Geetha's Kitchen

Karela Atho, Ready to eat! Given a bag of fresh karelas/parikkai, I wanted to make something new and different with them; thus Karela Atho was created! If you love bitter melons, this is a fabulous recipe. If karela/bitter melon is not your thing, try making this with zucchini; Zucchini Atho makes fabulous eats! If making Zucchini Atho, cook the zucchini briefly so they do not get mushy. Karela (Parikkai/Bitter Melon) Atho is packed with protein from the peanuts and the aromatic sesame. The combination of the sweet caramelized onions, smoky tomatoes and the rest of the ingredients combine to minimize the bitterness of bittermelons/karelas and produce an amazingly delectable dish. Tried, tested, and terrific! Note:  Almonds/cashews may be substituted for the peanuts if you have a peanut alergy. 4 to 6 Servings Ingredients: 1 lb Bittermelons(Karela), about 2 or 3 2 large ripe Tomatoes (12 oz) 2 - 3 Tbsp Oil 1 large Red Onion (8 oz) 1 tsp Jaggery/Organic ...

Kollu Rasam Kollu Rasam is a delicious light soup often served during cold and cough season for its power in assuaging the winter blahs. Kollu or Horse Gram, a legume, is considered very strength-giving and helpful in cold and cough relief as well as maintaining fitness. It is not surprising that kollu is recommended for maintaining fitness; as with other beans, kollu is rich is fiber and keeps one feeling full longer. Kollu Rasam is a bonus dish when making other kollu dishes like Kollu Thoran or Puzhukku ; decant the excess broth from cooking the kollu and voila! you have the magic ingredient for a lovely new recipe! Kollu Rasam is similar to other rasams like Jeera Charu , Lemongrass Rasam , Everyday Rasam ,  Amma Rasam , and Lemon-Lime Rasam . NOTE: Tamarind gives the rasam a lovely tang; if tamarind is not available, add lime or lemon juice to taste. If using lime or lemon, do use the optional jaggery as it mellows the acidity. If fresh tomatoes are not an optio...

Kollu Thoran/Sundal Kollu Thoran/Sundal/Chundal is a delicious and delightful dish. This homey chundal is an everyday recipe and not served for festivals or special occasions.  I love savory chundals any time of the day; as snacks or part of a meal. Most whole beans or split legumes may also be used to make chundals, like one of my all time favorite brown chick pea chundal. Dried peas and split legume chundals taste great with a squeeze of lime/lemon. Although traditionally chundals are made with unsprouted dried legumes, I like to make them with  sprouts  also. If you have sprouts on hand, it takes just a few minutes to make nutritious and delicious chundal.  NOTE: Do reserve the cooking broth for making delicious  Kollu Rasam ; it is an awesome treat and so worth the few minutes it takes to make it!  4 to 6 Servings of about 1/2 cup each Ingredients: 1 cup dried Kollu (Horsegram), soaked and/or  Sprouted 1/2 tsp salt o...

Matar Pulav With Minty Chopped Salad Fresh peas are showcased in this saffron-scented mild pulav! A simple and easy recipe, awesome accompanied by succulent Chopped Salad, roasted papadums, chutneys or pickles. Most saucy curries are delicious served alongside -  try Okra (Bindi)-Capsicum Salaan, Aviyal , Korma , any bean dishes like Chole  or Rajma , etc. If fresh ones are not an option, use frozen or cooked rehydrated dried peas. Notes: Keep the chiles whole for a mild pulav and fish them out and discard before serving; another option is to core and mince the chiles, or use a bell pepper. Keep the core and seeds for a spicy dish. Do add the mint and cilantro for a delicious pulav; when cooked, mint imparts a lovely mellow flavor. If you wish the peas to remain bright green, saute them in a tiny bit of oil and a sprinkling of water if needed; cook stirring and shaking uncovered for just a couple of minutes or until done to your taste. Season with a pinch of salt an...

Chembu Thal Kadalai Kootu Taro leaves and stems are tasty cooked with chickpeas; the coconut and tamarind turn the homey ingredients into this delicious curry! In this photo of the curry, there are both brown and tan chickpeas; they were delicious - one tender but firm and the other very soft. Although one can get the corms (potato-like parts of the plant), leaves and stems are not usually available for purchase; I grow taro just so I can have leaves and stems for cooking. Choose young stalks and leaves without any yellow telltale signs of age; carefully cut at the base of the plant without injuring the new growth in the center. It is lovely to have greens from your own garden to make a meal any time. I love collecting various greens and veggies from the garden instead of running to the store especially after being away from home for a few days. I usually keep a stash of cooked chickpeas  in the freezer; so it is a breeze to have a yummy homemade curry after eating ...