Geetha's Kitchen

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...

Ney Payasam is the offering prepared on the occasion of many holidays in honor of Divine Mother. I remember how wonderful it was when we had the annual Bhagavat Sevai pooja at home on a Friday evening. Our grandfather was busy over a huge bronze pan called 'uruli' full of ney payasam. All of us children had our jobs too; the most important one was to collect and prepare beautiful and fragrant flowers. The whole house and surroundings were cleaned thoroughly and the altar was gloriously decorated with rangoli (rice flour designs), lamps, and flowers. The warm golden glow of the oil lamps, the fragrance of the sandalwood incense, and the recitation of beautiful chants praising the divine transformed and transported our home into another plane. All who were assembled for the pooja turned our minds to dwell on the meaning of the melodious chants. Then it was finally the magical moment we had anticipated all day long - all the children were called forth to be blessed. Mere w...

A simple lentil stew to serve with rice or roti or on its own. Chellu approved :) 4 Servings Ingredients: 1 cup lentils (whole Masoor) 1/2 tsp salt 2 Tbsp oil 1 tsp whole Jeera (Cumin seeds) 4 thin slices Fresh Ginger, finely chopped 1 hot green chili (Jalapeno or Serrano) 1 small onion, chopped A couple of pinches salt 1/2 tsp ground Turmeric 4 small tomatoes, chopped 1 tsp Garam Masala (a spice mix) 1/4 cup chopped Cilantro Method: Sort, wash and cook the lentils with the salt in water to cover until soft. Set aside. Heat the oil in a large pan (2 quart/liter size) and cook the cumin seeds until lightly browned and fragrant. Add ginger and green chili and saute for a few seconds. Stir in onions with the salt & turmeric and cook until lightly browned. Add tomatoes, mix well and cook until soft. Stir in garam masala and the cooked lentils. Bring to a boil stirring often and turn off the heat. Cover and allow to rest for about 10 minutes. Mix in the chopped cilantro before serv...

Protein and fiber-rich lentil salad is perfect for summer lunches and picnics! The walnuts provide extra protein as well as healthy Omega-3 oils. 4 to 6 Servings Ingredients: 1 cup Lentils, green, brown, or black 2 Tbsp Extra Virgin Olive Oil Lemon juice to taste, about 1/4 cup A splash (2 tsp) of White Wine Vinegar Salt and Freshly ground Black Pepper to taste 1 clove Shallot, thinly sliced 1 cup thinly sliced Celery 1/4 cup chopped Italian Parsley/Cilantro 1/2 cup sliced Leeks or Green Onions 1 cup finely diced carrots and/or Red Bell Pepper 1/4 cup Mint leaves, cut into thin slices 1/2 cup walnuts, coarsely chopped Method: Sort the lentils for debris, wash well and cook in water to cover until tender but not mushy. Drain the cooking liquids and set aside for soup if you wish. Let the lentils cool slightly. Mix the oil, lemon juice, vinegar, salt and pepper in a large bowl and add the warm lentils. Stir gently to coat the lentils. Let cool. Add the rest of the ingredients and mix...

Here are some more pictures from the garden. Don't miss the special visitor! Blooming Beauty: Epiphyllum Our First Harvest 2009: Elephant Garlic You can see the small bulb-lets on the garlic - "seeds" for next crop! Kabocha Squash from the garden Gerber Daisy Reincarnation lily - comes back every year! A visitor in the garden!! Do you see me? Now you do!! Watch where you tread! A humble cabbage core has so much energy still - sprouting new plants! After many kind admonitions and queries from friends, I feel that I must add a comment about the snake. Most were concerned for my safety; others were for the snake :). I am very, very respectful of the snakes as well as being extremely diligent - snakebite is a very serious situation as I saw when I researched the topic. I have seen rattlers occasionally in the garden and am very careful to give them (and myself) lots of space. That particular one surprised me. It did not rattle or move at ...

Here is a lovely chutney to spice up an otherwise simple meal. It makes a great appetizer spooned over cream cheese accompanied by whole grain crackers. Ingredients: 2 cups onions sliced thinly 1 cup garlic sliced into 2 or 3 pieces 2 Tbsp tamarind paste or thick extract 3 Tbsp oil 1 tsp mustard seeds 2 tsp bengal gram dal (chana dal) 1/4 tsp hing (asafoetida) 1/4 tsp turmeric 2-3 tsp sambhar powder 1 tsp fenugreek - roasted & powdered coarsely 2-3 Tbsp jaggery or brown sugar A few curry leaves salt to taste Method: Heat oil in a pan. add mustard seeds and chana dal. After the mustard seeds pop add hing powder, turmeric powder, & curry leaves. Add onions and garlic slices and saute' for few minutes till the onions are transparent and lightly colored. Add sambhar powder and mix well. Add the tamarind paste mixed with 1 cup water, the powdered jaggery or brown ...

Bajjis are delectable little morsels of vegetable fritters (similar to Japanese tempura) just perfect to offer with afternoon tea or as appetizers. The secret to the bajjis is the special batter - the batter is made with besan (Hindi) or chick pea/garbanzo flour. The simple batter transforms the most ordinary of the veggies into amazingly tasty snacks. Pair the bajjis with a chutney or two of your choice - basic green , sweet and sour date-tamarind , fresh coconut , or green chili . Clockwise from the top: Green chili, Eggplant, Green Banana and Onion Rings An explanation for the uninitiated: bajjis are slices or nuggets of veggies dipped in batter and deep fried; pakodas are chopped veggies mixed in a thick batter and fried. Although I do not make these very often since they are deep fried, they are a delicious addition to the menu occasionally. Both bajjis and pakodas are vegan and gluten-free. Almost any vegetable can be made into a bajji; vegetables with...

This year the garden is prolific with not just flowers but lots of creatures too :-)! Although I have seen many kinds of birds, cotton tail rabbits, and squirrels, it is the very first year I have seen baby owls in our garden. I found these owl babies (great horned owls, I believe) in the hedge when I was investigating some chirping sounds I heard one morning; they were very obliging to stay put while I went to fetch my camera. There were 5 of them actually but I would have had to disturb them by moving the branches to get all of them in the picture. The owl babies seem to like these bushes to hang out during the day. Owl Babies: Sara, Percy and Bill? sleepy babies Here is a picture of one our resident Mourning Doves nesting right by our front door - they have been nesting every year for as long as I can remember. Initially everyone thinks it is only a decoration; they are amazed to find the bird is real! Mourning Dove

Ever wonder what I do with the ginormous amounts of cores, peels, and scraps which are generated with all the cooking I do? Well, compost of course! Here is something everyone can do to keep our Mother Earth beautiful - and of course our own gardens! Composting aids a great deal by relieving our overcrowded landfills in addition to providing all the free and rich mulch or soil-enrichment for our gardens. If anyone is motivated to start composting, it is really very simple. You can purchase compost bins (check your local county or city organizations for composting classes as well as for a nominally priced bins) or make your own. Follow these 5 easy steps to successful composting: Location - Easy access to the bin is important. Also choose a spot that gets an equal amount of sun and shade so the compost does not dry out too quickly; keep it moist but not wet. Keep - a covered container lined with a paper towel (for easy clean up) in the kitchen to collect waste materials; when full,...