Geetha's Kitchen

A delicious pizza using homemade pizza dough, it can be quick too if you already have the dough prepared ahead. You could use either of the pizza doughs: the cold-rising dough or the quicker one. Pizzas using either of the doughs are equally delicious. I like roasting the veggies a little before putting them on the pizza to not only give them a flavor boost but also make them more tender. You can add other veggies such as fresh mushrooms. 4 servings Ingredients: 1/2 recipe Pizza Dough II or 1/4 recipe Pizza Dough 2 Tbsp Extra Virgin Olive Oil 2 small Zucchinis, sliced 1 Bell Pepper, any color - thinly sliced 1/2 Red Onion, thinly sliced Salt and Freshly ground Pepper 1 cup Tomato Sauce a handful of your favorite Olives, sliced (optional) 4 oz. grated Mozzarella or Provolone Cheese 1/2 cup grated Parmesan Cheese Fresh herbs: thinly sliced Arugula, Basil Method: Preheat oven to 450 F. Prepare a large baking pan with a little oil or cooking oil spray. Combine all the veggies with a li...

Here is a wonderful starter which is surprisingly simple to prepare and simply delicious. I have made it for so long that making it requires no thought at all. Although deceptively simple to prepare, rich tasting, and delightfully delicious, they always elicit lots of oohs and aahs whenever these mushrooms make their appearance. Ingredients: 8 oz. Button Mushrooms 4 oz. Cream Cheese. at room temperature 2 Tbsp Milk or Cream 1 pinch Red Chili Powder (Cayenne) or to taste 1 small clove Garlic, mashed or 1 pinch Asafoetida about 1 Tbsp unsalted Butter, at room temperature or olive oil Method: Bring the cream cheese to room temperature by keeping it out of the fridge for about 30 minutes. Mix the cream cheese, chili powder, and garlic/asafoetida with a little cream to make a soft (but not runny) spread. Remove the stems from the mushrooms by gently twisting and pulling them off. Wash quickly and dry the caps. Using your hands lightly butter/oil the outsides of the mushrooms and fill th...

I am sure that many a recipe owes its existence to the pure necessity of availability of ingredients as in the saying "Necessity is the mother of invention." I "invented" this pizza dough when I discovered that the only flour available was bread flour; I used it and was amazed with the results. With its high gluten content, the bread flour produces a wonderfully delicious crust. This recipe produces dough ready for use quicker than the slow/cold-rising pizza dough. One still needs to plan ahead as it will require about 2 hours from mixing to baking. This dough will yield fabulous pizza as well as rolls too. Of course, if you wish, this recipe can be modified to make slow/cold-rising dough also; just follow the directions in my earlier post on Pizza Dough . 2 large thin-crust or 2 medium thick-crust pizzas. Each pizza contains (without any toppings) : 398 calories; 9.8 grams fat; 9.5 grams protein; 67 grams carbohydrates; 3.2 grams fiber. Makes 16 ...

Who wouldn't love a recipe that creates its own gravy? The starches from the squashes, sweet & regular potatoes contribute to the creamy gravy. Here is a wonderful Saucy Curry using winter squashes or sweet potatoes which are far more nutritious as well as tasty than the typical curry with regular potatoes alone. Use the squashes or sweet potatoes singly or in combination; of course potato lovers can include a couple of potatoes if you must :-). All types of winter squashes (pumpkin-like vegetables) such as Acorn, Butternut, Kabocha, etc will work well; both the orange-fleshed yams or the cream colored sweet potatoes can be used with equal success. Enjoy! Ingredients: 1 medium Onion 4 thin slices Fresh Ginger 1 or 2 hot Green Chili 1 small Winter Squash (Acorn, Butternut, Pumpkin, etc) 1 Medium Sweet Potato 1 medium Potato (Optional) 1 cup steamed green bean pieces or a handful of green peas 1/2 tsp Turmeric 1 tsp Sea Salt or to taste 1/4 cup Cilantro, chopped Lime/Lemon jui...

We call this soup Roots & Fruits Chowder because of the ingredients: all the root and the fruit veggies such as the yam/potato, carrot, squash, pepper, corn, etc. This delicious and warming chowder is perfect for a cool Autumn or Winter day and goes together rather quickly. All of the vegetables contribute to the wonderful flavor and color of this soup. Of course, as always, you can choose just a few or all of the veggies listed - just increase the amounts of the veggies you do choose if you eliminate some. I like using butter since we add cream to the chowder; but the oil is fine too especially if you are using soy or other non-dairy cream. Ingredients: 1 medium white/yellow/brown Onion 2 or 3 ribs Celery with leaves 1 sprig fresh Sage (about 4 or 5 leaves) + more for garnish 3 to 5 sprigs fresh Thyme + more for garnish Salt and freshly ground Black Pepper 2 Tbsp Extra Virgin Olive Oil or Unsalted Butter 1 small Butternut Squash, pumpkin or other winter squash 1 medium Potato ...

Occasionally we start out to do one thing but allow ourselves to go with the flow and end up with something amazingly fantastic. This chowder is an example of one of these events. Serendipity! I started out making a 'leek-potato soup' and Chellu wanted to help. It was fun cooking together and the spirit of adventure was high. Before long Chellu was bursting with suggestions of additions or substitutions ( what if we add some of this and what if we added this instead of that ... etc) which sounded pretty good to me and that is how we ended up with this Cheesy Potato Corn Chowder also known as "What If Soup". It was so delicious that Paji said we should write it down so we could make it again. So here it is. Enjoy! Serves 8 Ingredients: 2 Tbsp Extra Virgin Olive Oil 1 Large Fresh Leek 1 small Stalk Celery 1 tsp Sea Salt 5 or 6 Sprigs Fresh Thyme 1/4 to 1/2 tsp Dried Red Pepper flakes 1/2 tsp Turmeric Freshly ground Black Pepper, to taste 3 Large Potatoes 1 pkg ...

It is amazing how a few simple ingredients can turn out into something so delicious! Use this spread with your favorite veggies and bread slices for a lovely snack; or serve as a dip with fresh veggies and/or your favorite chips. If cilantro is not your favorite herb, others such as Italian flat-leaf parsley, basil, dill, mint, etc may be used. Ingredients: 2 Cups plain yogurt 1 clove Garlic, minced 1 small bunch Cilantro, finely chopped 1 small green chili, deseeded and finely chopped 1 pinch of Salt Squeeze of lime of lemon (Optional) Method: Dip a large clean square of muslin cloth such as a large cotton napkin in fresh water and wring out well; shake out and place in a colander set over a bowl. The cloth should be large enough to hang over the colander. Place all of the yogurt on the napkin in the colander and bring the ends together and loosely tie together. Set the whole thing in the refrigerator so that the yogurt can drain undisturbed for several...

A slice of the Mexican Lasagna With Sour Cream I was trying to figure out what to make for dinner; but there were leftovers taking up space in the refrigerator: some Frijoles (Mexican beans), salsa, and some roasted vegetables. I wanted to unclutter the fridge rather than add to the growing cache of leftovers. What can you do with leftover beans, salsa, and roasted veggies? Mexican Lasagna!  I make Mexican Lasagna a day or so after I make a Mexican meal with beans and salsa; it is a great way to make a new dinner using up all the leftovers. Two birds with ...er... I mean two dinners, with one pot of beans! Amma absolutely loved it and would often request it. Once you try it, you would not want to wait for leftovers to make it as Amma would have attested. It is pretty simple and easy. If you don't have your own home-made ingredients, canned vegetarian 'refried' beans and purchased salsa or marinara sauce may be used. Buen Provecho!! This is truly a one-pot...

This soup has only 7 ingredients but tastes awesome. A good soup to make when one does not want to chop, dice, or mince anything. Makes 4 Servings Ingredients: 1 cup split peas (green or yellow) 1 small handful barley (about 1/8 cup) Salt to taste 1/4 tsp Turmeric 1 tsp Ghee or Canola Oil Freshly ground Black Pepper 1/2 to 1 tsp Cumin seeds, freshly crushed Method: Check peas for any debris or discolored beans. Combine barley and the cleaned peas and rinse well. Place peas and barley with about 3 cups of water in a large pot and bring to a boil. Stir in turmeric and salt to taste. Turn down the heat and simmer partially covered until soft and creamy; add more boiling water to thin soup if you wish. Heat a small pan with the ghee/oil and add a generous amount of freshly ground pepper and the coarsely ground cumin seeds; swirl and cook for a few seconds until fragrant. Pour the aromatic ghee with the spices into the soup and allow to rest for about 5 minutes. Serve hot with your favori...

The adventure of making this soup reminded me of the old Indian Tamil saying of how a woman attempting to make Dosa, a pancake, asks her husband to use a bowl instead of a plate :). Yes, you guessed it, Dosa had ended becoming mush. For those who might appreciate the Tamil original saying, here it is: "Dosa varthu koozha pochu, donnai theyyum brahmana". I had aimed on making chundal; I soaked the dried whole peas and then pressure-cooked them for what I thought would be the right amount of time. To my utter dismay, I found porridge instead when I opened the cooker to proceed. The peas were too soft for anything but soup; so soup it became and a delicious one at that! It is so simple and yet absolutely delicious - better make plenty of it as it gets gobbled up pretty quickly; Yum! Although I used whole dried peas, regular split peas can be used as well. Whole peas are available in Indian markets; split peas are available in most markets. 6 Servings Ingredients: 2 cups wh...

Upma Peperonata Upma is a simple and hearty South Indian dish that can be made with coarse corn meal instead of the traditional cream of wheat - for a quick and delicious gluten-free treat! When you put Italian Polenta grains and lots of colorful peppers to make the Upma, it has to be called "Upma Pepperonata" of course! The procedure is the same as in preparing the traditional Upma . It is a versatile food great any time at all - as a meal or a nutritious snack. Upma is delicious served with cashews or other nuts and seeds to augment its protein content. Polenta or corn meal is usually available in most markets; Chana Dal, Urad dal, asafoetida, curry leaves and mustard seeds, etc are readily available in Indian markets. Serves 4 Ingredients: 2 Tbsp vegetable oil 1 Tbsp Ghee (clarified butter) 1/4 tsp Brown Mustard seeds 1 Tbsp Chana dal 1 Tbsp Urad dal 1 pinch Asafetida (Hing) 1 Tbsp fresh Ginger, 2 or 3 coin sized slices 1 or 2 green Chilies (Serrano or Jalapeno) 1 sm...

Garlic Pesto or Spread is fantastic to have on hand to spice up sandwiches and stir into pasta, soups, etc. I love to stir a spoonful of this wonderful spread into whatever I am cooking without having to stop and chop 1 or 2 cloves of garlic every time I cook. Once you try it, I am sure you will find your own special uses for this delicious spread. For perfect garlic bread, slather a generous amout of the Garlic Pesto on a split baguette or Italian or other bread and toast in a hot oven and golden and watch it disappear in seconds! Spread some on grilled sandwitches or mix a spoonful into veggies before roasting them - so useful and delicious. Garlic Pesto could be added to salad dressings also.  The word pesto is often synonymous with the popular Basil Pesto ; but it is anything that is pounded or pulverized! Here are a few others to try: Pistachio Pesto , Cilantro Pesto , irresistible Chile Pesto , and the amazing but deceptively simple Kerala Style Shallot-Chile Pesto....

Neyyappams (pronounced "Nay-up-pums") are classic South Indian sweet spherical fritters which often include ripe bananas and constitute an integral part of many celebrations. The well-loved appams are made for birth ceremonies, memorial ceremonies, various holidays, or simply as a special snack. Appams are made in a special pan called 'appa karai' or 'paniyaram' pan in Tamil and is similar to the Scandinavian aebleskiver pan, Japanese takoyaki pan, or the Thai Kanom Krok pan which gives them their characteristic spherical shape but can also be made without any special equipment. It is worth the investment in this pan since it can be used to make wonderful treats using other muffin and pancake batters for special occasions; I use it to make savory 'Vellai appams' using leftover dosa, idli, and adai batters. The nice thing about this pan is that it won't heat up the whole house like a fired up oven especially during summertime. Appams are traditi...

Lemongrass as well as green tea and mint are known for their many health benefits. So why not combine all three for a wonderful and healthful beverage? It turns out great and is absolutely delicious! Hot Lemongrass, Mint, & Green Tea A refreshing beverage that can be served hot or cold, I often make a large quantity so that there is plenty left to chill for a cooling beverage later. You may sweeten the tea if you wish, but I find that it is just perfect as is whether served hot or cold. You can use whole stalks or use a few of the outer leaves to make tea. If you like the health benefits of lemongrass but not its flavor so much, add strong herbs like mint; mint works wonderfully well with the lemongrass. Would you like your tea hot or cold? Iced Lemongrass Tea With Mint & Green Tea Ingredients: 6 to 8 leaves of fresh Lemongrass 4 tsp Green tea leaves 6 - 8 sprigs fresh Mint Sweetener of choice (Optional) Lemon or Lime slices for garnish Method: Bring 2 quarts (8 cups) of...

Mulagai Podi is a dry chutney that is mixed with oil/ghee and is used as a dip for dosa, idli, adai, upma, etc. Mulagai Podi means literally chili powder; but this is obviously more than just ground chilies. Traditionally dosa, idli, etc are served in homes simply with this podi and oil/ghee. Amma often packed a lunch of dosa or idlis rolled in mulagai podi mixed with a little oil - they tasted so wonderful that my friends often wanted a share of my lunch :). I am amazed yet again to find so much similarity between Indian and Japanese cuisines. Their furikakes are similar to the Indian chutneys and curries; in fact Mulagai Podi is a close cousin of the Japanese sesame salt, gomasio. Mulagai Podi is delicious sprinkled on buttered toast, vegetables, or steamed hot rice; some people I know (who shall remain anonymous ;}) even sprinkle it liberally on their pizza! Roasted Urad dal, Sesame seeds, Red Chilies, & Asafoetida chunk; Salt Often called Dosai Mulagai Podi to differentiate...

Sharbats are cooling beverages made with fruits, herbs, and/or vegetables and very popular during the hot summers. Watermelon Sharbat is a refreshing and delicious cooler. As I put the fruit through a powerful blender, I did not find it necessary to strain out the pulp; you may strain if you wish though. Good and good for you :P! 2 Servings Ingredients: 2 cups Watermelon chunks, chilled 4 to 6 ice cubes 1/2 Lime, juiced 1 pinch Sea Salt Mint sprigs for garnishing Method: Place all the ingredients in the blender container and process into a fine puree. Pour into glasses and serve cold garnished with mint sprigs. Enjoy!

If you want a dish that is sure to please yet easy to prepare, try Golden Roasted Potatoes With Peppers & Carrots. And make plenty of it too as it disappears rather quickly! You can use any kind of potatoes including sweet potatoes/yams. Leftover baked potatoes work very well also - just cut them up, add the rest of the ingredients, and bake. For a delicious variation, substitute 1 Tablespoon of Sambar or Rasam powder for the thyme, rosemary, and chili flakes. 4 - 6 Servings Ingredients: 2 large Potatoes, cubed 2 Carrots, cut in chunks 1 Each, Assorted Bell Peppers - red, green, orange & yellow 1 large Red Onion, diced 6 sprigs fresh Thyme, strip the leaves 4 sprigs fresh Rosemary 1/2 tsp Red pepper flakes (or to taste) Freshly ground Black Pepper 1/4 tsp Turmeric 1 tsp Sea Salt (to taste) 2 Tbsp Extra Virgin Olive Oil Method: Preheat oven to 400 to 450 degrees F. Prepare a large baking pan with rim by coating with a little olive oil or cooking oil spray; the 9"x13" ...

Chick Pea Salad I love Mediterranean foods with their lemony, fresh flavors and the abundance of vegetables and legumes. Here is a lovely lemony salad inspired by the Mediterranean cuisine featuring the wonderfully healthy, popular chick peas/garbanzo beans which also incorporates lots of veggies. The hearty, creamy taste of chick peas are nicely complimented by the lemon dressing and the colorful crunchy veggies. Soaking and cooking the chick peas takes a bit of planning but is not otherwise difficult; it is worth every effort. There is no comparison between freshly cooked and canned ones; canned ones are either overly salty, may have sugar added to them, and/or are bathed in preservatives. Using the pressure cooker reduces cooking time quite a bit. I like to cook a large batch of chick peas and use the extra portions for Chole , Hummus , etc. The cooked chick peas can be stored in their cooking liquid in the fridge for about 5 days. They freeze well also. Chick peas are high i...

Curry leaf trees are ubiquitous in South Indian gardens as they are one of the most commonly and avidly used flavoring ingredients in practically all savory recipes. It is a small tree with highly aromatic leaves with a faint citrus and anise flavor. They are prized for their unique flavor as well as medicinal properties and are used in Ayurveda, the ancient art of medicine in India. Amma used to say that curry trees were always planted close to the house to catch the breezes and that it is very healthy to breathe the air wafting through the curry tree branches and leaves! If you have ever eaten South Indian food, you probably know how important curry leaves are to this cuisine. There is hardly a dish (exceptions being desserts of course) that could not benefit from a flavor boost from the curry leaves. In fact I would even go so far as to say that the curry leaf is one of the quintessential aromatic ingredients in South Indian cooking. Curry leaves are one of the major flavoring...

This is a highly nutritious and utterly delicious dal. You might want to make a double batch because it tastes even better the next day. This kuzhambu is a bit spicy; it is as it should be. Typically, tamarind flavored kuzhambus are hot with spices (the word in Tamil for this is "kara-saram" meaning spicy-hot and worthy) to wake up sleepy or numb taste buds.  If the split mung beans with skins are not available, this kuzhambu can be made with split skinless mung (yellow), whole mung, a combination of the two mungs, or other dals. If  Malabar spinach  is not available, regular spinach or other greens such as Amaranth, Swiss chard,  Kale, etc may be used instead. Another wonderful leafy green is  Taro  leaves especially if you have some growing at home. Both the leaves and stems may be used instead of other greens to make this kuzhambu. Sambar powder, tamarind paste, mung dal with skins, and other ingredients are readily available in Ind...

We had just come back from a vacation late at night and everyone was famished and tired. Since everyone was starved for home cooked Indian food, I started making rice and a simple dal. Looking in the pantry for an idea for a side dish, I spied a box of instant mashed potatoes kept there just for an occasion like this. The rest is history; though not exactly very healthful, it was wonderful and very comforting. The recipe as given makes a very mild dish; if you prefer a spicy version you can add chopped onions and garlic to the thalippu with a couple of pinches of turmeric and cook until softened before adding the water. Instant Mashed Potatoes Ingredients: 1 Tbsp Oil 1 Tbsp Chana Dal 1 Tbsp Urad Dal 2 Dry Red Chilies broken into two 1 pinch Asafetida 1 Hot Green Chili, sliced or minced 1 stalk Curry Leaves Instant Potatoes to serve 4 Water Salt to taste 2 Tbsp Cilantro, finely chopped Method: Heat the oil in a skillet or kadai and add mustard seeds, the dals and chilies. When the mu...

Versatile and nutritious, oats kanji is wholesome and quick to make. Oats, whether rolled into flakes or steelcut, are rich in fiber - especially the soluble kind which helps reduce cholesterol and the other minerals, vitamins, and phytochemicals in them reduce the risk of many diseases and promote health in various ways. Oats always conjures up feelings of comfort and love for me. I used to be the "dubbawali"*, carrying the sweet oats kanji for my grandfather's special breakfast. My grandmother made it with lots of fresh milk and sugar. As my grandfather was long gone from the house to oversee the many activities on his farm, I was usually entrusted with taking the kanji to him. The job was not without its merits - grandfather always insisted on sharing some of the delicious kanji with me ;). Mm, What a treat!! Our other grandfather had oats kanji with milk and a banana every day too - he had it in the evening for his supper! He had given up regular food for hi...

Variously called Malabar or Ceylon Spinach, Basale or Pasalai Keerai, Pui/Poi Saag, etc in the many Indian languages, Basella is a wonderful alternate for the regular spinach. It is used in other Asian cuisines as well.  Basella grows readily during the hot summer months unlike the sensitive spinach which bolts into seeds at the barest whisper of warmth. There are two varieties of basella - the green-stemmed alba and the red-stemmed rubra. Both are delicious and nutritious. Lovely basella grows readily from cuttings or seeds. These plants grew from a few pieces of the stems I saved from a bunch bought for cooking. They can be rooted in water first or directly in a pot of soil; my experiments proved both methods to be successful. This particular plant is growing well in a large pot - although the vines are getting so long that they need a trellis - some of the leaves are larger than my hand! Practically all parts of the plants are useful; apparently even the roots are...

Vendakkai (Okra) Masala Delicious Okra stir-fry is easy and delicious. The key to cooking this okra dish is to make sure they are wiped dry thoroughly before cutting. The freshly pounded cumin seeds with the red chili, a classic spice combination in Kerala cuisine, add a wonderful nutty and earthy flavor which perfectly compliments the sweet green okra. Okra was one of our favorite veggies from early childhood. Amma told us it was good for our brains and made it quite often - we believed her and ate it up! 4 Servings Ingredients: 1 lb Fresh Okra 1 onion, finely chopped 1 or 2 green chilies, seeds removed and finely chopped 1 sprig Fresh Curry leaves 2 Tbsp Oil 1/4 tsp Whole Cumin seeds 1/2 tsp Turmeric Salt Jeera Masala: grind or pound together coarsely - 1/2 tsp cumin seeds + 1 dry red chili 1/4 cup Cilantro Leaves for garnish 1/2 fresh Lime (Opt...

I had a beautiful and delicious rice salad recently - Pat had made it with Kalamata olives, red bell pepper, and spinach - very refreshing. I have tried to recreate it with the ingredients I had at hand and was quite happy with the result; here is my version with Keeshu's seal of approval! Ingredients: 1 cup Basmati Rice 1/2 tsp Salt 1/4 cup fresh Lemon juice (1 or 2 lemons) 1/4 cup Extra Virgin Olive Oil 1/2 tsp Red pepper flakes or to taste Freshly ground Black Pepper 1 small clove Garlic, minced finely 2 cloves Shallot, thinly sliced 2 sprigs fresh Oregano, finely chopped 2 Tbsp fresh chives, finely sliced 1/4 cup Italian Parsley, chopped 1 cup Leek, thinly sliced 1 cup Arugula leaves, sliced 1 cup Fresh spinach or Basella , sliced in wide ribbons 1/2 cup Kalamata Olives, chopped 1 Fennel Bulb, chopped 1 Carrot, shredded 2 cups Corn kernels, fresh or frozen defrosted 1 cup Feta Cheese, crumbled 1/4 cup lightly toasted Pine nuts (for garnish) Method: Cook the rice in scant 2 cu...