April 2015 ~ Tamalapaku

Eggless Dates Cake

Day 26 BM#51 -
Today marks the end of this month long journey into the world of Baking. I shall soon update a page where all the baked goodies which made way into this edition will be highlighted.

Here is a sweet cake which is close to my heart. It has won many hearts in our neighborhood as well.

I found the cake a trifle too sweet to my taste but no one who tasted this cake agreed with me. :) I would reduce sugar a little bit more. But then the sweetness of dates is a variable here.

Thanks to my friend, Shalaka who shared this recipe and has been in my notes for a long time now. I am glad I found the inspiration to bake it for this marathon.

Ingredients -

Dates 20 (pitted) [I used medjool variety which are very sweet]
Sugar 2/3 cup
Milk 2 cups
Cooking Oil 2/3 cup
All Purpose Flour/Maida 1 cup
Whole Wheat Flour 1 cup
Baking Powder 1 tsp
Baking Soda 1 tsp
Salt 1/8 tsp

Method Of Preparation -

Blend the dates, sugar, milk and oil into a smooth puree.

In a mixing bowl, sift the flours, baking powder, baking soda and salt.

Add the dates puree to the flour mixture and gently mix until well combined.

Preheat the oven to 350 °F. Prepare a bundt pan by spraying oil and sprinkling flour to absorb the excess oil.

Pour the batter into the prepared pan.

Bake for 40 min or until a tester comes out clean.

Invert the bundt pan onto a wire rack to cool. I dusted some powdered sugar on top. Upon cooling, slice as needed.

Check out the Blogging Marathon page for the other Blogging Marathoners doing BM# 51

An InLinkz Link-up

Preparation Time 20 min + Baking Time 40 min
Makes 8 inch bundt cake

Posted by Harini R on Thursday, April 30, 2015

12 comments

categories: All Purpose Flour (Maida), Baking, Blogging Marathon, Cakes, Dairy Products, Dates, Dry Fruits and Nuts, Flours, Milk, Sugar, Sweetening Agents, Wheat Flour (Godhuma pindi) | |

Herb And Cheese Monkey Bread

Day 25 BM #51 -

As we are coming to the end of this edition of the Baking Marathon, here is a very easy and flexible bread to please everyone at home! Choose the toppings your family prefers and enjoy pulling out the bread each of you likes.

Ingredients -

Bread Flour 2 cups
Whole Wheat Flour 1 cup
Salt 1 1/2 tsp (or more as per taste)
Unsalted Butter 2 Tbsp, cubed
Water 1/2 cup + 2/3 cup (or as needed)
Active Dry Yeast 2 tsp
Sugar 1 tsp
Toppings -
Butter 3 Tbsp + grated Garlic 1 tsp
Red Pepper Flakes 2 tsp
Crushed Mint 1 tsp
Finely chopped Cilantro 1 Tbsp
Cheddar Cheese, grated 3 Tbsp
Parmesan Cheese 1 Tbsp

Method Of Preparation -

In 1/2 cup of warm water, dissolve sugar and sprinkle yeast. Set aside in a warm place to activate the yeast.

In a stand mixer bowl or a mixing bowl, sift the flours and salt, add in the butter cubes.

Add in the yeast solution to the flour and knead adding more warm water as needed to form a soft and pliable dough.

Oil a bowl and roll the dough in the oiled bowl, cover and set aside until the dough is doubled [about 1 1/2 hours].

Get all the topping and garlic butter ready.

Prepare a bundt pan or any baking pan by greasing it with butter.

Pinch lime sized portions of the dough (I made about 30 portions), brush garlic butter and roll in any of the toppings and arrange in the bundt pan.

Make sure each of the dough portions is dipped in different toppings for variety and color.

Cover and set aside for a second rise for about 45 minutes. Brush with garlic butter and sprinkle more cheese on top if preferred.

Preheat the oven to 350 °F. Bake in the center rack of the oven for about 30-35 minutes (I baked for 32 minutes)

Remove and let it cool for a few minutes. Run a knife along the sides to loosen the bread and serve warm.

My kids loved it with ketchup and also with more garlic butter. It would be a great accompaniment for soup as well.

Check out the Blogging Marathon page for the other Blogging Marathoners doing BM# 51

An InLinkz Link-up

Preparation Time 25 min + Resting Time 2 1/4 hours + Baking Time 32 min
Makes 30 pieces

Posted by Harini R on Wednesday, April 29, 2015

13 comments

categories: Baking, Blogging Marathon, Bread flour, Breads n Rolls, Butter, Cheese, Dairy Products, Flours, Savory Bakes, Wheat Flour (Godhuma pindi) | |

Baked Bitter Gourd Chips

Day 24 BM #51 -

I have explored baking many Indian vegetables this month and this one was the most interesting one. Though the kids stayed away from these bitter gourd chips, we loved it as a snack and as an accompaniment to dal and rice.

I cannot say that the bitterness was totally off, but it was within tolerable limits.

Adapted from here
Ingredients -

Bitter Gourd 3-4 firm ones
Besan / Chickpea Flour /Gram Flour 2 Tbsp
Tamarind extract 2 Tbsp (or as required)
Cooking Oil 1-2 Tbsp
Salt, Red Chilli Powder, Sugar, Coriander Powder as needed

Method Of Preparation -

Wash and pat dry the bitter gourd. Slice them into 1/2 cm circles. Remove the seeds if they are tough.

In a mixing bowl, toss the rest of the ingredients. Make a paste and set aside.

Add the sliced bitter gourd into the paste and make sure all the slices are coated with the paste. Let it marinate for about 15-20 minutes.

Preheat the oven to 400 °F. Prepare a baking sheet lined with parchment paper.

Arrange all the slices as a single layer.

Bake them for 15 minutes. Turn over and bake them further for 15 minutes, monitoring them carefully. Let them bake until they are crisp.

It works great as an accompaniment to dal/sambar.

Check out the Blogging Marathon page for the other Blogging Marathoners doing BM# 51/a>

An InLinkz Link-up

Preparation Time 15 min + Baking Time 30 min
Makes approx 2 cups

Posted by Harini R on Tuesday, April 28, 2015

15 comments

categories: Baking, Bitter-gourd, Blogging Marathon, Savory Bakes, Vegetables | |

Vegan Chocolate Crinkle Cookies

Day 23 BM #51 -
I wanted to bake these chocolate crinkle cookies for a long time but since the kids were not interested in chocolate, I refrained from baking them. But from the time the kids have realized that chocolate can be included in their menu, these cookies were the first ones to be enjoyed by them.

I felt there are not enough crinkles in these cookies, but didn't have the energy to re-bake them. Taste-wise none of the kids nor the adults had any issues, so I let them be :).

Recipe Source here
Ingredients -

Wheat Flour 1 cup + 2 Tbsp
Salt 1/8 tsp
Baking Powder 1 tsp
Banana Puree 1/2 cup
Brown Sugar 1/2 cup + 2 Tbsp
Vegetable Oil 1/4 cup
Cocoa Powder 1/2 cup
Vanilla Essence 1 tsp (Optional)
*Powdered Sugar 3 Tbsp (or coating)

*The original recipe says 1 cup of powdered sugar but I didn't have to use so much.

Method Of Preparation -

Sift the flour, salt and baking powder in a mixing bowl.

Mix the wet ingredients (Banana Puree, Oil, Vanilla Essence, Cocoa Powder and Brown sugar) in a separate bowl.

Add the flour to the wet ingredients and gently knead to a stiff dough.

**The original recipe says to refrigerate the dough for about 2 hours which I didn't follow.

Pinch equal portions of the dough and roll into small balls.

Arrange them on a parchment lined baking tray.

Drop each of the dough balls into the powdered sugar and make sure that they are completely covered with powdered sugar.

Preheat the oven to 350 °F.

Bake the cookies for about 17 minutes. I inadvertently pressed down with a fork on all the cookies before baking.

Remove from the oven and cool on a wire rack. Before I had a chance to store them in an air tight container, they were poof..gone!!

Check out the Blogging Marathon page for the other Blogging Marathoners doing BM# 51

An InLinkz Link-up

Preparation Time 15 min + Baking time 17 minutes
Makes 20 cookies

Posted by Harini R on Monday, April 27, 2015

13 comments

categories: Baking, Banana, Blogging Marathon, Brown Sugar, Cocoa Powder, Cocoa products, Cookies, Flours, Fruits, Sweetening Agents, Wheat Flour (Godhuma pindi) | |

Oven Roasted Chickpeas

Day 22 BM #51 -

I have baked these chickpeas many times and each time with a different spice mix. They are an absolute guilt free snack and addictive as well.

Try out these and see if you agree with me :)

Ingredients -

Chickpeas/Kabuli Chana/Garbanzo Beans, soaked overnight and boiled 1 cup [Canned chickpeas work too]
Salt, Coriander Powder, Red Chili Powder, Dry Mango Powder as needed
Cooking Oil 1-2 Tbsp

Method Of Preparation -

Drain the chickpeas and make sure they are as dry as possible. [Wipe them with paper towels if needed]

In a bowl add oil and the spices using. Toss in the chickpeas and make sure they are all evenly coated with the spice mix.

[I found that it is easier to mix the spices and oil in a ziploc bag and tossing the chickpeas in, sealing it and gently tossing the bag until all the chickpeas are evenly coated].

Preheat the oven to 400 °F. Prepare a baking tray lined with parchment paper. [If using aluminium foil, grease the tray].

Bake for about 30 minutes, tossing them every 10 minutes for even browning. [I switched off the oven and left them in there for another 10 minutes until they turned crispy].

Check out the Blogging Marathon page for the other Blogging Marathoners doing BM# 51

An InLinkz Link-up

Preparation Time 20 min + Baking 30 min

Makes 1 cup

Posted by Harini R on Saturday, April 25, 2015

15 comments

categories: Appetizers and Snacks, Baking, Beans And Dals, Blogging Marathon, Healthy Snacks, Kabuli Chana (Garbanzo Beans), Savory Bakes | |

Eggless Avocado Brownies

Day 21 BM #51 -

My kids have started to appreciate brownies of late and so I got to bake a few variations. Here I used avocado. We weren't able to taste the avocado but there were some green (avocado) specks visible which gave away the 'secret'.

My ever-observant older one figured out that I had used an avocado but since the taste was good, she forgave the presence of avocado!

Recipe Source here
Ingredients -

Whole Wheat Flour 1 cup
Baking Powder 1 tsp
Salt 1/4 tsp
Butter 2 Tbsp
Chocolate Chips 1 cup
Avocado, 1 peeled and de-seeded
Water 4 Tbsp
Sugar 1/2 cup
Milk 3 Tbsp
Vanilla essence 1 tsp (I didn't add)
Powered Sugar 1 Tbsp for dusting on top (Optional)

Method Of Preparation -

In a mixing bowl, sift the flour, baking powder and salt.

In a microwave safe bowl, add 2 tablespoons of butter and chocolate chips. Microwave it until the chocolate chips melt.

Chop the avocado and blend into a smooth puree adding about 3-4 Tbsp of water.

Blend the avocado puree, sugar, milk and the chocolate syrup.

To the chocolate-avocado mixture, gradually add the flour+baking powder until well blended.

Preheat the oven to 350 °F. Prepare a 8 inch square baking pan by lining parchment paper or greasing it.

Pour the batter into the prepared pan. Level it with a knife if needed.

Bake it for 22 minutes or until a tester comes out clean when inserted in the middle.

Slice it as needed upon cooling and enjoy!

Check out the Blogging Marathon page for the other Blogging Marathoners doing BM# 51

An InLinkz Link-up

Preparation Time 15 min + Baking Time 22 min
Makes an 8 in square (about 30 square pieces)

Posted by Harini R on Friday, April 24, 2015

13 comments

categories: Avocado, Baking, Blogging Marathon, Cakes, Chocolate Chips, Cocoa products, Flours, Fruits, Sugar, Sweetening Agents, Wheat Flour (Godhuma pindi) | |

Cheesy Spicy Pull Apart Loaf

Day 20 BM #51 -

I have been eyeing this pull part bread load for a long time now. I wanted to make a savory version and found many many variations on the web.

To make my life simple, I pulled out the store bought Green Chutney and used it as a filling. I am sure I am going to bake this loaf with many different fillings in the near future.

The little one thought it was a little too spicy for her and so she enjoyed it with some Nutella spread on the slices! She says Nutella makes everything taste so much better :) The other extreme was my husband who dipped the bread in a spicy Andhra Mango pickle :)

Adapted from here
Ingredients -

Bread Flour 3 cups
Butter 2 Tbsp
Warm Milk 1/2 cup + 2/3 cup
Sugar 1 tsp
Active Dry Yeast 2 tsp
Salt 1 tsp
Garlic, grated 1 tsp
For the Filling -
Butter 1 Tbsp
Green Chutney 2-3 Tbsp
Red Chili Flakes as needed
Cheese, shredded 1/2 cup [I used Cheddar cheese]

Method Of Preparation -

In 1/2 cup of warm milk, dissolve sugar and sprinkle yeast. Set aside in a warm place to activate the yeast.

In a stand mixer bowl or a mixing bowl, sift the flour, salt, melted butter and add the grated garlic.

Add in the yeast solution to the flour and knead adding more warm milk as needed to form a soft and pliable dough.

Oil a bowl and roll the dough in the oiled bowl, cover and set aside until the dough is doubled [about 1 1/2 hours].

Dust a work surface with a little flour. Punch down the doubled dough and stretch and roll it into a square about 11 x 11 or 12 x 12.

Brush with butter all over the square dough surface. Spread the green chutney as needed all over. Sprinkle cheese and red pepper flakes as needed. (I forgot to sprinkle the red pepper flakes here instead I topped the flakes after the bread was baked :) )

Make about 2 inch strips of the square dough. I used a pizza cutter to do the job.

Layer each of the strips, one on top of another. Now slice the pile into 2-3 inch squares.

Place the slices, cut side down in a greased (I lined with parchment paper) loaf pan (I used a 10 x 5).

Cover and set aside in a warm place for a second rise. I left it for an hour. Brush the top with milk.

Preheat the oven to 375 °F. Bake it in the center rack for about 35 minutes or until the top is golden brown.

Brush with melted butter and pull apart the slices and enjoy!

Check out the Blogging Marathon page for the other Blogging Marathoners doing BM# 51

An InLinkz Link-up

Preparation Time 25 min + Resting Time 2 hrs + Baking Time 35 min
Makes a 9 x 4 loaf

Posted by Harini R on Thursday, April 23, 2015

15 comments

categories: Baking, Blogging Marathon, Bread flour, Breads n Rolls, Butter, Cheese, Dairy Products, Flours, Milk | |

Baked Kale Chips

Day 19 BM #51 -

Kale leaves have played peek a boo with me for many years now. These leaves somehow never appear at home :) But I was determined to try out these chips for the marathon when one of my friends suggested that I should try baking Kale.

The first time I baked these I mistakenly added a generous dosage of salt and the chips turned out way too salty for our taste. So I just powdered them added a little bit of red chilli powder and mixed it in rice and served it to my older one and she was happy.

I felt these leaves were very forgiving in the spices they can attach to (except salt :-)). Just salt and pepper would be a great idea too.

But the second time around is a different success story altogether!!

Ingredients -

Kale, roughly chopped 3-4 cups
Olive Oil 1 Tbsp
Onion Powder as needed
Garlic Powder as needed
Parmesan Cheese [The powdered variety] as needed
*Salt a generous pinch

Method Of Preparation -

Wash the kale, and carefully wipe down the leaves so there is as little moisture as possible. [Else they will just steam and not crisp up].

Spray the olive oil all over the leaves and sprinkle the rest of the spices and toss them so the spices are evenly spread around.

Preheat the oven to 350 °F. Prepare a baking tray with parchment paper.

Arrange all the leaves in a single layer on the baking tray.

Bake them for 10 min, remove and turn the tray the other way and bake for another 10-12 minutes.

Check if they are crisp. I left them in the oven after I powered off the oven for about 10-15 minutes.

They turned out ultra crispy. Perfect to snack on!

Check out the Blogging Marathon page for the other Blogging Marathoners doing BM# 51

An InLinkz Link-up

Preparation Time 10 min + Baking Time 30-35 min
Makes a generous bowl full

Posted by Harini R on Wednesday, April 22, 2015

19 comments

categories: Baking, Blogging Marathon, Kale, Savory Bakes, Vegetables | |

Eggless Zucchini Muffins

Day 18 BM #51 -
My kids are very fond of Zucchini. They love it in any form served to them. I usually bake them so they can snack on them. It so happened that the other day I had just 1 small zucchini and I had to use it up. So I thought to make these muffins.

I shared these muffins with my friends and their kids were happy to help me with their rocking feedback!!

Adapted from here
Ingredients -

Whole Wheat Flour 1 cup [I used whole wheat white flour]
All Purpose Flour/Maida 1/2 cup
Baking Powder 1/2 tsp
Baking Soda 1/2 tsp
Cinnamon Powder 2 tsp
Nutmeg Powder 1/4 tsp
Cardamom Powder 1/2 tsp
Cloves 2-3, powdered
Salt 1/4 tsp
Zucchini, grated 1 cup
Yogurt/ Curds 1/2 cup
Sugar 1/2 cup
Cooking Oil 1/2 cup
Chocolate chips as a topping (optional)

Method Of Preparation -

Blend the yogurt, Oil and sugar until the sugar is completely dissolved.

In a mixing bowl, sieve the flours, baking powder, baking soda, cinnamon powder, nutmeg powder, cardamom powder, clove powder and salt.

Add the yogurt mixture into the flour along with the grated zucchini and gently mix to make a lump free batter. The batter is slightly thick.

Preheat the oven to 375 °F. Line the muffin plate with the liners.

Using a scoop, fill up the mini muffin liners with the batter. I topped each muffin with a mini chocolate chip.

Bake in the center rack for about 18 min. Check to see if they are cooked through using a toothpick.

Cool on a wire rack and enjoy!

Check out the Blogging Marathon page for the other Blogging Marathoners doing BM# 51

An InLinkz Link-up

Preparation Time 20 min + Baking Time 18 min
Makes 28 mini muffins

Posted by Harini R on Tuesday, April 21, 2015

15 comments

categories: All Purpose Flour (Maida), Baking, Blogging Marathon, Dairy Products, Flours, Sugar, Sweetening Agents, Vegetables, Wheat Flour (Godhuma pindi), Yogurt (Curd/Perugu), Zucchini | |

French Bread

Day 17 BM #51 -

I had bookmarked this French Bread a while back and was wondering if my folks at home would really consume this bread at home.

All my doubts were dispelled when each of them competed with each other to finish off the loaves. Their favorite was to layer some spicy chutney, fresh mozzarella cheese, onion, lettuce, jalepeno and tomato and have it for lunch, snack and dinner!!

Adapted from here
Ingredients -

Bread Flour 3 cups
Active Dry Yeast 2 tsp
Warm Water 1 1/4 cups
Sugar 1 tsp
Oil 2 Tbsp
Salt 1 tsp
Butter and Milk for brushing

Method Of Preparation -

In a bowl, add 1/2 cup of warm water and sugar. Sprinkle yeast and set aside in a warm place to activate the yeast until the solution froths up.

In a mixing bowl or stand mixer bowl, add the flour, oil and salt and whisk for a few seconds.

Add the yeast solution and knead adding as much more warm water as necessary to knead to soft dough.

Cover and set aside the dough in a well oiled bowl.

For the next one hour at 10 minute intervals, on a floured surface, turn over the dough, knead it 4-5 times and roll it into a ball, cover and set aside in a warm place. [I kneaded it every 10 min for about 5 times in an hour].

Divide the dough into two portions. Roughly stretch each portion into a rectangle. Jelly Roll each portion and tuck the seams in to form 2 logs.

Place the logs on a parchment paper lined baking tray.

Slash the tops three times on each log. Brush milk all over the logs, cover and set aside for about 45 minutes.

Preheat the oven to 425 °F.

Bake for about 10 min and then reduce the oven temperature to 375 °F and bake for another 15-20 minutes or the tops turn golden and the bread sounds hollow when tapped on the bottom.

Remove from the oven, brush with melted butter, slice and enjoy!

Check out the Blogging Marathon page for the other Blogging Marathoners doing BM# 51

An InLinkz Link-up

Preparation Time 20 min + Resting Time 2 hours + Baking time 25 min
Makes 2 loaves

Posted by Harini R on Monday, April 20, 2015

16 comments

categories: Baking, Blogging Marathon, Bread flour, Breads n Rolls, Flours | |

Baked Taro Chips

Day 16 #BM 51 -
Taro or Chama dumpa or Arbi has been in my 'do not use' list, until a few days back when I was going through my bookmarks. I saw that my sister-in-law had mentioned taro chips. It then struck me that they might be good if baked as well.

I know of lot of friends who refrain from buying Taro in fear of frying them in oil. This is definitely going to be a relief!!

So I googled and found a lot of variations. Here is my version.

Ingredients -

Taro / Chama dumpa / Arbi 3 medium sized [Make sure they are even shaped so that the chips will all be the same size]
Salt, Red Chilli Powder as needed
Cooking Oil 1-2 Tbsp

Method Of Preparation -

Pressure cook the taro for about 10-15 minutes (or upto 1 hiss). Upon cooling, gently peel the skin.

Slice them into 1/2 cm thick slices.

Meanwhile preheat the oven to 400 °F. Prepare a baking tray by lining it with parchment paper.

In a ziploc bag, add oil, salt and red chilli powder. Toss in the sliced taro, close the ziploc bag and toss it around until all the slices are evenly coated.

Arrange all the slices on the baking tray in a single layer. Bake them for 10-12 minutes.

Broil for 4-5 minutes on each side until they are crisp, carefully monitoring them lest they should burn.

Remove and enjoy them as is or as an accompaniment for Dal or Sambar.

Check out the Blogging Marathon page for the other Blogging Marathoners doing BM# 51

An InLinkz Link-up

Preparation Time 25 min + Baking time 25 min
Makes approx 25-30 chips

Posted by Harini R on Saturday, April 18, 2015

18 comments

categories: Baking, Blogging Marathon, Savory Bakes, Taro, Vegetables | |

Tamalapaku

Eggless Dates Cake

Herb And Cheese Monkey Bread

Baked Bitter Gourd Chips

Vegan Chocolate Crinkle Cookies

Oven Roasted Chickpeas

Eggless Avocado Brownies

Cheesy Spicy Pull Apart Loaf

Baked Kale Chips

Eggless Zucchini Muffins

French Bread

Baked Taro Chips

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