Geetha's Kitchen

Chole Pindi with Salad, Broccoli, and Roti This chole reminds me of the ugly duckling; it looks brown and not as robust as choles with the ripe red tomatoes. But one taste will convince you that it is a glorious swan! Another reminder that one should not judge anything just by its appearance alone! This dish can be prepared with the white chick peas also known as ' Kabuli Chana ' or Garbanzo Beans or the Indian brown ones known as Bengal Gram or Kala Chana . The freshly roasted spices transport the simple chick peas to another dimension altogether, mmm !! Do include the ghee if at all possible because it adds its incredible inimitable flavor. Since it is made without garlic or onions, it is a no-tears recipe fit for special occasions and festivals which call for Satvic dishes too. Now that I have perfected this chole , it has become one of our favorites! Chole Pindi is gluten free and dairy free if the ghee is omitted. Chole canbe oil free also if ...

Pav Bhaji with pan grilled Ciabatta rolls Here is a delicious dish that can do double duty as appetizer or snack (or even a meal)! Pav Bhaji means Bread and Veggies. It is based on popular snacks sold by vendors in big cities all over India. Although there are many versions of this dish, this one includes paneer (Indian fresh cheese) along with a lot of veggies. For a vegan dish, omit the paneer; tofu maybe substituted for it. The last, but not least is the choice of bread; only good crusty bread like Ciabatta , or sourdough French rolls will do for my family. The rolls are split, toasted and buttered or roasted on a griddle only on the buttered cut sides until golden brown. I have also used toasted whole wheat sourdough or whole wheat pita bread in a pinch. One favorite way the children like it is to spread the Bhaji on a Pita bread, sprinkle with grated Parmesan and Cheddar cheeses, and heat in a toaster oven until the cheese melts; seriously YummY !! I usual...

A few vegetables suitable for Aviyal Mmmm... Aviyal! Just the mere sight of the cornucopia of vegetables set aside for the day's meal proclaimed without a doubt what was forthcoming and ensured that there would be no complaints or tears at meal time. The veggie basket was full to the brim with a large slice of winter melon (Chinese name), green unripe bananas or plantains, a type of true yam called 'chenai', carrots, green 'Opo' squash, big golden hued cucumbers, slender green or purple eggplants, long green stick-like moringa pods called 'drumsticks', Gavar or regular green beans and a green mango or two. Aviyal literally means 'this and that' and includes at least 5 to 7 mild veggies or more. My mother would make a huge pot of aviyal to serve over hot steamed rice accompanied by lots of fried plain papadams; one of the perfectly jubilant meals of our childhood days! Amma loved making aviyal as much as we loved eating it since she co...

Cauliflower with carrots and peas, Cherry tomato salad , Fresh yogurt , Simple Dal , Roti with  ghee Another everyday vegetable that cooks quickly and is a wonderful accompaniment with a myriad of other dishes! Serve with rice or roti (a whole grain flat bread also known as chapati), some dal/bean dish and/or some plain yogurt to provide a nutritious meal. It makes a wonderful veggie wrap rolled up in a Chapati or Whole Wheat Tortilla with a little Cheddar, Jack, Parmesan, or Goatmilk cheese. Dals are split and skinned dry beans. In addition to being used as main ingredients in many dishes they are also used toasted in the Tadka/Talippu to add a nutty taste and slight crunch in South Indian Cuisine. Urad dal and Chana dal are the traditional dals used in Tadka. Urad dal is creamy white and looks a little like short grain rice; the Chana dal looks like yellow split peas. If these are unavailable, go ahead and make the dish without them since split peas do not ma...

Simple Toor Dal This is a very simple and delicious dish made with skinless Toor dal that can be served alone as a soup or with any kind of rice or breads. Toor dal looks a little like yellow split peas and either the yellow or green split peas can be substituted for the toor dal. The use of a pressure cooker to cook the dal speeds up the process considerably. All one needs to complete the meal is a side vegetable or salad, rice or any kind of bread and a bowl of yogurt. Ingredients: 1 cup Toor Dal 1/2 tsp ground Turmeric 1 tsp Salt or to taste Tadka/Thalippu 1 Tbsp Ghee or Oil 1/2 tsp brown Mustard seeds 1/2 tsp Cumin Seeds 1 or 2 pinches Asafoetida 1 green Chili, such as Serrano or Jalapeno 1 sprig Curry Leaves 4 Tbsp Fresh Cilantro Leaves (Dhania/Kothumalli) Method: Check for stones then wash the dal. Cook in water to cover with the salt and turmeric until very soft and creamy. Thin the dal with boiling water if a thinner dish is preferred. Set aside. Prepare tadka: Heat t...

This fabulous Apple Carrot Chutney is not just pretty on the plate, it is pretty delicious on the palate too! When my mother started making this recipe on a crisp yet sunny fall day many years ago, I was very skeptical about the apple-carrot combination; but Amma just smiled and told me to wait and see. The rest is history! Autumn with its bounty of fresh apples is the perfect time to make this chutney. The bubbling pot of the apple carrot chutney fills the home with a wonderful aroma and warmth on cool crisp days. A jar of Apple Carrot Chutney makes a wonderful gift for any occasion. Ingredients: 5 lbs McIntosh Apples 2 lbs Carrots 2.5 lbs Sugar 1 tsp Salt 1 tsp Ground Dry Red Chili 3 Tbsp grated Fresh Ginger 2 Lemons 1/2 tsp freshly ground Cardamom (about 12 pods) 1/4 tsp freshly grated Nutmeg Method: Wash the apples, peel, core and dice. Wash, peel and finely dice or shred the carrots. Place apples and salt in a large stock pot with the sugar. Heat, stirring constantly unt...

This beautiful emerald green cilantro pesto is fabulous stirred into hot/cold pasta or soups, spread on sandwiches and wraps, as a dip for warm bread, or diluted with more olive oil and some lemon juice to make a delicious salad dressing. It makes a great appetizer too: Swirl a spoonful or two into Hummus or place a spoonful in a small saucer of extra virgin olive oil to serve with any kind of good crusty bread. This beautiful pesto, which is very similar to the Indian chutneys, has a little kick to it because of the red or Jalapeño chili! This pesto can be made without the cheese or nuts for vegans/people with allergies. Cilantro, Parmesan cheese, Olive Oil, Salt, Garlic, Toasted Pumpkin seeds and Dry Red Chili Ingredients: 2 large bunches of Cilantro 5 cloves fresh Garlic 1/3 cup extra virgin Olive Oil (plus a little more for covering the top) 1/2 tsp Salt 1/3 cup grated Parmesan Cheese, (Optional) 1/4 cup Cashews or other n...

Here is a lovely version of hummus with a little cilantro pesto and roasted cumin seeds for an Indian touch! Serve with the traditional pita triangles, toasted bread, or crisp vegetables including Romaine Lettuce hearts. Hummus Cooked Chick Peas, Lemon, Tahini, Garlic, Cumin, Cayenne & Salt Ingredients: 1 cup dry Chick peas (garbanzo beans) 4 or 5 cloves of fresh Garlic 1 large Lemon, or to taste 1 tsp Cumin seeds 1/8 tsp ground Dry Red Chili (Cayenne) or to taste 1 tsp Salt 1/4 cup Tahini (Sesame Butter) Chopped fresh Cilantro, for garnish Extra virgin olive oil, Paprika or Cayenne for sprinkling on top (optional) Method: Sort the chick peas to remove discolored peas or other organic matter such as little rocks. Rinse the chick peas well and soa...

Mung dal cooks up so luxuriously velvety, one has to experience it! Mung Dal used here is skinless and split, is a lovely yellow color, and cooks very quickly in about 20 minutes compared to regular split peas (they are good too) which can take as much as an hour or more to reach creaminess. I make this soup often for family and friends who just can't get enough of it! It is full of the goodness of squash and carrots and redolent with the fragrant spices. The only problem was that our family did not care for the veggies that become mushy when cooked. Pureed veggies were alright at first but kind of boring and pasty without the texture. So one day I had the grand inspiration to grate the veggies for the soup! It was absolutely amazing; the veggies cooked very fast and and enriched the soup beyond imagination:)! Although the grated veggies practically vanished, they still retained their texture and worked their flavor magic too. The soup was wonderfully creamy and fragrant ...

Carrot Salad is a wonderful crunchy and colorful accompaniment to any meal or snack. It is very simple and quick - if you use a food processor to grate the carrots, it takes next to no time at all:). This recipe is dedicated to all my friends who just adore it! For best results use absolutely fresh carrots and ripe limes which are more yellow than bright green! Don't be alarmed by the term "Tadka/Thalippu" ! It is nothing but a little oil heated with the seasonings to heighten the flavor of the dish. Ingredients: 4 large fresh carrots 1/2 tsp Salt 1 Lime Tadka / Thalippu : 2 tsp Canola oil 1/2 tsp brown Mustard seeds 1 pinch Asafoetida 2 small Green Chilis , ends slit 1 Sprig Curry leaves Method: Scrape carrots lightly and cut off the ends. Grate them coarsely. Place the grated carrots in a bowl, sprinkle the salt and squeeze the lime over them. Heat the oil for tadka / thalippu . Add mustard seeds, cover and cook until they pop. Add green chilis , asafoetida and...

Lemon/Lime Rasam is a delicate soup with a bright citrus flavor. A rasam of one kind or another was always a must in our grandparents' home. Rasams are part of the everyday meals as well as banquets in South India. They make a fabulous beginning or end to a meal or a light meal with rice. Rice mixed with Lemon/Lime Rasam, carrot salad, cabbage thoran , roasted papadams, and homemade yogurt. Ingredients: 1/8 cup Toor Dal 1 pinch salt 1 pinch ground Turmeric 2 medium Tomatoes, coarsely chopped 1/4 tsp ground Turmeric 1/2 tsp Salt 1 Tbsp Rasam Powder 1 large Lime or Meyer Lemon (or a regular lemon) Tadka/Thalippu 2 tsp Ghee or oil 1/2 tsp Mustard seeds 1/2 tsp Cumin (Jeera) seeds 1 dry whole Red Chili 1 pinch Asafoetida (Hing) 1 sprig fresh Curry leaves 2 Tbsp chopped fresh Coriander/Cilantro (Dhania/Kothumalli) Method: Cook Toor dal with the pinch of turmeric and salt in 2 cups of water until very soft and creamy; set aside....

Rasam is one of the ultimate comfort foods and an ubiquitous dish in the South Indian Cuisine. I adore rasam and rice every day; or even a steaming mug of rasam with the meal, as a snack, etc. There are many kinds of rasams to suit many occasions, but Amma Rasam is a quick and simple one; it doen't even require rasam podi. It was handed down from my husband's paternal grandmother, Annapoorna, and hence the name! She made this rasam when someone did not feel well or an extra dish was needed in a hurry upon the arrival of an unexpected guest. Her rasam was such a hit that it got baptized as Amma Rasam to distinguish it from the other kinds! Rasams benefit greatly from the use of Ghee in the tadka/thalippu. Use Ghee if at all possible. Do include Fresh curry leaves as they add their unmistakable and indispensable aroma to rasam. Also if there is one dish to be generous with a big pinch of the potent asafoetida, it is rasam! Note: If you have rasam powder...

Upma with Yogurt Here is a simple and hearty South Indian dish one can cook up in a jiffy with cream of wheat - very satisfying and nutritious too! Upma is such a versatile dish that can be served from breakfast to tea time; in fact any time at all! In the old days people from near or far often dropped by to visit without prior notice and Upma was one of the dishes that would be served to accompany the customary welcome tea . It is an everyday dish that can be dressed up with cashew nuts for special occasions. Sooji or Rava is a fine Indian cream of wheat. Any type of finely cracked grain can be used including regular cream of wheat. Sooji, Chana Dal, Urud dal, asafoetida, curry leaves and mustards seeds, etc are readily available at Indian markets. Serves 4 Ingredients: 1-2 Tbsp vegetable oil 1 Tbsp Ghee (clarified butter) (optional) ½ tsp Brown Mustard seeds 1 Tbsp Chana dal 1 Tbsp Urad dal 1 pinch Asafetida (Hing powder) 1 Tbsp fresh Ging...

Masala Chai Here's a recipe for Masala Chai. You can easily make your own chai for a fraction of the cost of coffee/tea house chai and it is more flavorful too. Serve it steaming hot or cold over ice cubes depending on the weather or your inclination! According to my sister the green tea adds fragrance while the black adds body! The spices are considered digestive particularly after a rich meal. My mother used to add a little crushed black pepper during cold season to alleviate coughs. It is also refreshing and restoring after a hard day's work. A cup of Masala Chai with a couple of shortbread cookies, buttered toast or samosas makes for a lovely snack. Enjoy! 4 servings Ingredients: 2 cups Milk, any kind 2 cups water 2 tbsp fresh ginger, chopped and crushed well or finely grated sugar or honey to taste 7 cardamom pods, crushed well 2 tsp each, black and green tea leaves 1 tsp whole black pepper, lightly crushed (optional) Method:...

Image by saffronkzoo.com This is the simplest of payasams with only 3 ingredients! This is the way it is made at the Bhagavan Krishna Temple in Mukundapuram, Kerala, India. The only change I have made is to use low fat instead of whole milk. 6 Servings Ingredients: 1/2 cup uncooked rice (Basmati, Patna, Sona Masuri or Rosematta) 4 cups 1% milk 1/2 cup sugar Method: Rinse the rice and soak it in two cups of the milk for one hour. Stir in the sugar, the rest of the milk and bring it to a boil. Reduce heat and simmer on low heat stirring occasionally until the rice is very soft and creamy - about 1 hour. Serve hot, warm or cool as you wish. This makes a thick payasam; if a thinner payasam is preferred, add 1 to 2 cups of extra milk at the time of adding milk and sugar. Variations: Alternately, cook the soaked rice in a pressure cooker. Then proceed as in the recipe above. Ground cardamom and saffron may be added just before the end of cooking. Cashews pieces and raisins sautéed ...