Geetha's Kitchen

No-Cook Savory Aval Aval (poha in Hindi), made from rice, is an extremely user-friendly staple; it is similar to oatmeal. Parcooked or steamed rice in its husk is pounded flat to make aval. Although one can cook with it, aval is eminently edible without any cooking! Aval (poha) is an ubiquitous staple in a typical South Indian Home to be made into a number of quick and delicious recipes! It is very easy to prepare either sweet or savory dishes especially when it is hot and one does not want to venture anywhere near a stove for love or money :-). Notes:    Check the aval for any foreign or discolored particles and discard them. Place in a bowl and cover with water; swirl with fingers quickly to get any husk pieces to emerge and float up. Pour out all the water along with the floaters. The d rained aval is now ready to use in the recipes. Fresh coconut is best for these recipes; but frozen is acceptable. If only dehydrated or dessicated coconut is avai...

Achards de Legumes  This recipe is very similar to Hema's Vegetable Achar ; both are based on Mauritian fare. We love heaping up achards on toast or a roll for a very satisfying repast whether at breakfast, lunch, or a yummy snack any time. The pictures show Achards made without cauliflower but all the other ingredients - so you see that the recipe is quite flexible :) Cauliflower and turnips are good on an anti-inflammatory diet, so I thought of making the "Achards" (as it is called in Mauritius) with them instead of the cabbage. I was told that in Mauritius, they sell Achards de Legumes and freshly baked bread before the grocery stores open! What a great idea! A delicious peace offering to keep the waiting hungry shoppers from getting grumpy :)! Notes: * Use a non-reactive bowl and pan for making the achards (stainless steel, ceramic, glass). * I make a huge batch and keep the achards in 2 or 3 jars - easy to use as well as for giving as gifts. * I cut ...

This stew is so scrumptious and pretty easy to make - served over any grain or with some bread, it makes a lovely meal. The fragrant spices enrich the stew without making it overly spicy. I grow taro just for this purpose; leaves and stems are not always available in markets. But it is very easy to grow - see this post on How to Grow Taro . My grandmother used to prepare this dish using only the stems of the taro and called it "thalakam". You can make it with just leaves or both the stems and leaves. Other greens like amaranth, kale, collards, turnip greens, spinach, Swiss chard, etc may be used if taro leaves are unavailable in any combination. If you are using regular dried tamarind pulp instead of the concentrate, use about a 1" ball; remove seeds and any stringy fibers and soak in a little warm water; then add to the roasted spices and grind together. Taro Leaf & Red Lentil Stew With Basmati Rice, Taro Stem Thoran Ingredients: 1 cup Red Lentils ...