How to make Applesauce at home

My experiment with making applesauce at home began very recently. Though I have heard about the good factors, it never occurred to me to try making it at home. My tryst with the farmer's market shopping made me buy a large bag of apples. I set out to make applesauce the very next day.
It is a very easy process and I froze the cooled pureed applesauce in 1/2 cup measures. I have been using it in place of oil/fat in baking. Remember I have been making muffins and quickbreads and freezing them in batches. It is a goto food when I or my little one want a quick snack.

Ingredients:
Makes 2 cups of applesauce
Apples, Fuji variety - 1 kg (2 lb)
Water - 1/4 cup
Sugar - a pinch (optional)

Method:
Wash, peel and core the apples. Chop into 1" pieces. Place in a heavy bottomed pan with water and sugar. Cover and cook in medium heat for 30-40 minutes until the apples are soft. Allow to cool and puree in the blender until smooth.
This can be used right-away as a snack or as an oil substitute for baking.
Or you could measure 1/2 cup quantities and pour in a freezer safe ziploc bags and freeze flat in a plate. When frozen, place in another large ziptop bag and date it.
To make chunky applesauce:
Reserve half of the cut apples and add them at the 20 minute mark. Blend with an immersion blender or just pulse a few times in the blender.

Lilva Kachori / Broad Beans Kachuri | Indian Snack Recipes

I saw these Kachoris my friend Praks had posted in her FB page. Being a foodie, I did not wait long to ask her for the recipe. She was more than happy to share the recipe and added proudly that this is her family recipe. She is from Gujarat and the shape of the kachoris they make are like modaks and is different from the flattened kachoris from the other parts of India. I tried making them in both ways just for fun. Did I say that these were the fastest disappearing snack I made. My little one loved it to the core and asked if there was any leftover "Cat-turi" the next day.

Ingredients:
Makes 12 kachoris
For the filling:
Tuvar - 1 cup (fresh/frozen)
Green chilli - 1
Ginger - 1" piecec
Garlic cloves - 3
Cumin powder - 1/2 tsp
Sugar - 1/2 tsp
Coriander leaves - a fistful
Grated coconut - 1 tbsp
Lemon juice - 2 tsp
Oil - 1 tsp + more for deep frying

For the outer covering:
Wheat (atta) flour - 1 cup
Maida / All purpose flour - 1 cup
Salt - 1/4 tsp
Oil - 2 tbsp
Water - 2/3 cup (more or less)

Method:
Thaw the beans if using frozen. Pulse the green chilli, ginger and garlic in the small jar of the mixie once. Add the beans and pulse until coarse. Heat oil in a pan and add the ground beans mixture and cumin powder. Cook in medium heat sprinkling little water. When the mixture is almost cooked (shouldn't be mashed) add sugar, coriander leaves and salt. Remove from heat and add coconut and lemon juice. Mix well and allow to cool completely. I made the filling earlier in the day and refrigerated until evening.
Mix the flours, salt and oil. Add water little by little and make smooth, stiff dough. Make 12 equal sized balls of the dough. Also divide the filling into 12 portions. 
When ready to fry the kachoris, heat oil for deep frying. Roll one dough ball into a 3 inch disc. Place one ball of the filling and bring the corners of the flattened disc together and pinch to make a covered ball. You could pinch of excess dough if desired. This is how the kachoris are made in gujarat. If you want the flattened kachoris after covering the filling roll it ever so slightly to form a thick disc. Do not apply too much pressure while rolling out which may cause the outer covering to tear and expose the filling.
When the oil is hot, reduce the heat to medium and gently slide the kachoris to the oil. Cook in medium heat, flipping over once or twice until the kachoris are golden brown. Serve hot with ketchup or mint/tamarind chutney.
Notes:
It is important to make the dough stiff but pliable. Loose dough will absorb more oil which is not desirable. 
Fry the kachoris in medium heat slowly until the kachoris turn light brown. The oil should not be in high heat because it will cause the outer covering to brown faster and the insides will be under-cooked. 

Sweet Potato Murukku | Indian Festival Recipes

Talking about Murukku may seem to be something out of season this December. I agree. But something to munch on this cold season while I try to make this month's posts decadent is definitely the reason. So watch out, all of this month's post would be indulgent and comforting. 
I saw this recipe for Potato murukku in Saranya's space a few weeks ago. I had been wanting to try it since then. But I think I have been obsessing about making everything "seasonal", so I used sweet potato instead of regular potato.

Ingredients:
Rice flour - 1 cup
Sweet Potato, small - 1 (1/3 cup cooked)
Cumin seeds - a pinch
Asafoetida - a pinch
Salt - 1/4 tsp or to taste
Pepper, freshly ground - a big pinch
Water - as needed to make the dough
Oil - for deep frying

Method:
Peel and cut the sweet potato into chunks. Boil 2 cups of water with a pinch of cumin seeds. Add the chopped sweet potatoes and cook until fork tender. Drain and allow to cool. Mash the cooled potatoes into a smooth paste. Measure it to make 1/3 of cup of paste. Add it to a wide mixing bowl with rice flour, asafoetida, salt and pepper. Mix well with your fingers and sprinkle some water (if needed) to make a smooth dough. 
Heat oil for deep frying. 
Take the murukku press and fit it with the disc with holes or any of your favorite shape. Divide the murukku dough into 2 portions. Put one portion of the dough into the murukku press and close. Pipe the murukku directly in the oil. Turn over after a minute or two and continue frying until the bubbles subside. Drain with a slotted spoon and place in a paper towel to draw excess oil. Store in an air-tight container after it is cooled. Stays good for a week (if it lasts that long). 

Thavala Vadai / Mixed Dhals Vada | Snacks Recipes

When I was in India for Summer, I wasn't thinking about clicking anything for the blog :). I had scheduled some posts, so I wasn't even thinking about this space. I had planned to learn more cooking from grandma, aunts and mother-in-law but nothing much happened with my 2 yr old running around. One day my MIL made this thavala vada and asked me if I would want to click some pics for the blog.. How would I not?? So When my lil one was napping, I sneaked to the drawing room to take some pictures. I was really excited to click these pictures on a fresh banana leaf, which is like a dream come true for me, a South Indian living in the US.

Ingredients:
MIL used the traditional veesam padi (1 cup here )for this, it is approximately 60 ml
Chana dhal - 1 cup
Toor dhal - 1/2 cup
Whole urad dhal  1/2 cup
Moong dhal - 1/2 cup + 1 tbsp
Raw rice - 1 tbsp
Green chillies - 3
Red chillies - 2
Hing / Asafoetida - 1/2 tsp
Curry leaves - a few
Fresh Coconut - cut into tiny pieces - 2 tbsp (Can use fresh grated coconut too)
Salt - to taste
Oil - 1 tsp + more for deep frying
Mustard seeds - 1/2 tsp

Method:
Wash and soak chana dhal, toor dhal, urad dhal, rice and 1/2 cup moong dhal for 1 hour. Wash and soak the 1 tbsp of moong dhal separately. Drain the dhal mixture completely. Place in a blender with chillies, asafoetida and salt. Grind coarsely. Add the coconut, curry leaves, moong dhal and mix. Heat 1 tsp of oil and splutter the mustard seeds. Pour over the dhal mixture. Heat oil for deep frying. Take lime sized dhal mixture and form thick patties. Deep fry until golden brown. Serve hot with chutney.

Chocolate Almond Avocado Cookies / Butter-free Oil-free Cookies | Cookie Recipes

After the decadently indulgent Pumpkin Spice Snickerdoodles, here comes another cookie recipe from me. No! These are not another guilty pleasure, but rather a healthy cookie. Ok.. Don't be surprised when I put "healthy" and "cookie" all in the same sentence. These are made with Avocados instead of butter and are super light and airy and you don't have to feel guilty to sink your teeth into them.

Ingredients:

Recipe adapted from here
Makes about 2 dozen bite sized cookies
All purpose flour - 3/4 cup + 2 Tbsp
Cocoa powder - 1/4 cup

Salt - 1/2 tsp

Baking soda - 1/2 tsp

Sugar - 1/2 cup

Brown sugar, packed - 1/4 cup

Egg - 1

Avocado - 1 (1/2 cup, mashed)

Vanilla extract - 1 tsp
Sliced Almonds - 1 cup

Method:
Preheat the oven to 375 F/190 C. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper. Whisk together the flour, cocoa, salt and baking soda. Beat the sugar, brown sugar with mashed avocado until smooth. Add the egg, vanilla and mix again. Add the flour mixture and whisk until no traces of flour remain. Do not overmix. Fold in the sliced almonds. Scoop about 2 tsp of the dough and place in the baking sheet. A cookie scoop would come in handy here to make it mess-free. These cookies wont spread or rise much so you could place them fairly near, about 20 cookies in a sheet worked for me. After scooping and placing the dough, dip your fingers or the bottom of a glass tumbler in a bowl of water and flatten each cookie dough slightly based on desired thickness. Dip your fingers in water before flattening each cookie. Bake for 12-15 minutes.
Notes:
You could substitute chocolate chips for almonds or use a 1/2 cup of almonds and 1/2 cup chocolate chips combo.

Banana Oatmeal Peanut Butter Muffins | Infant & Toddler Food Ideas

Planning for a make-ahead snack for my LO always seems to be challenge. The challenge does not lie in making something but making something he likes. He is turning to be more picky (ahem, guess like who??). It is easy to count the number of things he likes these days. This is one muffin which he actually liked, so I decided to post under Baby and Toddler Foods section. This muffin is butter-free. The peanut butter acts as a butter substitute and makes it super peanut-buttery. I can't talk enough on the good-for-you factors in these muffins. With Oatmeal, whole wheat flour, peanut butter, banana and cinnamon it talks for itself.

Ingredients:
Makes 12 regular sized muffins
Adapted from recipe here
Old fashioned / Rolled oats - 3/4 cup
All-purpose flour / Maida - 3/4 cup
Whole wheat flour - 1/2 cup (can substitute AP flour)
Cinnamon - 1 tsp
Salt - 1/2 tsp
Baking powder - 1 tbsp
Ripe Bananas - 2 (about 1 cup mashed)
Peanut butter - 1/3 cup
Brown sugar, packed - 2/3 cup (see notes below)
Egg - 1 (room temp)
Milk - 1-1/4 cups (room temp)
Vanilla extract -  1 tsp
Optional Cinnamon Sugar topping:
Sugar - 2 tbsp
Cinnamon - 1 tsp

Method:
Preheat the oven to 375 F. Line a muffin pan with liners. Whisk the flours, oats, cinnamon, salt and baking powder well. In a large mixing bowl, add the bananas and mash them with a fork. You may really do not want a hand mixer, a whisk even. All my mixing was done with the humble fork. Add the peanut butter and egg to the mashed bananas and mix well. Next add the sugar and mix until it dissolves. Add the milk, vanilla and mix again. Now add the flour mixture in 3 additions and mix until no trace of dry flour remains. Divide equally among the muffin cups and bake for about 18-20 minutes.
Sprinkle with the cinnamon sugar topping when still warm.
Notes: 
These muffins are not overly sweet and was just right. If you want sweeter muffins use 3/4 cup of brown sugar.

Masal Vada / Cabbage Dhal Vada | Snacks Recipes

When it comes to deep-fried snacks, LO is just like his Dad.. Loves 'em. I made this crunchy crispy vadas for lunch the other day. It was a great combo for the Mysore Rasam (recipe coming soon) I made. I used a combination of chana dhal and split moong dhal and added cabbage in the place of regular onions. 

Ingredients:
Inspired from here
Dhal measurements in 160 ml cup; Makes 12 vadas
Chana dhal - 1/2 cup
Moong dhal - 1/2 cup
Dry Red chillies - 2
Fennel seeds - 1 tsp
Asafoetida - 1/2 tsp
Cabbage, chopped fine - 1-1/2 cups (can substitute onions)
Green onions, chopped - a handful (optional)
Coriander leaves, chopped - a handful
Salt - to taste (see notes below)
Oil - for frying

Method:
Wash and soak the dhals together for 45 mins to an hour. Drain completely and grind coarsely with red chilli, fennel seeds and asafoetida. Mix with salt, chopped cabbage (or onions), green onions and coriander leaves. Heat oil for deep frying. Make small patties and deep fry until golden brown on the outside and cooked through in the inside.
Notes:
Add salt just before frying. If not frying immediately after grinding, cover and refrigerate until use.
Linking this up to Vegan Thursdays.

Agave Almond Clumpy Granola | Breakfast Recipes

I love oatmeal. It is a wholegrain and a great way to start your day. I top it up with the fresh fruits I have at hand and just enjoy. But for DH, ordinary oatmeal is bleh. For him I have to pep it up a little, like making it as a granola. OK, Now I am not saying he is overly excited about the oats in the new form, but he doesn't complain. Mission accomplished!
I also sneaked in a little pressed barley to the oats. In a granola, it doesn't even make a difference. You should definitely try it.
Also check out my other granola recipes, Granola with pear puree and Pumpkin Cranberry Granola.

Ingredients:
Rolled oats / Old fashioned oats - 4 cups

Rolled (pressed) Barley - 1/2 cup (can substitute oats instead)
Raw whole Almonds - 1/2 cup - chopped roughly
Salt - a pinch
Light Olive Oil  - 1/4 cup
Agave syrup - 1/2 cup (Can substitute honey or maple syrup)
Vanilla extract - 2 tsp

Method:
Preheat the oven to 275 F/140 C. Line a large baking sheet with aluminium foil. Pulse 1 cup of oats in blender until fine. Mix the oats, barley (if using), oats flour and salt in a large mixing bowl. Whisk the wet ingredients separately. Pour the wet ingredients over the oats and mix well. Spread in the baking sheet and bake in the upper rack of the oven for 25 minutes. Remove from oven and mix once. Do not over mix as it may disintegrate the beautiful clumps which are forming. Just scrape the bottom of the foil all over. Pop in the oven again for 10 minutes. Remove and sprinkle the nuts. Place in the oven again for 10 minutes. Now, turn the oven off and leave the oven door ajar for an hour or two. When completely cooled, transfer to an air-tight container. Keeps well for weeks, if it lasts that long for you.
Notes: Play around with the flavours. Cinnamon, Cardamom, Ginger are nice alternatives or additions to the vanilla. You could add about 1/2 cup of your favorite dried fruits.
Careful though, if you have little kids running around, you may want to make this granola during their naptime since we do not want the curious little ones anywhere near the hot oven with door open.
Linking this up to Healthy Diets: Healthy Breakfasts event of Priya hosted by Nandoos Kitchen and to Srivalli's Come Join Us for Breakfast.

Bakery Style Kharaa Buns / Savory Onion Dill Buns | Snack Recipes

Tea times in India are filled with chatter, chai and a snack. The snack part is mostly from the local bakery. Samosa, Vegetable Puffs & Vegetable Cutlets are the most commonly sought after snacks. But every place has its specialties. When we visit my aunt in Bangalore the snacks are different. It is native to that place, viz Kodubale, Obbittu and these Khara buns. These buns have been in my to-do list for a while now and I set out to make these when my LO was taking his nap. These Khara buns are to die for. These are like savory and spicy pillows of heaven. 

Ingredients:

Recipe from The Chef and Her Kitchen
Makes 12 buns;
Maida/All purpose flour - 3-1/4 cups + more for kneading

Salt - 1 tsp

Water - 3/4 cup

Milk - 1/2 cup

Yeast, Active dry - 1 pkt (2-1/4 tsp)

Sugar 1-1/2 tbsp

Cooking oil - 2 tbsp + more for greasing

For the savory addition:

Oil - 1 tsp

Cumin seeds - 1/2 tsp

Onion - 1 cup (finely chopped)

Coriander leaves, loosely packed - 1 cup

Dill leaves, loosely packed - 1 cup

Green chillies, coarsely ground - 1 tbsp

Salt - 1/4 tsp
For brushing on top:
Milk - 2 tbsp
Butter - 1 tbsp

Method:

Warm up the water and milk for about 60-80 secs in a microwave-proof bowl. Your finger should be able to feel the warm, but it should not be too hot. Add the sugar, yeast and mix well. Set aside for the yeast to bloom, about 10 minutes. 
In a pan, heat 1 tsp of oil and pop the cumin seeds, followed by the onions and the ground chillies. Saute until the onions are completely cooked. Add the chopped dill leaves and coriander leaves and salt. Mix well and remove from heat to cool.
In a large mixing bowl, whisk the flour (3-1/4 cups) and salt together. Add the yeast mixture, oil and knead to form a dough. If the dough is too sticky sprinkle flour as needed while kneading. Remember, the dough should not be too stiff because it means the yeast needs moisture to grow. When the dough comes together, knead for a good 10 minutes. Add the cooled onion mixture and continue kneading for another 10 minutes adding flour as needed. It would be the best 20 minutes spent to let off steam. At this stage the dough should be smooth and not sticky (see the collage pictures above).
Preheat your oven to warm mode/the lowest temperature setting for 2 minutes and turn it off. Take another large bowl and grease the bottom and sides of the bowl completely. Apply oil all over the dough and place it in the oiled bowl and cover with a wet cloth. Place inside the warmed oven for about an hour or hour-and-a-half.  The dough would have doubled in size by now. Punch down the dough and make 12 equal-sized balls. Line two baking sheets with aluminium foil and grease with oil. Place the balls, 6 on each sheet and cover with wet cloth. Allow it to rise again for about 45 minutes. 
Meanwhile preheat the oven to 425 F / 220 C. When the 45 minutes of rising is up brush the top with milk and place the baking sheets inside the oven. Reduce the oven temperature to 350 F / 180 C. Bake for about 18-22 minutes until the tops are golden brown. Remove from the oven and immediately brush with butter. Butter is what give the beautiful shine to the buns.
Serve warm as an accompaniment to tea/coffee.
Notes:
You can do any filling you want. Replace the onion filling with a potato-pea mixture or add shredded coconut with sugar for a sweet bun. Play around with the flavours and relish.

Vegetable Cutlets / Potato Spaghetti Squash Cutlets | Snacks Recipes

It was one fine weekday evening and I wanted to munch on something crispy. I was in the mood for the vegetable cutlets we get in the bakeries in India, to be exact. Unlike India, in US it is not easy to walk down the road and buy those cutlets in the corner bakery the moment you think if it. But luckily I had all the vegetables and set out to make the cutlets in the late afternoon by myself.

Psst! I sneaked in half of the spaghetti squash I baked the previous day to the potato mixture. I had made spaghetti squash (semiya) upma with the other half. 

Ingredients:

Potato - 2

Spaghetti squash - 1/2 (see notes below)

Carrot - 1 
Coriander leaves / Cilantro - a handful

Dry mango powder - 1/2 tsp

Chilli powder - a big pinch

Salt - to taste

Maida/all purpose flour - 3 tbsp

Breadcrumbs (fine) - 1/2 cup

Oil - for deep frying

Method:

Boil the potatoes with skin on and allow it to cool. Peel and mash well. Chop the carrots finely and boil/microwave them. Scoop the flesh of roasted spaghetti squash. Mix the vegetables with the spice powders, coriander leaves and salt. Cover and refrigerate for a couple of hours. Heat oil for deep frying. Mix the flour with water to make a runny batter. In another plate set the breadcrumbs ready. Take lime sized potato mixture and press in your palm gently to make patties. When the oil is hot, dip the patty in the maida batter, shake the excess. And roll in the breadcrumbs mixture on all sides and drop in the oil for deep frying. Turn over once and fry until golden brown. Remove with a slotted spoon and drain in a paper towel lined plate. Serve hot with ketchup.
Notes: 
If not using spaghetti squash, substitute with another potato and a handful of peas. 
To prepare spaghetti squash, cut it lengthwise and season with salt, pepper and olive oil. Roast in a 375F oven for 45 minutes. Allow to cool and shred out the flesh with a fork. Spaghetti squash is a great low-carb substitute for pasta or vermicelli.

Jelly Roll / Swiss Roll - Happy New Year 2014!!

This year I did not bake anything for holidays since we were visiting our friend Denny in Seattle for Christmas. We met after about 3 and a half years. Our kids had a lot of fun playing together. We had a great time catching up and of course ate a lot of food. She made her famous Plum cake, Checkerboard cookies and Tutti Frutti Cookies. Her parents are visiting her so we were pampered with yummylicious home cooked food. That was a quick 4 days we spent there.
I wanted to make something sweet to start the New Year and so I made this Jelly Roll. It is a simple foolproof recipe for sponge cake, which is baked in a jelly roll pan and filled with jam. You could use any filling of your choice.

Ingredients:
Makes about 10-12 pieces
Recipe Source - Family Circle cookbook 1972
Eggs - 3
All purpose flour - 1/2 cup minus 1 tbsp (see notes below)
Salt - 1/4 tsp
Sugar - 1/2 cup
Vanilla Extract - 1/2 tsp
Jam or Jelly of your choice - 1/3 cup - whisked until smooth
Also need:
1 kitchen towel bigger than the pan
Powdered sugar - 2 tbsp

Method:
Separate egg whites from yolks and place the whites in a large bowl and the yolks in a medium bowl. Allow to come to room temperature, about 30 mins. Separating the eggs is easier when they are cold. Preheat the oven to 400 F. Spread the kitchen towel on a flat surface and dust with powdered sugar all over. Grease the bottom and sides of a jelly roll pan and line with parchment paper. Whisk the egg whites in a electric hand mixer until it doubles in volume. Add 4 tbsps of sugar one tbsp at a time and continue beating until it forms stiff peaks. Set aside. Whisk the egg yolks until it is pale. Add the remaining sugar 1 tbsp at a time until it forms a thick mixture and flows in a thick ribbon when the beater is lifted. Sieve the flour and salt over the egg yolks and mix with a wooden spoon or a spatula inoh a fold pattern. Take care not to deflate the yolks. Now pour the yolk-flour mixture to the egg whites and fold to mixture until no streaks of yellow or white remains. Pour the batter carefully to the lined jelly roll pan and spread evenly. Bake in the preheated oven for 10 minutes. When done and still warm invert to the kitchen towel and remove the parchment paper. Roll the towel with the cake breadth-wise all the way through. Cool completely in the kitchen towel, about 30 mins. Unroll the towel and spread the jam over the cake. Roll again, this time without the towel. After 5 minutes, make 1 inch slices and serve. 
Notes:
The recipe calls for 1/2 cup of cake flour. Since I did not have any I substituted with All purpose flour

Sweet Potato Balls | Healthy Evening Snacks

Growing up evening snacks mostly meant something home-made. After a long day at school we would be so beaten and tired when we get home with tons of homework. And these homemade yummies with a cup of tea was what gears us up to get all the work done. Sure we had our occasional treats of Veg puffs, Samosas and Vegetable Cutlets which Dad gets us from our local bakery. But, made from scratch, these soul foods were made with love by grandma and kept our little tummies full until dinner. Boiled peanuts, Kaara Pori, Steamed Tapioca, Ellu Urundai & Pidi Kozhukattai and these Sweet Potato balls are a few I remember. 
Here I have used the Garnet yams aka Orange Sweet potatoes here for the color and to get a little attention from Kavin. He loved to eat it after his afternoon nap and sure did give me some energy to keep me hustling between his toys and my dinner preparations.

Ingredients:
Sweet Potato / Yam - 1 - medium sized
Grated Coconut - 2 tbsp
Ghee - 1 tbsp
Sugar - 3 tsp

Method:
Boil 4 cups of water. Cut the ends of the sweet potato and cut in half. Place in the boiling water and cook in medium-high heat until fork-tender, about 15-20 minutes. Drain and rinse in cold water. When cool enough to handle, remove the skin and mash with a fork. Remove any lumps which are not mash-able. Mix in the grated coconut and ghee. Make lime sized balls and roll over sugar.

Chocolate Banana Marble Bread - Eggless | Muffins and Quick Bread Recipes

When life gives you lemons, make lemonade... When it gives you bananas, make banana bread. I had quite a few ripe bananas sitting on the countertop with no takers. When it comes to banana bread, the hubby approved recipe is already on my space. He wouldn't allow me to change it. But I wanted to use these bananas to make a banana bread. I also wanted to make a quickbread with the "marble" effect ever since I saw in the blogosphere months ago. It is just that I never got into making it, I never got the chance to try something new. I know, I know being a food blogger is all about trying new things. But with a toddler the daily activities itself become overwhelming sometimes with all the extra tidying up. This time we were visiting one of our family friends and I dared to make the much needed venturing to create the marbled bread, undoubtedly I manage to squeeze in this when the home was in pin-drop silence (read as kid sleeping).

Ingredients:
Recipe Adapted from here
Makes - 1 loaf - 12 slices
All purpose flour - 1-1/2 cups (Substitute Whole wheat flour for a healthier version)
Salt - 1/2 tsp
Baking Powder - 1/4 tsp
Baking Soda - 3/4 tsp
Ground Cinnamon - 1/4 tsp (optional)
Oil - 2 tbsp (see notes below)
Brown Sugar - 1/2 cup (You can substitute any granular sweetener of your choice)
Low fat milk - 1/2 cup
Vanilla extract - 1 tsp
Mashed Bananas - 1 cup - approx 3 medium sized bananas
Cocoa powder - 3 tbsp
Hot water - 3 tbsp

Method:
Preheat the oven to 350 F/ 180 C. Grease and line a loaf pan with parchment paper. Mix the dry ingredients (the first 5) with a whisk. In another mixing bowl, whisk together the oil, sugar, milk and vanilla until the sugar is dissolved completely. Add the mashed bananas and mix well. Add the flour mixture little by little and incorporate into the wet mixture using the whisk. Do not overmix. Mixing just until most of the flour mixture is absorbed is fine. Now divide the batter into, well not accurately, just eyeballing would be fine. In a small bowl mix the cocoa powder and hot water until smooth. Add that to one part of the batter and mix. Now, in the batter. In the prepared loaf tin, add 2 tablespoon measures of the batters alternatively to form a checker board pattern. For a visual guide check out this link. After all the batter is used up, use a knife, back of a spoon or the back of a wooden spatula to make swirls in the batter. A simple "S" pattern all over would be suffice. Bake for about 50-55 minutes. Allow to cool in the wire rack for a couple of hours. Serve warm or chilled.
Notes:
You could use melted butter or any oil you prefer. 

Linking it up to Srivalli's Cake Mela; Flavours of USA & Canada; Vardhini's Bake Fest #25.

Easy Instant Unniyappam / Banana Kuzhi Paniyaram / Rice Flour Sweet Appam

All fond memories are made through food. Or at least the food enthusiast in me try to connect memories with food. There is a memory associated with these unniyappams. I first tasted unniyappam in one of dad's friends' home when I was around 10. They are a sweet family from Kerala and Aunty would make this every single time when we visited. I still remember how fondly she used to prepare these appams for us kids. Then they moved back to Kerala after Uncle retired and we all moved to different cities for work. But then the world has shrunk these days due to the advent of social media and we have got a chance to reconnect with our old friends. It is through Facebook that we reconnected with their family. I chanced upon to see her daughter, wishing her mother on her birthday. I too conveyed my wishes to Aunty and the foodie in me made a mental note that I have to make her unniyappams one day.

Ingredients:
Serves - 4 for snack
Rice flour - 2 cups
Jaggery - 1/2 cup (tightly packed) - see notes below
Banana - 3 small or 2 big ones - mashed
Salt - a pinch
Cardamom powder - 1/4 tsp
Baking soda - a big pinch
Water - 1/4 cup + more to make the batter
Oil - for frying in the pan

Method:
Mix jaggery in 1/4 cup of water and heat until it is melted. Filter with a fine mesh strainer. Mix the jaggery syrup with rice flour, mashed bananas and water to make a batter of pouring consistency but slightly thicker than dosa batter. Stir in salt, cardamom powder and baking soda. Heat the paniyaram pan / abelskiever pan in medium-high flame. Pour about 1/4 tsp of oil in each kuzhi (indentation). Pour enough batter into each kuzhi to fill. When little bubbles start to appear on the top, flip using a toothpick or chopstick to about halfway. After about another minute, flip again completely. At this stage all the sides of the appam should be golden and well-formed to a round shape. Reduce the heat to medium and continue to cook until the insides are cooked through. Repeat for the rest of the batter.
Notes:
1. The amount of jaggery used here yields a mildly sweetened unniyappam. For sweeter ones use 3/4 to 1 cup of jaggery. The water for making syrup should be 1:2 with jaggery.
2. Traditionally the unniyappam is made by soaking rice and grinding to form a batter with jaggery and banana. Another point to make it traditional is to add small pieces of fresh coconut fried in ghee and black sesame seeds to the batter.

Methi Soy Chunks Zunka - Guest Post for Prathima of Prathi Ruchi

I love getting invited to other people's places. I mean, who doesn't? Today I am going to Prathima's place as a guest. Blogging has extended my boundaries to meet new people and to get to know new cuisines. Prats (as she is fondly known) is a dear blogger friend of mine. We became close with emails and online chats. She is a sweet and genuine person with a passion for cooking, the thing we share. I also admire the way she almost never gets stuck up for words, a boon we bloggers crave for. Here, again I am stuck up without any words for her.. 
She is getting married in November and I wish all happiness in the next phase of her life. Wishing her a Happy Married Life and all Happiness!

Did you know that soy chunks make a great snack. A bowl of simple soy chunks stir fry will make me happy. It is like snacking without feeling guilty. Coming to this recipe, zhunka was something which I have not heard of before I started blogging. As I said before, blogging has extended my boundaries and helped me getting to know various cuisines. Zunka is of Maharashtrian origin and is a simple to make tasty dish. I have already made Okra Zunka, but decided to bring in more flavour by adding dried methi leaves (kasuri methi) to the besan.

Just hop over to Prathima's Space for the ingredients and the complete recipe.

Kondakadalai Sundal / Chickpeas Sundal with Fresh Ground Spice Paste

Thinking of a quick side which can also be transformed to a snack. Then this one is for you. I love to eat kondakadalai aka garbanzo beans. I mean who doesn't. Amped with spices it makes a great healthy evening snack. I made this last week as a side for spinach masiyal and rice. I and Kavin (for him, I mixed the sundal with white rice and picked out the chana, to remove the heat) loved having this as a side for the earthy spinach masiyal and rice.

Ingredients:
Serves - 3
Chickpeas - cooked - 1-1/2 cups OR 1 can - Click here to know how to make canned beans at home.
Onions - 1/2 of a big one - approx 1/2 cup chopped
Oil - 1 tbsp
Salt - to taste
Spice mix:
Dry Red chillies - 3
Ginger - chopped - 1 tsp
Garlic - 1 clove
Tempering / tadka: (optional)
Mustard seeds - 1 tsp
Urad dhal - 1 tsp
Chana dhal - 1 tsp
Curry leaves - a few

Method:
Pulse the ingredients for spice mix for a couple of times in the small jar of mixie/blender to make a coarse paste. A mortar and pestle also works fine. Heat oil in a saute pan and splutter the ingredients for tempering. Add the onions and saute in medium-high heat until transparent. Add the ground paste and fry for another minute. Add salt to taste and the drained cooked chickpeas and mix well. Remove from heat after 2 minutes. Serve as a side/snack.
Notes: A tbsp of grated coconut can be added at the end before removing from heat.
Linking this to My Legume Love Affair event by Lisa and Susan; Taste of the Tropics - Chilis.

Ribbon Murukku / Ottu Pakoda | Indian Festival Recipes

Ribbon Pakoda aka Ribbon murukku are these super addictive crispy snacks grandma makes for Diwali. These lacy crunchies hold good for the saying "no one can eat just one" and we would have stuffed us well before even she finishes making these. This recipe here is for a spicy ribbon pakoda. Just skip the chillies part for a non-spicy one.

Ingredients:
Measurements in standard cup (240 ml) measurements; 
Soaking time - 4 hours; Preparation time - 15 mins; Cooking time - 90 mins
Parboiled Rice / Idli Rice - 2 cups
Roasted Gram dhal flour / Dalia / Pottukadalai maavu - 2 cups (see notes below)
Asafoetida / Hing / Perungayam - a big pinch
Butter - 1/2 tbsp
Salt - 1 tsp
Oil - for deep frying
Grind to a paste:
Green chillies - 6
Cinnamon - a mall piece
Cloves - 5
Ginger - 1/4" piece
Garlic - 6 cloves
Fennel Seeds /Saunf - 1/2 tsp

Method:
Wash and soak the rice for 4 hours. Grind to a smooth batter with salt with a pouring consistency. Grind the chillies and spices with about 1/4 cup of water. Filter this spice mixture to extract the juice. Add the butter to the gram dhal flour and rub to incorporate well. Add the rice batter to gram dhal flour and mix well. The mixture would be little dry. Now add asafoetida and sprinkle the chilli juice and knead well to form a smooth dough. Heat oil for deep frying. Prepare the murukku press by placing the ribbon murukku attachment. Fill with dough and pipe directly into the hot oil. Flip over midway and fry until the bubbles around the murukku in the oil subside. Remove and drain into a paper towel. When cool store in an air-tight container.
Notes:
Process 2 cups of roasted gram dhal to a fine powder. Pass it through a sieve and remove the bigger pieces. Measure out 2 cups of the flour.
You could also use about 1 tbsp of chiili powder instead of the green chilli juice. Use water to make the dough if using chilli powder. These murukkus will be darker than the ones in the picture.

Linking these up to Only - Diwali Snacks event by Pari and Sowmya; Taste of Tropics - Chiles and Vardhini's Diwali Bash; Spotlight - Festive Treats.

Brown Rice Pidi Kozhukattai / Brown Rice Dumplings | Indian Festival Recipes

No, I am still not done with the Ganesh Chaturthi recipes. I wanted to try my hands in making kozhukattai (kadubu) with brown rice and was successful this time. Even my hubby who is not a big fan of brown rice, liked it. As with most of my recipes this is a simple to make snack. This also is super healthy and tasty and now is going to feature more in my kitchen.

Ingredients:
Serves - 2; Measurements in 160 ml cup
Brown Rice - 1 cup
Water - 3 cups
Oil - 2 tsp
Grated Coconut - 1 tbsp
Salt - 1/2 tsp or to taste
Tempering:
Mustard seeds - 1 tsp
Urad dhal - 1 tsp
Chana Dhal - 2 tsp
Curry leaves - a few
Dry Red chillies - 2

Method:
Dry roast the brown rice in a tawa in medium heat. When the rice is warm to touch and lightly changed in color, transfer to a plate and allow it to cool. Pulse in a blender until it resembles the texture of rava (or bulgar). Heat oil in a non-stick pan and splutter the items under tempering. Add grated coconut, water and salt. Cover and allow the water to boil. When the water is boiling add the broken rice and stir continuously. Cook in medium heat, while still stirring, until most of the water evaporates and the mixtures comes together. Remove from heat and allow to cool down a little. When it is still warm, take lime sized portions and press with your fingers against the palm of your hands to make impressions of the finger. Steam in idli pan / bamboo steamer for 15 minutes. Serve hot with coconut chutney.

Linking these up to Kid's Delight - After School bites; Whats with my Cuppa 2 by Nupur; Healthy Breakfast.

Ellu Urundai / Sesame Laddoos | Indian Festival Recipes

Sesame seeds is an integral part of any asian cuisine. So is it in south India. Yesterday was Ganesh Chaturthi and I made this sesame laddus with Kozhukattai for offering to Lord Ganesha. With only two ingredients it is a breeze to prepare and tastes really good. Trust me when I say that it gets ready in under 10 minutes. It is rich in Iron and Calcium and one of the simple and healthy snacks grandma prepares when we were kids.

Ingredients:
Makes 8 small laddus; measurements in 160 ml cup
Black Sesame seeds - 1 cup (can use white sesame too)
Grated Jaggery - 3/4 cup - loosely packed

Method:
Heat a tawa until it is smoking hot. Drop the sesame seeds and roast in medium heat. The sesame seeds will pop. Continue to dry roast until the popping stops, about 3-5 minutes in total for me. Transfer to a plate and allow to cool. Place the cooled sesame seeds in a mixie/blender and pulse twice. Add the jaggery and pulse for about 5-7 times until the mixture comes together in clumps. Remove from the mixie and make balls of desired size. 

Linking this up to Kid's Delight - After School Bites; Whats with my Cuppa 2 by Nupur.