Geetha's Kitchen

Bitter melon is an acquired taste - some take to it right away and others take time. Once you have a taste for it, it is absolutely delicious however it is prepared. The Indian varieties of bitter melon tend to have a stronger bitter flavor sometimes; but the pale green and smoother-skinned Chinese varieties are milder. Simple Sauteed Bitter Melon  When we were young children, my baby sister took to it immediately and enjoyed bitter melon as though she were eating candy! Just to make sure we were not missing out, the rest of us would sample a piece or two and decide that it tasted bitter still :-).While we were not crazy about simple sautes and curries, we did love chips and  Pitla , a classic South Indian dal stew with bitter melon. Without further ado, here is Simple Bitter Melon or Parikkai Mezhukuvarati (=saute). I used the pale green Chinese variety for this; but any type may be used. If the bitter melons are very bitter, my mother often sprinkled a littl...

Sweet & Regular Potatoes with Green Chile Pesto I call this dish Kerala boil ( Kizhangu vevichathu/puzhungiathu - boiled tubers or root veggies) - it is one of life's simplest of pleasures; just gather together just one or as many types of root veggies as possible for their delicious diversity. Add the traditional pounded green chile chutney made in minutes to complete the meal and ah - a meal to please the hobbit in anyone!! The green chile chutney is similar to chimichurri. In Kerala, there are many varieties of root veggies which lend themselves to making Kerala Boil. The main traditional and inexpensive root veggie for this dish is Kappa, also known as marakizhangu or maracheeni (Cassava, Tapioca, or Yuca); but  Sweet Potatoes (both orange and cream colored), Chembu (Taro), and  various types and colors of  potatoes may be added for variety. The veggies are typically cut into thick cylinders known as chenda (drum). I do not limit it to starchy roots...