Geetha's Kitchen

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....