Geetha's Kitchen

Lavender Cookies The idea for these cookies was prompted by a lovely gift of culinary lavender. Buttery Lavender Cookies are wonderfully fragrant and are very quick as well as easy to make. I made them while preparing the rest of the dinner. They are fabulous as desserts or tea time treats! Be warned - they grow on you :D. Culinary Lavender You may use fresh lavender if you grow them; make sure they are not sprayed with pesticides or by pets. About 2 dozen cookies Ingredients: 1 stick Unsalted Butter (1/4 lb) 1/2 cup Sugar 1 Tbsp Cornstarch 2 Tbsp Water 1 tsp dried Culinary Lavender + a little extra for decoration 1/4 tsp Sea Salt 1 1/2 tsp Baking Powder 1 cup + 2 Tbsp Unbleached Flour Method: Allow the butter to come to room temperature. Line a cookie sheet with baking parchment paper. Combine flour, baking powder, salt and 1 tsp lavender in a bowl. Preheat the oven to 325 degrees F. Cream butter and the sugar in a large bowl until light and fluffy - an electric beater makes short...

Large and Small Rice and Dal Muddhas I fondly remember that Amma used to make little rice balls with dal and veggies for us when we were little children. This is a tradition in South India since time immemorial and continues to this day and are called 'muddhas' or kisses in some parts of the south - how apt! Japanese Onigiri remind me of these little rice balls. Mothers make little balls of food for their darling toddlers to not only lovingly tempt their mercurial appetites but also because little ones love to be independent (the universal "I do it" stage) - they love to pick up tiny morsels using their fingers and feed themselves. We neither had special names for them nor made them as a dish in their own right - until now! Thinking of rice balls brings back another lovely memory: One of the elder ladies (typically a grandmother or an aunt) would gather all the young children (sometimes even the not-so-young :D) for supper. The children sat in ...

Pupusas are thick Salvadoran corn cakes stuffed with assorted fillings and served with salsa and the traditional cabbage salad, Curtido . They are gluten-free and they can also be vegan if the butter and cheese are omitted. I made the masa dough without the traditional fats and have tweaked to make it a bit more interesting and tasty by adding a bit of chile and cilantro. Although not exactly traditional, these pupusas are pretty much true to their heritage and make fun and fabulous eats! Savory stuffed breads are popular in every country - Dosas & Parathas in India, Calzones in Italy, Gozleme in Turkey, gorditas &  Quesadillas in Mexico, Pupusas in El Salvador, etc. Other Central and South American cuisines also prepare similar baked or fried stuffed corn cakes. Use your favorite vegan Jack, cheddar or other cheeses all work. Ingredients: Masa/Dough : 2 cups dry Instant Masa 1/2 tsp Sea Salt 2 Tbsp soft vegan Butter substitute or Olive oil 1 - 2 Tb...

This amazing sweet and sour gothsu is particularly delicious served with pongal . You can also serve it as a side dish with poricha kuzhambu , molakootal , simple dal , or for dipping with pancake-like adai or dosa . Although this gothsu can be prepared with any orange, flavorful tangerines are my first choice. About 2 cups Ingredients: 1 tsp oil 1-2 dry Red Chiles 1/4 tsp Brown Mustard Seeds 1 pinch Fenugreek seeds 1 small pinch Asafoetida 1 stem fresh Curry Leaves, minced 1-2 hot green chile, cored and minced 1 or 2 fresh Organic Tangerine 1 pinch Turmeric 1/2 tsp Sea Salt 1 tsp Tamarind concentrate paste 1 tsp Rice flour mixed in 1/4 water 2-3 Tbsp Jaggery or Brown Sugar Method: Use 2 tangerines especially if they are small. Scrub with a soft brush and wash them thoroughly; peel and finely chop with a sharp knife. Typically the flesh is not included in the gothsu; but I often do. If you like to include the flesh, separate the segments and dice the flesh removing any seeds and m...