Geetha's Kitchen

Scones are perfect for tea time; they are also wonderful for breakfast or anytime at all! As they are easy to prepare and bake quickly, they make a wonderful after-school snack too. I adapted this recipe from Sunset's International Vegetarian Cook Book. Using half whole grain flour as well as including almond meal and one of my favorite baking ingredients - oats :-} - increases their nutritive value. Since they already have enough fat, I serve these lovely pastries without additional butter but with an assortment of jams or preserves. They are also wonderful just by themselves with a cup of coffee or tea, especially Masala Chai . Orange Raisin Scones For vegan option, use solid margarine and any non-dairy milk. Other dried fruits such as blueberries, currants, cranberries, or other berries or a mixture may be used instead of the raisins. Lemon rind and juice may be used for lemony scones; if using lemon juice you may wish to increase the sugar to 1/2 cup. 16 scones Ingredient...

A great and tasty side dish or filling for parathas and roll-ups! The dry fenugreek leaves and the combination of spices make this an uncommonly delicious curry. You can cook this dish two ways: if you stir-fry only partially covered, you will have a dry curry; if you cook it covered most of the time, you will have a bit juicier curry. So your choice - would you prefer a dry curry or a juicy one? 4 to 6 Servings Ingredients: 1 medium Cauliflower, coarsely chopped 1 large Onion, finely chopped 1 large ripe Tomato, finely chopped 1 cup peas, fresh or frozen (optional) 2 Tbsp Dry Fenugreek leaves (Kasoori Methi) Spice Mix: 1 Tbsp EACH Chana and Toor Dals 2 tsp Coriander Seeds 1 tsp Cumin Seeds 8 whole Black Pepper 2 dry red chiles (or use 1/4 - 1/2 tsp cayenne) 1/2 tsp Turmeric 1/2 tsp Sea Salt Tadka/Thalippu: 1 Tbsp Oil 1/2 tsp Cumin seeds 1/2 tsp Kalonji seeds (Nigella) 1/4 tsp Fennel seeds Method: Spice Mix: Combine the dals, coriander and cumin seed...

In my quest for good salsas, I have been experimenting with various dry red chiles when fresh ones are not available. Smoky chile salsa only looks fiery but is quite tame and delicious with the deep chile flavor of toasted chiles. If you want less a spicy salsa, remove the seeds from all the chiles before pureeing them; on the other hand if you want to kick up the heat a notch or two, leave the seeds in and/or add more chiles. This is an adaptation of a recipe from The New Vegetarian Epicure by Anna Thomas. Another chile recipe to add to my collection :D! Chipotle chiles (dried Jalapeño chiles) are available in most markets as dry pods or canned in adobo sauce; you will definitely find them in Mexican markets. If using the canned, there is no need to cook them; just use a little or a lot according to taste. Store the unused canned chiles and sauce in a sterile jar in the refrigerator; they last a long time. I used both chipotle and fresh chiles for their different flavors to add de...

Every year I like to plant elephant garlic in the fall. Come spring, the garlic plants begin to bloom; in order to spare the plant from sending all its energy into the flowers instead of the bulbs, I usually nip them in the bud. It seemed such a waste to throw those beauties in the compost so I sliced them and cooked them in a stir fry; they are remarkably similar to asparagus and absolutely delicious! I also use the buds and stems pretty much similar to green onions. One day it occurred to me to make a chutney with it. Elephant garlic is milder than the regular one and the bud is even more so. In order not to overpower the delicate garlic flavor, I simply made the chutney with only green chilies and coconut. Garlic buds make a delicious and beautiful pastel green chutney. Green garlic and garlic chives may also be used in a similar way. Dessicated (dried) or frozen coconut instead of the fresh may be used to make this chutney. Ingredients: 5 or 6 Garlic Buds with stalk 1/2 cup g...

Torta with ketchup and Chimichurri Sauce This delectable torta owes its invention not to a mother, but a hungry child! It came into being when I tried to make something healthy and quick for Chellu's lunch. It was quite easy and quick to make as I had roasted veggies, whole wheat chapatis/tortillas, and some rennet-free Parmesan and goat cheese. Both kind of cheeses were delicious and the goat cheese was great for my friends who cannot tolerate cow's milk products. It is a huge hit with everyone who has tried them; utterly delicious - to live for!! These tortas make great appetizers served in small wedges. Dry vegetable curries such as cauliflower or potato curry make great fillings too. These tortas taste like samosas when made with potato curry - without all the frying! Makes 12 triangles Ingredients: 1 recipe Roasted Eggplant Spread 6 whole wheat chapatis/tortillas 1 cup shredded Parmesan cheese OR 6 oz. fresh Goat Cheese A little oil/ghee to cook ...

Amma always shared all good things she made with her neighbors and friends and they reciprocated. I cannot forget the delectable taste of stuffed red chile pickles that a neighbor brought over when I was visiting Amma. Succulent, ripe, red chiles redolent with fennel seeds and other spices, they were so good that we ate them up without giving them a chance to mature! I have tried to recreate the taste here as best as I remember. Red or green chiles may be used to make the pickles; I use green chiles when red chiles are not in season yet. Green Serrano or Jalapeno or red Fresno or Jalapeno chiles work well. With a touch of tart from the lime juice and fragrant with fennel, the green chiles retain their crisp texture and are decidedly delicious. Paji heartily agrees with me when I say that this recipe is a keeper and one to add to our chile repertoire :D. Ingredients: 12 red or green chiles (Jalapeno or Serrano) 1 Tbsp Fennel Seeds 2 Tsp Fenugreek Seeds 2 Tsp Brown Mustard Seeds 1...

Roasted asparagus spears are easy to make and simply delicious! Serve them as a side dish or starter. They are marvelous in sandwiches and wraps too. 4 Servings Ingredients: 2 lbs fresh Asparagus 5 or 6 cloves fresh Garlic 1 pinch Turmeric Sea Salt to taste Freshly ground Black Pepper 1 Tbsp Extra Virgin Olive Oil Lemon wedges to serve Method: Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F. Snap off the woody cut ends from asparagus; wash and drain well. Keep them whole or cut into 2 or 3 inch pieces on the diagonal. Smash the unpeeled garlic cloves enough to crush lightly but still keep them whole. Pour the oil in a 9" x 13" rimmed baking pan and add all the ingredients. Stir to mix well and bake shaking the pan 2 or 3 times during baking. Bake for 30 minutes or until they are done to your preference. Remove and save the garlic for other uses. Serve warm, cold, or at room temperature with the lemon wedges.

White bean dip is a delicious Italian alternative to the regular hummus made with garbanzo beans and is just as easy to make. It is fabulous as a dip or sandwich filling. Canned Canellini or great Northern beans may be used instead of the freshly cooked. I find that making this dip with the freshly cooked warm beans produces a superior result compared to that made with canned beans even without any oil added. Check this  post on cooking beans  if you like; cooking beans at home procduces delicious as well as economical results. Ingredients: 1 cup dry Canellini or Great Northern beans 1 sprig fresh Sage or Rosemary 1 Lemon/Lime, juiced 1/4 tsp Red pepper (Cayenne) + a little for serving 1 or 2 cloves fresh Garlic 1/2 tsp Sea Salt 2 Tbsp fresh Flat Leaf Parsley for serving 1 or 2 Tbsp Good quality Extra Virgin Olive Oil + a little more to serve some Olives to serve Method: Sort the beans, wash and soak in plenty of fresh water. Drain the soaking water, ...

Cranberries and apples combine to make delicious and beautiful preserves! It is lovely as a topping for toast, pancakes etc. and also as a filling for cakes and jam bars . Cran-apple preserves over cream cheese on crackers make wonderful starters. The spices can be omitted if you prefer plain preserves. For longer storage, process using canning jars according to manufacturer's directions. Ingredients: 1 large Apple, peeled, cored and chopped coarsely 2 cups Cranberries, fresh or frozen 1/2 cup Evaporated Cane Juice or sugar 1 pinch Sea Salt 1 Tbsp fresh Lime Juice 1/2 tsp ground hot red chilies 1 Tbsp finely grated fresh Ginger 3 pods Cardamom, seeds ground Method: Combine all the ingredients (except the lime juice) in a large non-reactive pan; cover and cook over low heat until soft and jam-like. Be careful to stir well occasionally while cooking. Remove from heat, stir in the lime juice and spoon into jars. Store in the refrigerator. Serve as a topping for toast, pancakes, wa...

Rice with Masoor Dal and Pumpkin Thogayal Pumpkin thogayal is a delicious fresh chutney that adds piquancy to an otherwise bland meal. The original is called Pumpkin Kodal Thogayal (kodal = intestines/innards) which is made with the innards of an immature pumpkin with the idea of "waste not" in mind. But since Paji loves this chutney and we seldom have the good fortune to come by immature pumpkins (or their innards for that matter ;}), I make it with the mature veggies themselves. Butternut, Kabocha, or any other pumpkin-like mature winter squash may be used to make this thogayal. It might seem that the amounts of tamarind and chilies given in the recipe might be too much; but they are needed to balance the sweetness of the pumpkins. Of course, you are welcome to adjust the tamarind as well as the other ingredients to your preference. Pumpkin Thogayal may be served with chips, crackers, papdams, fresh breads, flat breads, etc for a delicious and healthy sta...