Uppu Pindi. This is a very typical Andhra breakfast recipe. I don't remember having had this in my childhood. But it is one of the signature dishes from my MIL.

Usually the Rava used for this is made at home by soaking rice overnight, draining it out and drying it on a cloth and then grinding it in rava/sooji/semolina consistency. But I had some store bought rice rava in my pantry which I used up for this delicious upma.

Some versions of Uppu pindi have moong dal/pesara pappu in there but since I wanted to make the authentic MIL version, I refrained from adding it. I was tempted to add some veggies too, may be next time!
Here it is for Day 6 of BM#15.

Ingredients -

Rice Rava 1 cup
Onions finely chopped 3 Tbsp (Optional)
Salt to taste
Green Chillies chopped 2-3 (or per taste)
Ginger grated 1 tsp
Water 2 cups
Seasoning (Oil 1 Tbsp, Chana Dal 1 tsp, Urad Dal 1 tsp, Cumin Seeds 1/2 tsp, Mustard seeds 1/2 tsp, Peanuts 3 Tbsp, curry leave few, Dry Red Chilli )
Lemon Juice as needed (optional)

Method Of Preparation -

In a heated pan/kadai, add a few drops of oil and roast the rice rava until it attains a shade of golden brown. Set aside.

In the same kadai, add oil and the rest of the seasoning ingredients. After the peanuts are fried and the mustard seeds pop, saute the onions until they are translucent.

Add the chopped green chillies, grated ginger and fry for a minute.

Pour 2 cups of water and let it come to a rolling boil. Reduce the heat, add salt and gently mix in the rice rava.

Mix well and cover with a lid. Let the rice rava cook under steam for about 10 min. Make sure it is cooked on low heat under cover.

Check to see if is cooked through. Usually there would be a crust formed at the bottom of the pan and that signifies the done-ness as well. Fluff it with the ladle, the texture should be more or less powdery.

Remove from fire and squeeze in some lemon juice if preferred.

Serve with Coriander chutney or tamarind chutney or mango pickle. These are the traditional choices. But feel free to serve with any chutney of your choice.

Check out the Blogging Marathon page for the other Blogging Marathoners doing BM#15.

Preparation Time 25 min
Serves 2

Posted by Harini R on Saturday, April 28, 2012

15 comments

categories: Blogging Marathon, Breakfast, Grains and its Products, Onions, Rice Rava, Upma, Vegetables | |

Tomato Masala in Tofu Gravy

After my older one showed some signs of milk allergy, I had to change the way I made the gravy curries. So when I was experimenting with various ingredients to thicken the gravy, I found adding tofu to the gravy increases the health quotient as well as the taste. :) It was a win-win at our end.

So here is T for Tomato Masala with Tofu Gravy for Day 5 of BM #15.

Ingredients -
Grape Tomatoes 1 1/2 - 2 cups
Turmeric 1/4 tsp
Dhania-Jeera Powder 1 tsp
Red chilli powder 1/2 tsp (or as per taste)
Amchur Powder (Dry Mango Powder) 1/2 tsp (Optional)
Salt as per taste
Seasoning (Oil 2 Tbsp, Cloves 3-4, Cinnamon 1 inch, Cardamom 2, Pepper corns 4-5, Bay leaf 1 and Jeera )
Chopped coriander leaves for garnish
For the Gravy -
Onion chopped and sauteed 1 cup
Ginger-Garlic paste 1 tsp
Cashews, Almonds, Walnuts , roasted 1 Tbsp each
Sesame Seeds, Poppy seeds, Coconut, roasted 1 Tbsp each
Green Chillies 1-2 (or as per taste)
Tofu pureed 1/2 cup

Method Of Preparation -

Make a paste of the ingredients listed under 'For the Gravy' and set aside.

In a heated wok/kadai, add oil and add the seasoning ingredients. After the cumin seeds brown, add the gravy paste, turmeric, Dhania-Jeera Powder, Red chilli powder and let the gravy cook until oil oozes out.

Add a little water to avoid burning the gravy. Keep in mind that the gravy will thicken upon cooling.

Slit the grape tomatoes and slide them into the simmering gravy, cover and let the tomatoes cook for about 4-5 min.

Sprinkle in salt and Dry mango powder as needed. Mix well and remove from fire.

Garnish with chopped coriander leaves.

Serve hot with Naan/Roti/Pulao.

Check out the Blogging Marathon page for the other Blogging Marathoners doing BM#15.

Preparation Time 35-40 min
Serves 4-5

Posted by Harini R on Friday, April 27, 2012

21 comments

categories: Almonds, Blogging Marathon, Cashews, Coconut(Kobbari), Curries (Gravy), Dry Fruits and Nuts, Grape Tomatoes, Onions, Sesame Seeds, Vegetables, Walnuts | |

Sago Curd Vada ~ Sabudana Yogurt Fritters

S for Sago-Curd Vada. Yes, that would be for Day 4 of BM #15. To be frank this is from my drafts and was wondering how I missed out on posting this delicious personal favorite of mine.

One of my close friends, Madhavi, who hosts maavantalu, recommended this vada for a party at our place. This has since become our favorite.

Ingredients -

Sabudana/Sago/Saggubiyyam 1 cup
Curds/Yogurt 3-4 Tbsp
Rice Flour 1/4 cup
Salt as needed
Green Chillies 2-3 (or as needed)
Ginger 1 inch piece
Curry Leaves few (I didn't use)
Coriander leaves few (I didn't use)
Asafoetida 1/4 tsp
Black Salt / Kala Namak as needed for garnish
Oil for Deep Frying

Method Of Preparation -

Soak Sago in curd and add sufficient water to keep the sago moist. Cover and set aside for 2-3 hrs. (Note that some varieties of sabudana need more soaking time. But the one I used needed no more than 3 hrs).

Coarsely grind the soaked sago, green chillies and ginger without adding water. [You might have to just pulse it in short intervals]. Don't worry if some sago pearls are intact, they would add a crunch to the vada!

Mix in salt, torn curry leaves, finely chopped coriander leaves, asafoetida and rice flour to the coarsely ground sago to make a stiff dough.

Heat oil in a deep frying pan/kadai. Keep the heat to medium.

Pinch 1 1/2 - 2 tablespoons of dough pat them as discs.

Gently slide few of the discs into the hot oil and fry them until they are evenly golden brown on both sides.

Drain them onto kitchen paper towels and sprinkle black salt on them.

Enjoy hot vadas on a rainy day with a cup of tea, if you will!

Check out the Blogging Marathon page for the other Blogging Marathoners doing BM#15.

Preparation Time (Soaking time 3 hrs + frying time 45 min)
Makes about 12-15 Vadas

Posted by Harini R on Thursday, April 26, 2012

21 comments

categories: Appetizers and Snacks, Blogging Marathon, Flours, Fried Snacks, Grains and its Products, Rice Flour (Biyyam Pindi), Sago | |

Ragi Idli ~ Steamed Finger Millet Cakes

For Day 3 here is R for Ragi Idli. I like that it is diabetic friendly and was suggested by S. I thought that was quite a turn around for a Ragi hater. :)

We had this for breakfast today and keeping in view that we have never tasted Ragi Idlis before, they were received with great skepticism (But I was guaranteed there wouldn't be any dirty looks at the breakfast table :)).

I was a little disappointed that the batter didn't ferment as well as I was expecting and so the idlis didn't turn out too fluffy but they were not hard either.

Ingredients -

Ragi Flour / Finger Millet Flour 1 cup
Urad Dal 1/2 cup
Idli Rava 1/4 cup
Salt as needed

Method Of Preparation -

Soak Urad dal for about 2-3 hrs. Soak Idli rava and Ragi flour for about 30 min.

Grind Urad dal into a fine batter adding as little water as needed. Add the soaked idli rava and ragi flour and whip it into the batter.

Add salt to the batter and let it ferment overnight in a warm place.

After the batter is fermented, pour ladleful batter into the idli moulds and steam for about 15-17 min.

Let it cool and unmould the idlis and serve with a chutney of your preference.

We enjoyed it with Peanut chutney.

Check out the Blogging Marathon page for the other Blogging Marathoners doing BM#15.

Preparation Time (Soaking Time 2 hrs+ Grinding 10 min Resting Time 8 hrs + Steaming Time 15 min)
Makes 16 idlis

Posted by Harini R on Wednesday, April 25, 2012

23 comments

categories: Beans And Dals, Blogging Marathon, Breakfast, Flours, Grains and its Products, Idli rava, Idlis, Millet Recipes, Ragi Flour, Urad Dal (Minapa pappu) | |

Quinoa Cake Donuts

For Day 2 of BM #15, Q for Quinoa Cake Donuts it is! I had bookmarked this recipe a while back but never got around baking them. But when I was listing out the recipes with each of the alphabet, I realized I could make use of Q and I am glad I baked these as my older one instantly fell for them.

The original recipe mentions the use of a donut pan which I didn't have so I tweaked it to make a sticky dough so I could shape them as donuts.

Also I wanted to do a glaze on these donuts but my kids were in a hurry to consume them as is, so I quickly put some syrup and served them. So feel free to add a glaze, roll them in cinnamon sugar or just in powdered sugar. The options are your preference.

Inspired from here.
Ingredients -
Dry Ingredients -
All Purpose Flour / Maida 1/2 cup
Quinoa Flour 1/4 cup
Cornstarch 1 Tbsp
Baking Powder 1 tsp
Salt 1/4 tsp
Cinnamon 1/4 tsp
Wet Ingredients -
Sugar 2/3 cup (I used Brown Sugar)
Oil 2 Tbsp
Quinoa Cooked 1/2 cup
Soy Milk 1/4 cup
Apple Cider Vinegar 1/2 Tbsp
For the Sugar syrup -
3 Tbsp of brown sugar boiled in 1 Tbsp of water to result in a sticky syrup.

Note - I washed, dried , roasted and ground the quinoa to a fine powder and used it as quinoa flour.

Method Of Preparation -

Preheat the oven to 350 F.

Sift all the dry ingredients into a mixing bowl.

Whip up all the wet ingredients in a blender until the mixture is creamy and well blended.

Pour the wet mixture gradually into the flour and mix until a sticky dough results. Oiling your fingers help a lot in tackling the dough.

Pinch out lime sized dough and shape them as donuts (or medhu vada) and arrange in a parchment lined baking sheet.

Bake them for about 20-22 min or until a tester comes comes clean.

Upon cooling pour the sugar syrup, glaze or whatever topping is your preference.

Check out the Blogging Marathon page for the other Blogging Marathoners doing BM#15.

Preparation Time 35 min + Baking Time 22 min
Makes 10 medium sized donuts

Posted by Harini R on Tuesday, April 24, 2012

23 comments

categories: All Purpose Flour (Maida), Appetizers and Snacks, Baking, Blogging Marathon, Brown Sugar, Flours, Grains and its Products, Healthy Snacks, Other Bakes, Quinoa, Quinoa Recipes, Soy Milk, Soy Products, Sweetening Agents | |

Poha Upma ~ Atukula Upma

Welcome to the second week of BM #15. This week I am going to post recipes that start with P thru V. So keep guessing the names while we take a peek at today's quick breakfast / snack.

This version of Poha Upma is from my mom and was my childhood favorite. Now it is my older one's favorite. Though I make this often, I realized that I hadn't posted in my space. So here it is for Day 1 of BM #15.

Ingredients -

Thick Poha / Beaten rice 2 cups
Potatoes cubed 1 cup
Onions chopped 1/2 cup
Salt as needed
Turmeric 1/4 tsp
Seasoning (Oil 1 Tbsp, Chana Dal 1 tsp, Urad Dal 1 tsp, Jeera 1/2 tsp, Mustard seeds 1/2 tsp, Curry leaves few)
To Grind -
Roasted Peanuts 3 Tbsp
Coconut Powder 1-2 tsp (Optional)
Green Chillies 1-2 or as needed
Coriander leaves few

Method Of Preparation -

Wash the thick poha in running water and let it sit in a colander. Note that the poha should not be soaked, just washed and drained in a colander.

In a heated wok/kadai add oil and the rest of the seasoning ingredients. After the dal brown and the mustard seeds pop, saute the onions until golden brown.

Add the (parboiled) cubed potatoes and saute until they are tender. [I usually par boil the potatoes in the microwave to reduce the cooking time.]

Add turmeric, the ground peanut mixture, salt and mix well.

Transfer the moist poha and mix well so the poha is evenly coated with the peanut mixture.

Remove from fire, squeeze in some lemon juice and serve hot. [My kids love it with curds/yogurt.]

Check out the Blogging Marathon page for the other Blogging Marathoners doing BM#15.

Preparation Time 15-20 min
Serves 2-3

Posted by Harini R on Monday, April 23, 2012

31 comments

categories: Atukulu(Poha), Blogging Marathon, Breakfast, Grains and its Products, Onions, Potatoes (Alu), Upma, Vegetables | |

Carrot Majjigapulusu ~ Carrot Kadhi - Weekend Thali

For the final thali in this series for BM #15, here is a weekend thali which happened because of an almost empty refrigerator!

This thali has Carrot Rice, Plain Tadka Dal, Beans Fry, Carrot Kadhi/Majjigapulusu, Tomato Chutney, Rice and fruits (Cantaloupe and Grapes) for dessert.

Usually Kadhi or Majjigapulusu, as we call it, is made with vegetables like Ash gourd, Pumpkin, Bottle Gourd, Chayote Squash, Okra/Bhendi etc. But a few years back, my sister's husband got us to taste a mixed vegetable Kadhi which we loved and since then it is a regular at home. Moreover it is bachelor friendly too !

Here is a recap of the thalis I posted for the past week..

Carrots sliced to 1 inch pieces 2 cups
Curds/Yogurt, beaten, 2-3 cups
Coconut fresh/frozen 2 Tbsp
Turmeric 1/4 tsp
Green Chillies 2-3 (or as per taste)
Ginger 1/2 inch piece
Dhania Powder 1 tsp (or more if needed)
Besan / Senagapindi / Chickpea Flour 2-3 Tbsp
Salt as needed
Seasoning (Oil 1 Tbsp, Urad Dal 1 tsp, Jeera 1/2 tsp, Mustard seeds 1/2 tsp, Curry leaves few, Asafoetida a pinch)

Method Of Preparation -

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

After the mustard seeds pop, add the sliced carrots and saute until tender. Add water if needed.

Make a paste of green chillies, coconut, turmeric, ginger and dhania(coriander) powder adding as much water as needed and set aside.

Whip the curds and the green chilli paste until mixed and add it to the boiling carrots.

In a small bowl, make a thin paste of chick pea flour/besan and water and set aside.

After the carrots - curd mixture comes to a rolling boil, reduce the flame and mix in the watery besan paste while briskly stirring to avoid lumps. Let the mixture simmer for a couple of minutes.

Sprinkle salt as needed and add more water to adjust the consistency. The kadhi thickens as it cools so keep that in mind when adding water.

The consistency is also a matter of preference. We prefer a thicker version whereas my mom prefers a thinner consistency.

Serve with plain tadka dal and rice.

Check out the Blogging Marathon page for the other Blogging Marathoners doing BM#15.
Also sending it to Valli's Thali Mela.

Preparation Time 25 min
Serves 4-5

Posted by Harini R on Sunday, April 22, 2012

15 comments

categories: Blogging Marathon, Carrots, Chick Pea Flour (Besan), Dairy Products, Flours, Sambar, Vegetables, Yogurt (Curd/Perugu) | |

Tomato Raitha ~ Tomato Perugupachadi - Lunch Thali

Here is a typical weekend lunch thali at our place for day 6 of BM #15 featuring Tomato Raitha.

In the thali are - Mixed Vegetable Rice/Fried Rice, Tomato Raitha, Alu/Potato Fry, Red Chori Beans Masala, Phulka/Roti and Homemade Lemonade.

The Raitha which is an accompaniment to the vegetable rice, is so simple to make and yet it takes the the taste to another level.

Ingredients -

Onion chopped 1/2 cup
Tomato chopped 1 cup
Green Chilli 1-2 (or to taste)
Salt as needed
Mustard Powder 1 tsp (Optional)
Yogurt 2 cups (or as needed
Seasoning (Oil 2 tsp, Mustard seeds 1/2 tsp (optional), Jeera 1/2 tsp, Asafoetida a pinch, Curry leaves few)
Coriander leaves, Red chilli powder and Chaat Masala for garnish

Method Of Preparation -

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

Add the chopped green chillies and tomato. Sprinkle turmeric and salt as needed.

After the tomatoes are mushy, remove from fire and set aside to cool.

Grind the mixture upon cooling and mix it in the beaten yogurt/curds. Adjust the salt , garnish and serve!

Check out the Blogging Marathon page for the other Blogging Marathoners doing BM#15.
Also sending it to Valli's Thali Mela.

Preparation Time 15 min
Makes 2 1/2 cups

Posted by Harini R on Saturday, April 21, 2012

21 comments

categories: Blogging Marathon, Chutneys And Powders, Dairy Products, Onions, Thali, Tomatoes, Vegetables, Yogurt (Curd/Perugu) | |

Rava Bobbattu ~ Sooji Poli - A Festival Thali

For Day 5 of the Thali series, here is another festival thali. The menu was for Sriramnavami (celebrated as the birthday of Lord Sri Ram). I later on came to know that this festive menu is for the day after the festival.

The platter consists of - Panakam, Vadapappu (Moong Dal Salad), Buttermilk, Dosakaya Pappu / Yellow Cucumber Dal, Okra Fry / Bhendi Fry, Pulihora/Tamarind Rice, Rava Bobbattu / Sooji Poli and Rice

In my mom's words - "On Sriramnavami, we used to go to all our neighbors houses and consume the panakam (jaggery water) and vadapappu (moong salad). So by the time we used to come from the trip, we used to be full and used to forego our meal for the day. So it was essentially a form of fasting which was probably the essence of the festival also."

The onset of summer and the coolants offered sure are coincidental!!
Sooji Poli is a traditional recipe made by many of my aunts and also by my MIL. Some vouch for the deep fried versions called 'Sojjappam'.

Ingredients -
For the outer cover -
Wheat Flour 2 cups
Salt as needed
Turmeric 1/4 tsp
Water as needed to knead the dough
Oil or Ghee to spray
For the Filling -
Rava Kesari / Sooji Halwa 1 1/2 cups
(Note that the nuts have to be excluded from the kesari when it needs to be used as a filling here. We want the kesari to be very smooth.)

Method Of Preparation -

In a mixing bowl, knead the whole wheat flour with water with a little salt and turmeric into a dough and keep it covered for 10-15 min.

Divide the dough into equal parts (about 10-12) and roll each portion of the dough into small circles. Put in at least a teaspoon of filling and close it into a ball.

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. [Traditionally Poli/Bobbattu made out to at least 6-7 inches. I found making smaller ones to be easier and also good for portion control :)]

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#15.
Also sending it to Valli's Thali Mela.

Preparation Time 30 min

Makes 10-12

Posted by Harini R on Friday, April 20, 2012

17 comments

categories: Blogging Marathon, Brown Sugar, Flatbread, Flours, Grains and its Products, Other Sweets, Semolina(Sooji/Bombay Rava), Sweetening Agents, Sweets and Desserts, Wheat Flour (Godhuma pindi) | |

Tamalapaku

Vegan Mango Cupcakes

Uppu Pindi ~ Rice Rava Upma

Tomato Masala in Tofu Gravy

Sago Curd Vada ~ Sabudana Yogurt Fritters

Ragi Idli ~ Steamed Finger Millet Cakes

Quinoa Cake Donuts

Poha Upma ~ Atukula Upma

Carrot Majjigapulusu ~ Carrot Kadhi - Weekend Thali

Tomato Raitha ~ Tomato Perugupachadi - Lunch Thali

Rava Bobbattu ~ Sooji Poli - A Festival Thali

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