Cake Pops

I have never made a fancy dessert like this in such a short time and found this to be the best option of turning your disastrous cake into a complete new avatar (form & look). If you have a left-over cake, making these beauties will definitely be something new in both look and taste. These gorgeous bites can be a favorite to kids and adults too. Cake pops can be a show-stopper for your parties or get-togethers especially when the Christmas and New Year eves are around. You don’t need to worry of cutting / slicing, serving, or cleaning the dessert served plates as the guests can just pick them up and enjoy the deliciousness.

A cake pop is a form of cake styled as lollipop. Usually, cake crumbs are mixed with frosting or melted chocolate, and formed into small balls, attached to lollipop sticks, and then coated with frosting or melted chocolate and then sprinkles (decorations) are added. I was having my leftover dates-cake, which I have used for making these babies, moreover I have used leftover condensed milk to mix in the crumble instead of frosting or chocolate. Instead of fancy decorations, I just used desiccated coconut (for sprinkling), which was sitting in my kitchen cabinet. You can use your creative mind and the ingredients you have handy and the outcome will definitely turn out fancy.

Masala Vada ~ Lentil Fritters

Masala Vada is a crispy, spicy tea time snack. This typical Indian snack is sure to make your tea time a special one with that someone so special. Though this is drenched in oil to make it crispy, one can take a chance to pamper oneself in a while. As an alternate means, these can be baked as well to avoid using oil.

Try making this vada during the week-end when you and your beloved ones have a free time with no or less serious work in hand, as these may make you feel full. I am sure you’ll remember this snack for quite a while.

Eggless Tutti Frutti Biscuits - Hyderabad's Famous Bakery Style Cookies

Christmas is around and what better way to celebrate than making a batch of these colorful goodies.  These eggless cookies are favorite to most of the Hyderabadi’s, as these are similar to Karachi Bakery fruit biscuits. Easy to whip-in and quick to bake, these cookies with small bits of candied fruit make them pretty and tastes yum. This is such an easy recipe that even beginners in baking can try their hands on it.

Stir Fried Boiled Egg

Stir Fried Egg is a simple preparation made using hard boiled eggs. This recipe calls for a very minimal ingredients and can be made in jiffy. This is a regular home style dish which goes excellently well with rice or roti.

Sugar-less & Butter-less Dates Cake

Many of us these days are aware that most recipes made of all purpose flour involve ingredients that are bound to contain excess calories and lead to putting up those extra pounds, which does more harm than good. But not many of us can resist from having large bites of them. When you really cannot resist the urge, here is a safer bet. Sugar-less, butter-less, dates cake……yes, believe in your vision, you are reading it right J

With the festive time (Christmas and New Year) around, all the bakeries offer a varied variety of them. WAIT before you buy and indulge in them. Imagine a cake being made without butter and sugar, which are THE ingredients resulting in the voluminous calories, yet retaining the taste suiting your taste buds. When a cake like this can be made at home, do you really have to buy outside? Remember, you are going for the special offer of buying free extra calories too.

Andhra Gongura Pappu ~ Lentils Cooked with Red Sorrel Leaves

Gongura is known and grown for its edible leaves, which are sour in taste. These leaves are so versatile that when cooked with meat or lentils turns out heavenly. Some of the variations are gongura-mamsam (lamb meat), gongura-royyalu (shrimp). The most popular one however is gongura pachadi (pickle), which is a must with a meal in the Guntur region of Andhra Pradesh. These leaves come in two colors of the stem, green and red. The red stemmed is sourer and thus tastes best for these preparations. I have used red stemmed sorrel leaves / erra gongura for today’s recipe. Try this dal variant, I am sure, you will not leave your fingers licked.

Curry Leaf Rice

Curry leaf is a must in any South-Indian dish. These leaves are so aromatic and add a special flavor to every dish. Curry leaf not only acts as a flavoring agent but also has lot of nutritional values. Packed with carbohydrates, fiber, calcium, phosphorous, iron, magnesium, copper, minerals and vitamins like nicotinic acid and vitamin C, vitamin A, vitamin B, vitamin E, antioxidants, plant sterols, amino acids, glycosides and flavonoids, curry leaves help your heart function better, fights infections and can enliven your hair and skin with vitality. 

In Ayurvedic medicine, curry leaves are believed to have several medicinal properties such as anti-diabetic, antioxidant, antimicrobial, anti-inflammatory, anti-carcinogenic and hepato-protective (capability to protect liver from damage) properties. The roots are used for treating body aches and the bark is used for snake bite relief.

Inspite of all these health benefits, we often have a tendency to pick away the leaves from our curries/dishes and miss all those medicinal properties. Now, I am sharing this dish from which we cannot pick the leaves away and get all the benefits.

Mint Rasam

Weather is chilling all around. These days we enjoy having warm soups, comforting dals and tangy rasam. Recently prepared mint rasam which became the show-stopper of our lunch menu. It is great remedy for cold and cough. This is a thin tamarind stew flavored with fresh mint leaves served as accompaniment with hot steamed rice.

Banana Coffee Loaf

Whenever hubby gets bananas, I just wait for them to over-ripe. You know why? Yeah, this is the secret to bring out the best banana loaf. The more they ripen the sweeter (natural) and better is the cake. On the day of baking this loaf, your house gets so aromatic that you feel as if you are in a fancy bakery.

This super moist loaf which is packed with banana flavor is easy to assemble, quick-to-whip-in the ingredients, which are easily available in your kitchen pantry. Moreover, you are going to use the bananas (over-ripened) which you may not like to eat. You may throw in some of your favorite nuts / chocolate chips to add a delicious crunch. It cannot get easier or tastier than this J

Chicken Pakodi

Chicken Pakodi / Pakoda / Pakora (pakodi in Telugu) is one among the most favorite dishes for any non-vegetarian. This is served as an appetizer in almost every Indian restaurant, but you can taste the best chicken pakoda on the road side stalls in India. Of course, this is a versatile snack which is cooked in most Indian homes in their own version. Let us see my version of it:

Panasa Thonalu

Panasa Thonalu is a traditional Andhra festive sweet. These are deep fried dough strips which are then dunked in sugar syrup. Panasa thonalu are similar to sweet shakarpara in taste but the only difference is the shape. This has derived its name due to its shape, which resembles the jack fruit bulb. You can use your creative mind to shape these and give your own name though.

Kobbari-Senagapappu ~ Chana Dal-Coconut

Kobbari-senagapappu is a typical south Indian curry, which goes excellently well with hot steamed rice and rasam. Of course, this curry is a must try with roti as well, you will be amazed to know how well it tastes with a roti. Cooked with split bengal gram / chana dal and grated coconut, this chana dal-coconut curry is a bit drier than the usual dal cooked with greens or other veggies.

Sunnundalu ~ Urad Dal Laddoo

Sunnundalu (sunni-undalu meaning balls made of urad dal / minapappu) is a traditional dessert from the Indian state of Andhra. Its high protein value makes it a divine desert for pregnant women and growing kids. Recently, I had attended a baby shower and had taken these home-made laddoos for would be mom. Believe me, sunnandalu had stood out among all the sweet dishes which were presented to the lady.

For this, the dry roasted urad dal is ground to fine sand like texture and mixed with ground sugar, cardamom powder, ghee, and then shaped into balls. I prefer adding little raw rice to this which reduces the stickiness of the urad dal, and the addition of roasted chana dal enhances the flavor.
So, get ready to indulge in these sweet delicacies.

Chepa Iguru ~ Andhra Fish Curry

Chepa Iguru / Andhra Fish Curry is my home style rustic dish, which often makes our Sunday comfort lunch menu.

Fish, as most of us are aware, is good for health when compared to any other meat. It is a super-food packed with vitamins and minerals, and a major source of omega-3 fatty acids, which is a reason in helping to protect against a range of diseases, from cancer to heart disease, depression to arthritis. This recipe is so versatile that it is perfect for any kind of fish.

This spicy, hot curry goes excellent with piping hot steamed rice.

Dosavakaya ~ Yellow Cucumber Pickle

Andhra cuisine is popular for its add-ins like avakaya / pickles and chutneys. Dosavakaya is a pickle made using yellow cucumbers / dosakaya (in Telugu). Unlike avakaya / raw mango pickle, you need not wait until summer to make this, as these cucumbers are available all round the year. Moreover, this pickle is simple to make, and will be ready in a day. This is a spicy, tangy, pungent pickle which can tickle your taste buds right away.

Low Calorie Poha Chivda

Poha chivda is a crunchy any-time snack made using poha / atukulu (in Telugu) / flattened rice. This used to be my favorite after-school snack. I still remember those days when I asked my mother to make this. This is a low fat and healthy, yet tasty snack which is very easy to make at home.

There are two variations in making this. One is deep fried and other is dry roasted. Mixing in lots of fried dry fruits, dry nuts and spices of your choice, makes this even more delicious. I have been making chivda my mom’s way since years, and sharing with you now. Here, I have added some onion to the normal chivda, as that fits my taste-buds better. Let’s check the recipe:

Aloo Matar Curry ~ Potatoes with Green Peas

Aloo Matar curry is a simple yet classic dish prepared with chunks of potatoes and green peas. The matar variant of this very common aloo curry has been originally inherited from North India, where this is prepared in almost every house-hold. Here is my home style preparation to go well with roti or naan.

Dondakaya Pachadi - Tindora / Ivy Gourd Chutney

Another typical Andhra style chutney, which is easy to make and delicious to eat. For our last night supper, I made tindora fry, and found few ripe ones which I have reserved for today’s chutney.  This is a versatile chutney which tastes yum even with the ripe ivy gourd.

So, do you have to wait any longer!! Go, get some of them and make this delicious chutney, and enjoy with steaming hot rice and dollop of ghee. Hmmm!!!

Junnu

Junnu is an Andhra sweet cheese traditionally made using colostrum milk of cow or buffalo. This milk is known to contain immune cells and many anti bodies. It is very rich in proteins, vitamin A, and sodium chloride, but contains lower amounts of carbohydrates, lipids, and potassium than mature milk. This is a great gift of nature produced by the mammals for their new born.

In present day living, mostly in cities, it is quite difficult to get fresh colostrum milk. But do not get disappointed, there is some good news for people who crave for this desert. Junnu powder is a great alternative for colostrum milk, and can be found in most (renowned) super markets.

Go, try this recipe and pamper your taste buds with this traditional Andhra’s sweet delicacy.

Anapakaya Minapa Vadiyalu Koora ~ Bottle Gourd with Lentil Crisps

I am not sure if you have heard this word ‘minapa vadiyalu’, sun dried crisps made of urad dal. These are available in most Indian stores, and can be cooked together with many vegetarian curries. They make an excellent combination with bottle gourd (anapakaya in Telugu), and eggplants / brinjal. Here is a simple & authentic Andhra preparation, made with bottle gourd, called anapakaya-minapa vadiyala koora (bottle gourd-lentil crisps curry).Try this recipe the next time you have vadiyalu in your pantry.

Pesarattu ~ Moong Dal Dosa

Many of us know that dosas are made in different variants as per tastes and traditions of different South Indian states. Andhra Pradesh is known for its Pesarattu / moong dal dosa, which is a typical breakfast recipe loved by the Telugu people. Pesarattu is usually served in combination with upma in most Andhra restaurants. A sprinkle of some chopped onions, green chillies, ginger, and cumin seeds make pesarattu more exotic.

Unlike dosa, the batter need not be fermented. Just blend the soaked green gram with few spices, and is ready to take the shape of a crepe.

I usually make this with sprouted moong beans, which make it wholesome, protein packed recipe. Pesarattu paired with coconut chutney makes my week end dinner menu quite often.

Pepper Rasam

Pepper rasam is my favorite of all rasam variations. Chaaru(in Telugu) / rasam is a South Indian soup made of tamarind pulp and other spices. Typical Andhra or South Indian meal demands rasam as one of the accompaniments with hot steam rice. Each family and region has their own version of making this, which is not only eaten with rice but also can be had just like a spicy tangy soup. This works well for the sour throat especially in the changing monsoon weather.

No fancy food can beat the combination of aloo stir fry and rasam rice. Just Heavenly J

Rajma Masala (Red Kidney Beans Curry)

Does anyone need an introduction to this authentic Punjabi dish? Rajma masala (red kidney bean curry) served with steamed rice is a rustic combination liked by most of the North Indian families. Though I come from South, I was grown up relishing this exotic dish as my mom was often into cooking North dishes. To taste the best rajma-chawal, one has to go to the dhabas (road side restaurants) on the highways of North India. These legumes substitute a whole meal in itself when combined with steamed rice.

Anapakaya Pappu ~ Bottle Gourd in Lentils

Bottle gourd (anapakaya in Telugu, lauki in Hindi) also called nutritional gourd is a most common & important vegetable in Indian cooking. This contains over 90% of water, hence easy to digest. It is extremely popular for weight loss, especially the juice. Bottle gourd is known for reducing high blood pressure, and treats urinary disorders.

With all such values by virtue of its nature, don’t you think this can be used as part of your daily cooking? There are various delicious recipes one can make with this versatile veggie. A regular curry, dal, kheer / porridge, halwa / fudge are a few to mention. For now, add it to the regular plain dal and make something special for your family.

Scones

I baked these goodies last evening for the first time and they turned out to be the best go with a cup of tea.

Is it bread, a cake, or a biscuit? I am not sure what to call this, but scone is cake like bread which is crispy outside and crumbly inside. These puffy, pale beauties can be made with a few basic ingredients from your kitchen. Just whip all the ingredients in a food processor, and it is ready to go into the oven. Within half-an-hour these are ready to pamper your taste buds.

Tomato Coconut Chutney

If you are bored of regular coconut chutney, this recipe is for you! It is easy & quick to prepare, yet tastes yum!! The tempting red color of the chutney is due to the tomatoes and the red chillies in it. This tomato coconut chutney has contrasting flavors of sweetness from coconut, a mild tartness from tomatoes, and real hot with the red chillies. This goes well with steaming hot idlis and dosas, and many other breakfast recipes as does the coconut chutney.

Vada ~ Savory Lentil Fritters

Vadas are our family’s all time favorite South Indian breakfast/snack. These are deep fried donut shaped dumplings with crisp exteriors and soft interiors. They are best when fried as soon as the batter is made, as they tend to absorb lot of oil if it is left to ferment.

Vadas are made up of urad dal and the recipe is so simple too, but the consistency of the batter and the technique to make vadas is little tricky. Soaked urad dal should be ground to a smooth paste by adding just sufficient water to run the blades of the blender. The batter should neither be thick nor thin. If it is thick, vadas will turn hard and dense where as if it is thin, they absorb lot of oil.  People who know the technique to shape the vada usually do it by hand. Some use banana leaf or plastic paper for shaping. I have learnt making vadas from my mom, who was an expert in making (shaping) just by hand.

We love these babies dunked in sambar (vegetable stew) and coconut chutney by the side. You may try the same way, and I am sure you’ll find this a delicious treat for your taste buds.

Cabbage Pappu - Lentils cooked with Cabbage

Dal is an everyday comfort meal in many Indian homes. This can be cooked in combination with most vegetables and greens, and one such combination is cabbage dal. Dal is a complete meal by itself when had with any carbohydrates (roti/rice), and cabbage added to this makes it even more balanced. This is so simple to cook like any other dal variant, and tastes delicious with roti or rice. Hope this variation comes on to your dinner table soon!!

Rava Appalu ~ Festive Sweet Fritters

Appalu are deep fried sweetened dough prepared as naivedyam (food offered to God) during festivals. Anything deep fried is definitely delicious :P, so are these.

These can be made of rice flour or semolina/suji/rava. Rava appalu are crusty outside and chewy inside. Traditionally, the recipe calls for cooking rava in water, but my MIL’s recipe includes milk which carries the taste to a divine level.

Ragi Idly

What could be a better way than to start your day with this healthy breakfast? Ragi idli is nutritious and delicious too.

Ragi, also known as finger millet is a remarkable source of protein and rich in dietary fiber. It has the highest amount of calcium and potassium. Being low in fat and gluten free, ragi is easy to digest. As ragi idli is steamed, it retains most of the nutrients, and of course is oil-free. 

Bellam Paramaannam ~ Rice Jagerry Pudding

Paramaannam literally meaning Param-Annam (Food of God), is made in most Andhra homes on special occasions and festivals. Every Indian state has its own version. Traditionally, it is made by cooking rice and milk together in an open pot for a very long time, and sweetened with jaggery. However, I always use pressure cooker, which saves time.

Spice it up with a pinch of nutmeg, and notice that the taste reaches a different new level. This is a lip smacking pudding when served warm or cold.

Coconut Chutney

How can anyone forget to serve this perfect accompaniment with idli or dosa! Coconut chutney has originated from South India, and each family has their own variation of making it. This is a must go with idli, dosa, utappam, medu vada, pongal, and many more breakfast and / snack dishes at any restaurant. This so delicious chutney has fast spread across the country, and is now most commonly prepared in every Indian house-hold.

Fresh coconut is ground with roasted chana dal and green chillies, and is tempered with few spices to give that extra edge. This is so simple and can be made in a jiffy. As per your taste buds, it can be made mild / extra hot.

Amrakhand or Mango Shrikhand

Amrakhand or mango shrikhand is a very common Indian sweet dish made of hung yogurt/curd and mango puree. Shrikhand is sweetened, strained yogurt, which is famous in Maharastrian and Gujarati cuisine. This can be made in various flavors, and most popular of these is amrakhand, which is made by blending mango pulp with plain shrikhand.

Amrakhand tastes best when chilled, so make it in advance and let it chill overnight. Garnish with some chopped dried nuts just before serving.

Peanut Chutney

Peanut/groundnut chutney is an excellent accompaniment with idli and dosa. This is a quick and spicy dip to go well with the south Indian breakfast dishes when you fall short of coconut. 

These nuts can be enjoyed roasted, boiled, salted, or sweetened. Boiling, in fact, enriches their nutritional and antioxidants profile. Peanuts are rich in monounsaturated fats, the type of fat that is emphasized in the heart-health. It is said that peanuts are good source of vitamin E, niacin, folate, protein and manganese. Niacin is an important B vitamin that helps to convert food to energy, aids with the digestive and nervous system, and helps the skin.

Andhra Tomato Pappu - Seasoned Lentils with Tomatoes

Dal is an ultimate comfort food in most of Indian homes and tomato pappu/dal is a basic dal variant of Andhra cuisine.  Pappu is basically a Telugu word which means dal. This is our family favorite and goes well with hot steamed rice and any vegetable stir fry or just with papads.

Tomatoes are fruits in a botanical sense, but they don't have the sweetness like other fruits. Instead they have a subtle sweetness that is complemented by a slightly bitter and acidic taste. These come in over a thousand different varieties that vary in shape, size, and color. There are small cherry tomatoes, bright yellow tomatoes, Italian pear-shaped tomatoes, and the green tomatoes. 

Idiyappam - String Hoppers

Idiyappam (string hoppers) is a complete new dish to me. I got a chance to taste this at one of my friend’s place who is a Keralite. Thanks to her mother who had introduced me to this classic recipe. She had served these beauties with black chana curry. This is a traditional breakfast in Kerala, Tamilnadu, southern areas of Karnataka and even Sri Lanka.

The name idiyappam derives from the Tamil/Malayalam words idi, meaning 'broken down', and appam, meaning "pancake". The dish is also, frequently called noolappam or noolputtu from the Malayalam/Tamil/Kannada/Kodava word nool, meaning "string or thread".

These are like steamed rice noodles. As this is steam cooked, it is considered as healthy recipe with a side dish like coconut milk, vegetable/meat stew. This may seem difficult to make, but is so simple that I have succeeded in making the perfect idiyappam on the first go itself.

Gutti Vankaya Koora - Baby Eggplants In A Spicy Gravy

ఆ... ఆహా ఏమి రుచి అనరా మైమరచి 

రోజూ తిన్నా మరీ మోజే తీరనిదీ 

తాజా కూరలలో రాజా ఎవరండీ... 

ఇంకా చెప్పాలా వంకాయేనండీ 

Brinjal/eggplant is considered to be the king of vegetables in Andhra cuisine. The above writing is a famous song from a Telugu movie describing the taste of well cooked eggplants.

Brinjal is the name of this vegetable mostly used in South Asia, South-East Asia and South Africa, “eggplant” in American and Australian English and “aubergine” in British English.

Gutti vankaya koora is usually made with baby eggplants. Tender, young eggplants result in an absolute delicious dish. This curry can be prepared in a number of variations. Try this recipe and I am sure, you will love it.

Mango Limeade

Make the most of the mango season. Freshly squeezed lime with the sweetness of seasonal mangoes is a great combination of beverage for this hot summer. Adding a few soaked sabja seeds is an extra touch to cool your senses.

Homemade mango limeade is a perfect drink with tartness of lime and sweetness of mangoes.

Ingredients

4 cups water
1 large mango, peeled and chopped (I used alphonso)
2 limes
honey to taste
½ tsp black salt
½ tbsp sabja/basil seeds (optional)
ice cubes

Method

• Soak sabja/basil seeds in ½ cup water.
• Blend chopped mangoes, lime juice until smooth and transfer to a pitcher/bowl.
• Add water, black salt, soaked sabja seeds and honey to taste.
• Stir well and serve over ice.             

Oats Coconut Laddu

Oat is a cereal commonly consumed in the form of oatmeal or rolled oats. The popularity of oats has been increasing by days because of its health benefits. Oats for breakfast is a delicious way to add fibre and nutrients to our body first thing in the morning. Great way to start a day is with a warm bowl of oatmeal, which can lower blood cholesterol because of its soluble fibre content.

Mango Kulfi

When the temperatures soar, you can have a sweet treat to beat the escalating summer heat with something called Kulfi. Since mangoes are everywhere now, what better way than to blend them with kulfi.

Kulfi is a frozen milk based desert, and is traditionally made by freezing reduced milk (rabri). This is a tedious process of babysitting the milk till it is reduced (as there is a risk of milk sticking to the bottom of the pan if it is not stirred continuously). Short cut to make kulfi is to add any thickening agent.

Chinta Chiguru Pappu - Lentils Cooked with Tender Tamarind Leaves

Another delicacy from Andhra. ‘Chinta chiguru’ is a telugu word which means tender tamarind leaves. These leaves can be so versatile that they turn out so good when cooked either with vegetables or meat.

These tender leaves, when combined with dal, give a delicate tartness to the dish.

Mango Lassi

Nothing like a big glass of lassi on a hot summer afternoon. 'Lassi', as most of us know is a punjabi beverage which all the Indians love. I usually make sweet lassi, gulkand lassi, jeera buttermilk (yogurt drinks) to beat the summers in India. Months of April and May are hottest in India and this is the season for mangoes as well. Now that the temperatures are exceeding 40C, we definitely need  lot of coolants for our body. Curd/yogurt has the cooling properties our body require. Why not combine both mangoes and curd to make a perfect summer drink. I bet this can be a safe, healthy and tasty drink for this summer.

Basic Plain Dosa

Dosa is a thin, savoury pancake usually served with chutney and/or sambar in most of the south Indian houses. Dosas are hugely popular in rest of the country too. There are lot of additions to this basic dosa to make them even more delicious like masala dosa, onion dosa, mysore dosa, egg dosa....