We grew up eating this delicious salad called Kosambari or Vada Pappu. It is made traditionally for all festivals and auspicious occasions. I remember that I used to scoop out the salad from the main pot at the end of the meal along with the juice which oozes out! 

With such memories haunting me today, here is a visual treat for you all..For Day 3 of Week 3 of BM # 26.


Kosambari


Ingredients - 

Moong Dal 1/4 cup
Cucumber, finely chopped 1/4 cup
Carrot, grated 1/4 cup
Green Chillies 1-2 , finely chopped
Cilantro (Coriander leaves) for garnish
Salt and Lime juice as needed
Optional Seasoning (Oil 1 tsp, Urad Dal 1 tsp, Mustard Seeds 1/2 tsp, Hing a generous pinch)

Method Of Preparation -

Wash and soak the Moong dal in enough water for a couple of hours.

Drain and transfer into a mixing bowl. Add the chopped cucumber, grated carrot, green chillies, salt and lime juice.

Mix well and serve. (To prepare the optional seasoning, heat oil and add the urad dal and mustard seeds. After the mustard seeds pop, add the Hing and remove from fire. Mix the seasoning into the salad.)

Check out the Blogging Marathon page for the other Blogging Marathoners doing BM#26.

Sending this bowl of soup to Priya's event 'Healthy Me and Healthy Us'.


Preparation Time (Soaking time 2 hrs + mixing time 5 min)
Makes about a cup

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Vegan Corn Chowder

Chowder according to Wiki, is typically a sea food or vegetable stew. The richness to the chowder is primarily due to the addition of cream and/or milk. But in the case of Corn Chowder, the thickness is imparted by potatoes and corn itself.

Since I was intrigued by the recipe which I found here, I decided I should adapt the recipe to suit my taste. Here is the finished product for Day 2 Week 3 of BM #26, which was very hearty for a rainy evening!

Ingredients - 

Olive Oil 1 Tbsp
Garlic 2 cloves
Onions, finely chopped 1/2 cup
Carrots, cubed 3/4 cup
Potatoes, cubed 3/4 cup
Celery, finely chopped 2 Tbsp
Corn, fresh or frozen 1 1/2 cups
Vegetable Broth or water 3-4 cups (adjust as per consistency)
Salt as needed
Pepper as needed
Thyme, dried 1/4 tsp
Rosemary, dried 1/4 tsp
Cilantro (Or Parsley) for garnish
Lime juice as needed


Vegan Corn Chowder

Method Of Preparation -

In a deep heavy bottomed pan, heat olive oil and saute the grated/minced garlic for a few seconds and saute the onions until they are golden brown in color.

Add the remaining vegetables (carrots, potatoes, corn and celery) and a cup of water. Let the vegetables cook until tender.

Scoop out half of the vegetables and puree them. Pour the pureed vegetable into the pot adding all the spices and herbs (salt, pepper, thyme and rosemary).

Pour in the vegetable stock and let the soup simmer for about 10 minutes.

Remove from heat and squeeze in the lime juice and garnish with chopped cilantro.

Check out the Blogging Marathon page for the other Blogging Marathoners doing BM#26.

Sending this bowl of soup to Priya's event 'Healthy Me and Healthy Us'.


Preparation Time 30 min 
Makes 3-4 servings

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Posted by Harini R on Monday, March 18, 2013

Fattoush Salad

I chose to make Soups and Salads for the 3rd week of BM #26. I have had this tempting recipe in my email from a dear friend for a while now. So when this theme was amongst the ones I planned to choose, I got a chance to try it out much to our delight!

I have seen multiple variations of this Lebanese Salad on the web and it has been referred to as a wet bread salad! I guess it can be fine tuned as per individual preferences. So check out my version for Day 1 Week 3 of BM #26.

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Posted by Harini R on Sunday, March 17, 2013

Shrikhand happens to be a very popular dessert in Western parts of India. I have tasted it at a friend's place and was surprised that the process was so simple for such an elegant dessert. 

After a prolonged thought process, I decided I would give this Shrikhand a second chance for today's post. The last time I made it with Greek Yogurt upon my friend's suggestion and none of us kind of liked it [Maybe it is just us who are biased against Greek Yogurt]. So I shelved the idea of Shrikhand for a dessert at home.

But I am so glad I made it with regular curd instead, as the results were stunning! As you see I have made a very small sample as I was not sure we would like it .:) [I did not realize that after the water in yogurt is drained out, the quantity of hung curd would reduce.]

So check this out for Day 3, Week 2 of BM #26 before I go to make another small batch of this delightful Shrikhand, this time mango flavored!!


Shrikhand

Ingredients - 

Curd/Yogurt 3/4 cup
Sugar, Powdered 1 Tbsp (adjust to taste)
Cardamom Powder a pinch
Milk 1 tsp
Saffron Strands, a pinch

Method Of Preparation -

Pour the yogurt/curd onto a muslin cloth over a utensil and put something heavy on it. Place it in the refrigerator for 4-5 hours and let the moisture drain out. 

Soak the saffron strands in a teaspoon of milk and warm it a little.

The material thus obtained is called curd cheese. Transfer the curd cheese from the muslin cloth into a bowl.

Sprinkle powdered sugar, cardamom powder and the saffron soaked milk. 

Whip them together and chill before serving.

Serve as is or along with Puri, Crackers or Corn chips. Go with your intuition!

Check out the Blogging Marathon page for the other Blogging Marathoners doing BM#26.

Preparation Time 4 hrs + Active Cooking Time 5 min
Makes a little over 1/4 cup

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Lemony Yogurt Dressing

For the second day, week 2 of BM #26, here is a basic dressing recipe which can be used with a whole range of things.

I found this recipe in Tarla Dalal's 'Fast Foods Made Healthy'. I made this with low-fat yogurt and thought it would be a very good substitute for cream and egg based dressings commercially available. 

It made for a no-nonsense dipping sauce for our family. The kids ate their snack without any complaints. We loved the sauce with some Savory Scones too. Incidentally I figured that the kids like celery with peanut butter as well :)

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Posted by Harini R on Monday, March 11, 2013

Kubali Rice

For Week 2 of BM #26, I have chosen the theme which says I need to pick an ingredient and cook from 3 different cookbooks. An additional complication is to cook from a combo of courses. I have chosen to post a basic recipe, a rice based recipe and an Indian dessert.

The ingredient I chose is yogurt/curds. At least in our families, yogurt forms a very important component of a meal. So for Day 1, Week 2 here is a unique rice, which I recently noted from a telugu cookbook, 'Pasandaina Pulao and Fried Ricelu' by Smt. Vasundhara.

I thoroughly enjoyed this mint flavored rice but my husband didn't care too much for it. So I guess it is individual preference. 

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Eggless Pistachio And Tea Biscotti


I had been on a long break from blogging and hence could not participate in Magic Mingle. I have since come back and ready to delve into the magic, so to say! The magic ingredients for this edition of Magic mingle #15 are Tea and Pistachio. 

When I was thinking about this combo, my first thought was of a biscotti. I was wondering if tea and pistachio could work together in a biscotti when I saw some recipes online which used tea powder. I also had thoughts of using tea decoction in the batter. But I put those thoughts aside.

Eventually I used Mystic Vanilla Chai Powder which is sweetened. The result was very good. But I would suggest that the sugar be powdered and milk be reduced to make a stiff dough.


Ingredients - 

Wheat Flour 1 1/4 cups
Maida / All Purpose Flour 1 cup
Baking Powder 1 1/4 tsp
Vanilla Chai Powder 3 Tbsp
Sugar 3/4 cup (or more if preferred)
Pistachios, chopped 1/2 cup
Almonds and Cashews chopped 3 Tbsp
Flavorless Oil 1/4 cup (I used Canola Oil)
Milk a little less than 1 cup
Apple Cider Vinegar 1 tsp


Eggless Pistachio And Tea Biscotti

Method Of Preparation -

Mix the flours, baking powder, vanilla chai powder, sugar, pistachios, cashews and almonds.

Mix apple cider vinegar in milk and set aside for a minute. Blend in the oil as well.

Gradually pour in the milk-oil-Vinegar into the flour mixture and mix to form a stiff dough. (My dough turned a bit soft so I had to bake for a few extra minutes)

Preheat the oven to 350 F and line a baking tray with parchment paper.

Pat the dough on the parchment paper lined baking tray to form a 1/2 inch thick flat rectangular log.

Bake it for 40-45 min. Remove and let it cool for about 10 min.

Cut them into 1/2 inch slices and place them in the baking tray with the cut side up. Bake them again for 15-20 min until they turn golden brown.

Remove and let them cool on a cooling tray. They will get crispier as they cool. 

Serve them with milk or tea or gobble them as is :)

Sending these off to Kalyani's Magic Mingle.


Preparation Time 15 min + Baking Time 1 hr 
Makes 12 - 14 

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Mac n Cheese Muffins

Using 'Pasta' as the main ingredient, here is a delightful and kid-friendly snack which is approved by my kids and also the husband.

I made it for the first time using left over mac n cheese and my kids literally fought to pick up the last serving. Since then I have prepared different versions of these muffins varying the kind of pasta, the seasonings, vegetables and each time with fantastic results!!

So it appears here for Day 3 Week 1 of BM #26. The original recipe has been modified to suit our family.

Ingredients - 

Macaroni 1/2 cup
Shredded Cheese 1/4 - 1/2 cup
Vegetables (I used onion, corn, peas, beans and carrot) 3/4 cup
Salt as needed
Crushed Pepper as needed
Italian Seasoning 1/2 tsp
Pizza/Pasta Sauce 1 Tbsp
*Bread Crumbs 3/4 cup
Olive Oil or any oil of your choice approx 1 Tbsp
Crushed Red Pepper (Optional - I didn't add) as needed

*I powdered 2 bread slices and used for bread crumbs.


Mac n Cheese Muffins

Method Of Preparation -

Cook Macaroni or any other kind of pasta adding salt as required as per package instructions, wash in cold water, drain and set aside.

Cook the finely chopped vegetables except onions and set aside.

Preheat the oven to 400 F. Grease the muffin plate or any oven safe cups and dust with bread crumbs and set aside.

In a mixing bowl, add the macaroni, salt, shredded cheese, pizza sauce, finely chopped onions, cooked vegetables, Italian seasoning, crushed pepper and crushed red pepper if using.

Divide the macaroni mixture into the prepared cups or muffin plate, top them with a thick layer of bread crumbs and spray some oil. Optionally top them with more shredded cheese.

Bake for about 25 min or until the tops are brown.

Cool for a few minutes and let the kids enjoy!

Check out the Blogging Marathon page for the other Blogging Marathoners doing BM#26. 

Preparation Time 15 min + Baking Time 25 min
Serves 2

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Pasta Manchurian in Fried Rice

I am happy to have come up with this delightful recipe though it was a last minute brain wave. For the 2nd day week 1 BM #26, after lot of mix-up and confusion, and with some inspiration from Srivalli, I tried this fusion recipe. My older one loved it and so did my husband. I am sure I am going to make different versions of this in the near future!

I had this cute Annellini pasta at home and so used it for this. I guess, any pasta would work, just that the pasta might need to be crushed a little to blend in with the mixture.

Ingredients - 

For the Pasta Manchurian - 
Annellini Pasta 1/2 cup
Cabbage, shredded 1/2 cup
Carrot, shredded 1/4 cup
Green Chillies ,Ginger and Garlic Minced 2 tsp
Chilli-Garlic Sauce (I used Sriracha) 1 tsp (or as needed)
Salt as needed
Corn Starch 2 Tbsp
Oil for Deep frying
For the Fried Rice - 
Rice, Cooked 1 1/2 cups
Oil 1 Tbsp
Vegetable Stock 1/4 cup
Soy Sauce 1 Tbsp
Vinegar  1 Tbsp (Optional - I didn't use) 
Chilli Garlic Sauce 2 tsp (I used Maggi Tomato Chilli Sauce)
Onion, sliced 1/2 cup
Ginger, grated 1 tsp
Garlic Grated 1 tsp
Salt as needed
Red pepper flakes as needed (I avoided)
Garnish with chopped spring onion.


Pasta Manchurian in Fried Rice

Method Of Preparation -
For the Pasta Manchurian - 
Cook pasta al dente as per the instructions on the package, drain and set aside.

Boil the shredded cabbage and carrots and squeeze out the extra water and set aside the water as well. This water can be used as vegetable stock subsequently.

Mix in the squeezed vegetables, pasta, chilli-ginger-garlic paste, salt and Sriracha. Sprinkle cornstarch and mix well. The mixture needs to be just about moist. If it is runny, add more cornstarch.

Heat oil in a frying pan.

Pinch bite sized mixture and roll into a ball and set aside. I got about 22 bite sized balls for the quantity. 

When the oil is hot enough, fry these in batches until they are golden brown and crispy. Drain onto paper towels. 

Set aside all the fried manchurians.


Pasta Manchurian in Fried Rice

To make the Fried Rice - 
In a pan, heat oil, fry the grated ginger and garlic for a few seconds and saute the sliced onions as well.

When the onions are golden brown, add the tomato-chilli sauce, the vegetable stock, salt, red pepper flakes if using, vinegar(if using) and soy sauce.

To this mixture add the fried manchurians and let the manchurians soak up the flavors.

Add in the cooked and cooled rice and mix so the flavors blend well with rice.

Serve warm topping it with chopped spring onion.

Check out the Blogging Marathon page for the other Blogging Marathoners doing BM#26. 


Preparation Time 45-50 min
Serves 2-3

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Pasta Fagioli Soup

Today we begin yet another edition (#26) of Blogging Marathon, the brain child of Srivalli. There were some tricky themes to choose from and I hope to present some interesting, lovable and hearty recipes.

For the first week, I chose 'Pasta' as the main ingredient to present a soup, a rice based dish and a savory snack. So for Day 1 week 1 BM #26, here is a hearty soup when paired with some bread or croutons can make for a delightful supper specially on a wintry evening!!


Pasta Fagioli Soup


Adapted from here
Ingredients - 

Olive Oil 1 Tbsp
Garlic minced 1 clove
Onion 1 large, finely chopped
Tomato 1/2 large , diced
Tomatoes 1 1/2 large, cooked and pureed
V8 Vegetable Soup 1 12 oz can (can be substituted with Tomato juice or tomato sauce)
Salt as needed
Pepper as needed 
Parsley as needed 
Basil as needed 
Oregano as needed 
*Garbanzo Beans(Chana), soaked, boiled 1 cup
Pasta (elbow macaroni preferably, cooked al dente) 1 1/2 cups
Cheese, grated (preferably Parmesan Cheese) as needed for garnish

* Cannelini beans, Navy beans or Red Kidney beans are conventionally used.


Pasta Fagioli Soup

Method Of Preparation -

In a heavy bottomed pan, heat olive oil and saute minced garlic. Add onion and saute until translucent.

Add in the tomatoes, tomato puree and V8.

Sprinkle salt, pepper, basil, oregano and parsley to taste.

Let the mixture simmer for about 4-5 min.

Mix in the cooked pasta and beans. Mix well and let the soup simmer for about 5 minutes.

Serve in individual bowls, sprinkling as much cheese as is preferred.

Check out the Blogging Marathon page for the other Blogging Marathoners doing BM#26.


Preparation Time 30 min 
Serves 5-6

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Senagapappu Kootu

In a casual conversation with my mom, I came to know that this kootu is very popular in Tamil Nadu. She also mentioned that the authentic kootu will not have any tamarind/lime juice in it. But I added it to suit our taste.

For the last day of BM #25, I picked this recipe from 'Ee Roju Vantalu' by P Sailaja. 




Ingredients - 

Chana Dal 1 cup
Bottle Gourd, cubed 1 1/2 cups
Salt as needed
Turmeric 1/4 tsp
Seasoning ( Oil 2 tsp, Cumin seeds 1/2 tsp, Mustard seeds 1/2 tsp, Asafoetida 1/8 tsp, Curry leaves few)
To Roast and Grind - 
Urad Dal 1 Tbsp
Coconut, fresh/dry 3-4 Tbsp
Green Chillies 3-4


Senagapappu Kootu

Method Of Preparation -

Soak Chana dal for about an hour in about 3-4 cups. Drain and pressure cook the dal in adequate water. Cook the bottle gourd separately.

Roast and grind the listed ingredients adding as much water as needed.

In a pan, add oil and the rest of the seasoning. Add the cooked dal, bottle gourd, turmeric, the ground paste and salt.

Let the dal simmer for a few minutes until the raw smell disappears. Remove from fire.

Squeeze in some lime/lemon juice and serve with steaming hot rice.

Check the Blogging Marathon page for the other Blogging Marathoners doing BM#25.

Preparation Time 30 min 
Serves 4-5

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Posted by Harini R on Tuesday, February 26, 2013

Dilkhush Pulao
Dilkhush Pulao, Onion-Tomato Raitha, Onion-Tomato-Lime slices and Sparkling Apple Cider
My sister-in-law passed on a bunch of cook books when we visited them last time. I never thought to look them up so far. But when Valli announced the cook from a book theme for BM 25, I took the opportunity to go through the books and pick what caught my eye. 



This pulao recipe comes from the book 'Swati Sakhahaara Vantalu'. Just as I thought, my husband and the older one just fell in love with it. My husband refused to even eat with some other accompaniment. He said raitha is just perfect and goes well the fruity pulao. So this makes a perfect entry for Day 2 week 4 of BM #25

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Alasandala Attu ~ Black Eyed Peas Dosa

I spent the last weekend with my cousin's family who live about 3 hours drive from our place. The kids had a fantastic time there and didn't want to go back home! I got some mom-made goodies passed on through my aunt and the kids are thrilled about their share of gifts from Grandma too!! 

My cousin's wife showed me her go-to cookbook, 'Ghumaghumalu' by D Vijaya Rao  for my perusal. When I was casually looking through for some breakfast ideas, this recipe caught my attention as it sounded like a no-nonsense protein filled breakfast. 



So I noted down the recipe and tried it out for breakfast the other day and it was pretty good. It was more or less like Pesarattu. Another observation was that we didn't feel hungry for more than 5 hrs which I thought was very significant! So for Day week 4 of BM #25, this recipe qualifies under the 'cook from a book'.


Ingredients - 

Black Eyed Peas 1 cup
Rice 1/2 cup (I used Brown Basmati Rice)
Salt as needed
Ginger, grated 1 tsp
Green Chillies 1-2 , finely chopped (or as needed)
Cumin Seeds 1 tsp
Curry leaves, shredded few
Coriander leaves chopped handful (I didn't use)
Asafoetida 1/8 tsp
Onions, finely chopped 
Oil as needed while making the dosa


Alasandala Attu ~ Black Eyed Peas Dosa

Method Of Preparation -

Soak black eyed peas and rice for at least 2 hours. (I soaked overnight)

Drain the water, rinse and grind into a fine batter, along with ginger and green chillies, adding as much water as needed.

Mix in salt, cumin seeds, curry leaves, coriander leaves and asafoetida. The batter consistency should be more like Dosa or pancake consistency so it is easily spreadable.

On a hot griddle/tawa, pour a ladle full of batter and spread it into a thin circle. Sprinkle chopped onions on top, spray oil as needed and let it cook on both sides. 

Remove from fire and continue for the rest of the batter.

Serve with chutney of your choice for a healthy breakfast.

Check the Blogging Marathon page for the other Blogging Marathoners doing BM#25.

Preparation Time 25 min  (excluding the soaking time)
Makes 7-8 dosas

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Posted by Harini R on Sunday, February 24, 2013


This happens to be my husband's favorite to-go sandwich and  I have neglected to post it on Tamalapaku as I thought it was so simple a recipe that doesn't need to be mentioned. 

But the other day when I was talking to one of my cousins, she differed. She said she would never have thought of making such sandwiches at home. That made me think about it in a different light and so here it appears as part of Day 3 of  BM 25.

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Chewy Granola Bars

I rely in these kind of oats and nuts based breakfast bars when I need to drive in the mornings. I find it easy to munch my breakfast as bar than hurriedly gulp down anything else before getting onto the road. So these home made bars take off the additional load on my mind about all the unnecessary additives which are commonly found in store bought bars. 

I had earlier made similar kind of bars as Vegan Oatmeal Bars but I found these bars were easier to make and slightly mess free. So for Day of BM 25, check out these healthy breakfast bars.

Ingredients - 

Rolled Oats 1 cup
Oats Flour 6 Tbsp (approx 6 Tbsp of rolled oats pulsed to a coarse powder)
Rice Crispies cereal 1/4 cup (Optional)
Baking Soda 1/4 tsp (I forgot to add)
Salt 1/4 tsp
Dried fruit 2 Tbsp (I used dried sweetened cranberry)
Mixed Nuts 1/2 cup ( I used Cashew, Almond and Pistachio)
Coconut, shredded 2 Tbsp
Oil 2 tsp
Honey 1/4 cup
Chocolate chips (Optional)


Chewy Granola Bars

Method Of Preparation -


Grease a 8X6 oven safe dish and dust some flour and set aside.

Preheat the oven to 350 F.

In a mixing bowl, add all the ingredients except honey and oil, mix well.

Add oil and honey and mix well to get a sticky mixture.

With oiled fingers, pat the mixture evenly in the greased and flour dusted baking dish.

Make sure the mixture is packed tightly. I used an oiled pestle to uniformly press the mixture firmly.

I didn't have mini chocolate chips handy. So I grated a small piece of a commercial chocolate bar on the top.

Bake it for 20 min, switch off the oven and leave it in the oven for another 10 min.

Let it stay on the counter to cool. Cut them into required sized bars. Refrigerate for at least 30 min after which the bars come out easily.

Wrap them in cling wrap and store in an air tight container.

It makes a nutritious breakfast on the go combined with a glass of milk.

Check the Blogging Marathon page for the other Blogging Marathoners doing BM#25.

Preparation Time 10 min + Baking Time 20 min + Cooling time 30 min
Makes 6 bars

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Eggless Oat And Pear Scones

We all love to have scones at home as an evening snack. But I wanted to check if we could have scones for breakfast too. And guess what, we loved it as breakfast too on a random weekend when our regular schedules went haywire!

That is when I thought these scones can work as 'breakfast on the go' with a cup of milk/coffee/tea. For the next 3 days of BM #25, I shall blog recipes which can qualify under the theme. Here are the scones for Day 1.

Source here
Ingredients - 

Whole Wheat Flour 1/2 cup
All Purpose Flour (Maida) 1/2 cup
Rolled Oats 1/2 cup
Sugar 3 Tbsp
Baking Powder 1 tsp
Baking soda 1/4 tsp
Salt 1/8 tsp
Cinnamon Powder 1/2 tsp
Cream Cheese 2 Tbsp
Pear, diced (I used 1 pear)
Buttermilk 1/2 cup (approx)
Walnuts, chopped 1/4 cup
Topping 
Cinnamon and Sugar 1 Tbsp (Optional)
Chopped nuts as needed (Optional - I didn't use)


Eggless Oat And Pear Scones

Method Of Preparation -

In a mixing bowl, sieve the wheat flour, all purpose flour, baking powder and baking soda. Add oats, salt and cinnamon powder to whisk well.

Preheat the oven to 375 F. 

Rub in cold cream cheese into the flour mixture and add in the walnuts and diced pears.

Knead into a sticky dough by adding buttermilk as needed.

With Oiled fingers transfer the dough onto a parchment lined baking sheet and pat the dough into a half inch thick circular disc.

Brush the top with buttermilk and sprinkle cinnamon powder and sugar as needed. Optionally nuts can be sprinkled as part of the topping.

With a pizza cutter or a knife make 6-8 wedges of the dough and let them stick together.

Bake for about 20 min or until the top is golden brown.

Transfer the scones onto a cooling rack and serve them warm either with jam or whipped cream. (My kids loved them as is with a side of milk !)


Check the Blogging Marathon page for the other Blogging Marathoners doing BM#25.

Preparation Time 10 min + baking time 20 min 
Makes 6-8 wedges

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