Geetha's Kitchen

This simple traditional dry curry is a Kerala classic. I was very fortunate to find some jack fruit at the farmer's market and saved the seeds for this. Jack fruit seeds have a taste similar to chestnuts; they are also delicious in Molakootal, Molagushyam, Aviyal, etc. Both bananas and Jack fruit seeds are a bit starchy and benefit from abundant hydration to make them soft and tasty. Hence the traditional method of cooking them in water before seasoning them. Any kind of green bananas (plantains, large or small eating ones, etc) may be used; the only requirement is that they be green and not at all ripe. Since the mezhukkupuratti (often called "fry") is not particularly spicy, it goes well with Sambar , Rasam , or other spicy curries. If you don't have any Jack fruit seeds, no problem - make the curry with bananas alone or with yard long beans, cooked adzuki beans, black-eyed peas, etc. You might not want to use an unseasoned iron wok as the bananas will turn quite...

Pumpkin Bread Pudding is a toothsome and luscious dessert. I really like all the crispy, crunchy, crusty bread; in fact the crusty bread is what makes it truly delectable. Even though the recipe called for canned pumpkin, I used a fresh pumpkin since that's all I had in my pantry; but then I always have a pumpkin or a winter squash of one kind or another waiting in the wings :D. These wonderful veggies last for days or even weeks without getting spoiled. I adapted this recipe from Smitten Kitchen's pumpkin bread pudding; I really liked her lazy method :D. I have tweaked it to reduce the amount of fat and have included the vegan option! I also used fresh and whole dry spices; but dry and purchased ground spices may be used instead. Oh, and make sure you do use a crusty bread like Italian, french, or a baguette - preferably a day old; it will be lot easier to cut. Of course it does not mean you cannot use a fresh bread; as you would expect, I ended up using a fresh french ...

Kozhakattais & Sweet Potato Chutney This deeply sunset colored chutney is a delicious addition to any meal; it is a very gratifying result of my experiments to incorporate more veggies into chutneys in place of coconut. I love coconut, but am trying to cut down fats. The dals add toasty flavor and richness to the chutney. The fresh red chiles available in autumn impart zing and enrich the color of this beautiful chutney made with the deep orange colored sweet potatoes sold as "yams" in the United States. If fresh red chiles are unavailable, use dry red ones; if using dry chiles, add them to the hot oil first and toast along with the dals. You can spice it up by adding more red chiles if you wish. About 2 cups Ingredients: 1 medium Sweet Potato (Yam) 1 tsp Oil 2 Tbsp Chana Dal 2 Tbsp Urad Dal 1/4 tsp Fenugreek Seeds 1 pinch Asafoetida 3 stems Fresh Curry Leaves 1/4 cup fresh Coconut (or 2 Tbsp dry, unsweetened) 4-6 fresh hot Red Chiles 2 marble-sized lumps dry Tamarin...

Autumn Splendor! Happy Thanksgiving Everyone! I hope that you are blessed with abundance, peace and joy on Thanksgiving day and everyday! Autumn splendor roasted veggies will remind one of the gorgeous deciduous trees whose leaves exhibit brilliant colors in the fall - they are beautiful! Roasting the veggies seem to concentrate their sweetness and flavors. I add some roasted tofu to make it hearty. I use both cream and orange fleshed sweet potatoes for this colorful dish. Absolutely delish! This wonderfully trouble free dish never ceases to amaze - everyone loves it! Served with a bowl of Butternut / Pumpkin soup or Broccoli / Corn chowder, it makes a very filling and nutritious meal. The last time I made it, Keeshu even made a wrap with the leftovers!! Ingredients: 1 recipe Roasted Tofu (optional) 1 Tbsp Extra Virgin Olive Oil 1/4 tsp Turmeric Freshly ground Black Pepper Cayenne (red Pepper) (optional) 4 Fresh Rosemary sprigs 6 Fresh Thyme sprigs 1/2 tsp Sea Salt 2 Sweet...

Roasted Tofu is wonderful by itself or can be added to other dishes like mattar paneer , Sag Paneer , Spring Rolls , Pasta , Autumn Roasted Vegetables , Fried Rice , etc. Tofu ready for roasting Ingredients: 1 block Firm Tofu (14 oz) 1/2 medium Red Onion 1 clove Garlic (optional) 1 Tbsp Extra Virgin Olive Oil 1/4 tsp Turmeric Freshly ground Black Pepper 1 -2 pinches Cayenne OR Red Pepper Flakes 2-3 Fresh Rosemary sprigs 4-5 Fresh Thyme sprigs 1/2 tsp Sea Salt 1 Tbsp Soy Sauce, or to taste Method: Drain the tofu well and cut into bite-sized cubes. Place in a rimmed baking pan coated lightly with oil. The baking pan should accommodate the tofu in one layer. Mince the onion and the garlic if using, and sprinkle over the tofu. Sprinkle the salt, cayenne and turmeric, and a generous grinding of black pepper. Drizzle the oil and soy sauce all over; toss to coat evenly and set aside to marinate for 30 minutes (tofu may be marinated overnight also)....

When we have a thogayal for a meal, one of the frequently asked questions is "whose tholi (skin or peel) thogayal is it today?" ;D. Luscious thogayals are often made with tender skins or innards of veggies when a recipe calls for peeling or hollowing them and you don't want to throw away perfectly good and nutritious scraps. Today's thogayal utilizes the skin of peerkankai; when the ridge gourds are peeled for dishes like masiyal , some of the flesh is peeled away as well - what a waste of good food! This tasty thogayal is very similar to Pumpkin Thogayal . Of course, it goes without saying that the whole veggie may be used to make the thogayal as well. Other vegetables that make great thogayal are carrots, eggplants, various winter/summer squashes. We love to spread this chutney (and others) on toast; it makes a wonderful savory breakfast or snack. It is also great as a sandwich spread and a delicious dip for fresh breads. Ingredients: Peels of 1 or 2 Peerkankai ...

I often use both the dark red and the lighter red colored beans for this deliciously colorful dish. Rajma is traditionally served with a simple Pulav but is equally delicious served with plain rice or rotis. It also makes a lovely meal just by itself with a dollop of plain yogurt. You can substitute Sambar/Rasam powders, Pav Bhaji Masala or Chana Masala spice mixes for the Garam masala; I have tried them all and all are good. 8 Servings Ingredients: 2 cups Red Kidney Beans 1-2 Tbsp Oil 1 Red Onion, finely chopped 1 Red Bell Pepper 1 Carrot, diced 2 - 3 Tbsp fresh Ginger, minced 1 or 2 Jalapeño or Serrano Chile, minced 11/2 tsp Sea Salt or to taste 1/2 tsp Turmeric 1/2 - 1 tsp Ground Red Pepper (cayenne) 1/2 tsp Paprika 4 ripe Tomatoes, finely chopped 1 Tsp Garam Masala (optional) 4 Tbsp fresh Cilantro, Garlic Chives or Green Onions finely chopped Method: Soak the beans overnight, drain, rinse and cook in fresh water to cover until soft but not mushy either in a pot or using a pressu...

My grandmother made Mango Kadi (also known as molagushyam) with green and/or semi-ripe mangoes - to use up all the windfalls of mangoes from the orchard - and the simple but delicious taste is unforgettable! And depending on the mangoes, the kadi could be tart or sweet; a little jaggery or brown sugar may be added if the kadi is too tart for your taste. Kadi may be served as a chutney-like side dish with mild flavored curries like poricha kuzhambu , molakootal , simple dal , etc for a nice contrast in flavors. Since I prefer eating most fruits, especially mangoes, fresh rather than cooked, this kadi is an exception if and only when there is an abundance of mangoes and if they are unripe or under-ripe. Kadi, Pulisseri , or Pachadi are the perfect dishes to make if the mango is too tart for eating fresh and/or too ripe for making pickles . Ingredients: 2 green/semi-ripe mangoes 1/2 tsp Sea salt or to taste 1 pinch Turmeric 1 - 2 Tbsp Jaggery (optional) 2 or 3 dry red chilies 1/4 tsp fe...

Kabocha Squash Roasted Pumpkin soup with coconut milk is to live for! I wanted to use up the huge Kabocha squash; seemed like a good idea to roast it. When I spotted the can of coconut milk, the inspiration to make this soup dawned :D. This spicy soup wakes up taste buds! While Jaffna Curry Powder lends the unforgettable taste and zing, coconut milk adds to the mellow sweetness. For more about Jaffna curry powder check here . Adjust the curry powder according to your own taste and tolerance. Any winter squash may be used to make this recipe; I have used Kabocha as well as Butternut squash, small Pumpkins, or a combination. Roasting brings out the wonderful flavor of the squash; it can be eaten as a dish in its own right. Bake two - one to eat as is and one for soup - leftover roasted squash is perfect to make this soup - yum! This soup tastes even better the next day; reheat just until hot and steaming and serve. 6 Servings Ingredients: 1 medium Winter Squash or Pumpkin 1 tsp Sea...