Geetha's Kitchen

Here's a wonderful Apple Crumble that can do double duty as a luscious dessert or as part of a warm weekend brunch! Or anyway and anytime you like. Gluten and Dairy -free, it is a welcome addition to any table. Other berries or pitted cherries maybe used instead of the blueberries. Finely chopped or coarsely ground almonds, walnuts etc maybe added to the topping.  Serves: 6 INGREDIENTS: 6 medium Apples 1 pinch Salt Juice & grated zest of 1 lime or lemon 1 teaspoon vanilla ½ cup Dates, chopped 1-2 teaspoon ground Cinnamon ½ cup Blueberries Crumble Topping: 1 cup Oatmeal 1/2 cup nuts, finely chopped 2 tablespoon Brown Sugar 3 Tbsp ground Flax seeds To Serve: 1/2 cup Cashew or Coconut Cream Blueberries for garnish METHOD: Preheat the oven to 375ºF. Peel and core the apples. Cut them in thin slices, put them in a bowl and sprinkle with a pinch of salt,  vanilla, dates, lime or lemon juice and zest and cinnamon ...

Mulagai Podi II, similar to Mulagai Podi I, is a dry chutney that is mixed with oil and is used as a dip for dosa, idli, adai, upma, etc. Mulagai Podi means literally chili powder; but is made with more than just chilies. Traditionally dosa, idli, etc are served in homes simply with this podi and oil for casual meals. Amma often packed a lunch of dosa or idlis rolled in mulagai podi mixed with a little oil - they tasted so wonderful that my friends often wanted a share of my lunch :). Often called Dosai/Idli Mulagai Podi to differentiate it from plain ground chilies, it is easy to make and makes a nice table condiment to spice up any food you like. There are many variations of it and some include other ingredients such as roasted sesame, curry leaves, cilantro, tamarind, etc. This is another one of my favorite versions. Every sprinkle of this delicious podi boosts the protein/mineral content of your food since it contains two dals/legumes. Mulagai Podi is delicious sprinkled ...

I had a lovely bag of quinoa that needed cooking; I thought to make Lemony Quioa just like the classic Lemony Rice ! It was an immediate hit! So here it is.  Lemony Quinoa makes for great picnic food along with the fabulous Non-Dairy "Yogurt" Rice . Notes: Leftover plain cooked quinoa maybe used to make lemony quinoa. Instead of cooking the cashew pieces, purchased roasted cashews maybe sprinkled on top of the prepared lemony quinoa just before serving. Ingredients: 1 cup Quinoa 2 cups Water 1/2 tsp Salt 1-2 tsp Oil 2-3 Tbsp raw Cashew pieces 2 dried Red Chilies 1/2 tsp Brown Mustard Seeds 1 Tbsp Urad Dal 1 Tbsp Chana Dal 1 stem fresh Curry Leaves, sliced into a chiffonade 1/2 tsp Turmeric 1-2 Lime/Lemon, juiced Salt, as needed Method: Soak the quinoa in plenty of water to cover; wash and drain the quinoa in a fine sieve. Bring two cups of water to a boil; stir in the quinoa and salt and bring to a boil again. ...

Crisp, Spicy, Celery & Daikon Salad is very tasty and fabulous. It can be made quite easily with only one veggie or a combination as given in the recipe. This lovely salad maybe served as a snack or starter. Chile Crisp is a Chinese relish that is absolutely delicious on everything!  INGREDIENTS: 4 ribs Celery, thinly sliced 1 small Daikon or 1 large handful red Radishes, thinly sliced 1-2 Green Onions, thinly sliced on the diagonal 4 Tbsp Cilantro, finely chopped 1-3 tsp Chile Crisp, home-made or purchased 1-2 tsp Tamari/Shoyu/Soy Sauce (gluten free) a few drops Toasted Sesame Oil, Chinese type 1 Tbsp Sesame Seeds, Toasted METHOD: Combine the sesame oil and add Chile Crisp and Tamari/Soy sauce in a large bowl. Mix in the veggies with the cilantro, taste and adjust seasonings. If not serving right away, place in a container with a tight fitting lid and chill until ready to serve. When ready to serve, mix well to coat with the dressing. Sp...

Here's another eggplant salad to add to the delicious collection of salads.  A simple yet delicious cold salad that can be served with the meal or as a starter. Use gluten free soy sauce to make it GF. Use the thin long green and red chiles if possible; if not, use Serrano or Jalapeño chiles. If you prefer a mild dish, remove and discard the core and seeds of the chiles. When I use Thai chiles, I need only half or at the most 1 chile of each color for a very spicy salad; so adjust the amount according to your needs and the spicyness of the chiles. The slender type of eggplants work best for this recipe; when steamed until soft, the eggplant turns a bit brownish and the purple color is not retained.  Ingredients: 2 long Chinese/Japanese type eggplants A few Coriander(Cilantro) leaves, for garnish Sauce 1 Tsp vegetable oil (optional) 1-2 fresh long Green Chiles, cut into small circles 1-2 fresh Red Chile OR Thai chiles, cut i...

Baba Ganoush (aka Ghanoush or Ghanouj), a Middle Eastern dip, is so simple yet simply delicious - roasted and mashed eggplant, garlic, tahini, and lots of tangy lemon add upto a an unforgettable treat! Even those who do not eat other eggplant dishes devour this one! Although traditionally served with pita bread, I serve it with a basket of warm corn tortillas/chips, GF breads, and veggie scoopers for a gluten-free snacking joy. Eggplant dips and salads inclucing Baba Ganoush are popular not only in the area known as Levant, Western Asia which is the Eastern coast of Mediterranean, but far and wide. There are delicious eggplant salads prepared in India, China, Philipines, etc. Note: The Garlic maybe roasted unpeeled along with the eggplant for a mellow, milder garlic flavor. For a spicy version, I roast a Jalapeño Chile along with the eggplant, peel, and add to the eggplant pulp.  Ingredients: 1 large Eggplant, roasted whole 2-3 cloves Garlic, roasted or ra...

Garam Masala is a very useful spice mix to keep in your pantry if you like to prepare a variety of complex curries which have Garam Masala as one of the essential ingredients. Garam Masala is used to flavor vegetable curries, various beans/lentil dishes, rice/grains and breads. Although roasting is not necessary, most garam masalas are made with roasted spices.  It is perfectly fine to use raw spices as they have their own unique flavor profiles.  Raw and roasted spices contibute to different flavors and taste. So, the  big question is ..... Roast or not? If you go the roasted route, there are two possibilities: lightly or until the spices become fragrant.  If Roasting: Dry roast (without any oil)  the spices  in a small skillet/pan  over low-medium heat  very lightly for a couple of minutes OR until just beginning to be fragrant, about 5 minutes swirling the pan and stirring constantly. Pour onto a plate so the spices do not keep co...

Love, love, love Grilled Corn Salad With Maple-Lime Dressing; great use of leftover grilled corn after a barbecue! If you don't have leftover grilled corn, use fresh ones and grill them or use frozen corn kernels and pan toast them just until a few get brown spots. Grilled Corn Salad with Maple-Lime Dressing Use your favorite color bell pepper and cherry or regular tomatoes for this colorful, flavorful, and delicious salad; I love to use yellow, orange or red sweet mini peppers and yellow or red cherry tomatoes. If frozen corn is used, you will need one pound of kernels. 4 Servings Ingredients: Salad: 3-4 ears grilled Corn, cooled 1 cup Cherry Tomatoes, halved or quartered 1/2 medium Red Onion, finely diced 1 Bell Pepper, diced 1/2-1 fresh Serrano/Jalapeño, finely minced (optional) 1/4 cup Fresh Cilantro/Parsley , finely chopped Salt and Freshly ground Black Pepper Dressing: 1 large Lime, juiced 1-2 tsp Maple Syrup or to taste 1 tsp Apple C...

Hemas Everyday Fresh Coriander-Mint Chutney is fabulous with snacks, sandwiches, with meals to add a zing to an otherwise tame meal. This chutney is a wonderful and necessary addition in the famous toasted veggie Mumbai sandwiches! I use it to make the delicious Bhel Kale Salad  and the Chat dishes like the Roasted Potato Chat , Aloo Tikki ,  Aloo, Chana Chat . This Fresh Chutney not only adds piquancy to meals but also vitamins and minerals to everyday nutrition. For a mild chutney, remove the core from the chile; for a spicy chutney leave the core in and/or add more chiles. Ingredients: 1/2 tsp Cumin Seeds 1-2 cloves fresh Garlic 1 one-inch piece Ginger, skinned, and sliced 1 large bunch fresh Coriander/Cilantro 1 small bunch Mint 1 Serrano Chile, cut into 2-3 pieces Salt to taste 1 tomato, cut into quarters 1/4 of a small Red Onion or 1 Shallot, coarsely chopped 1 - 2 pinches Jaggery 1-2 Limes/Lemons Water as needed Method: Sort th...

Garlicky Spaghetti With Mushrooms & Spinach was one of my go to dishes to order at one of our favorite restuarants until I went gluten-free. When I discovered gluten-free spaghetti and pasta, I could enjoy it again! Only, I had to make it myself as GF fare wasn't popular yet in restuarants. Here it is recreated not only GF but also oil-free to the delight of my tastebuds; no one has to feel deprived any longer. There are many kinds of gluten free pastas available these days; our favorites are made with brown rice, quinoa, amaranth, or a combination. I usually make this dish using brown rice spaghetti. As any other pasta shape will work fine, enjoy using your favorite type. Of course those for whom gluten is not an issue, use any pasta you like!  4 Servings Ingredients: 8 oz Spaghetti/Pasta (Gluten-Free) 2 tsp Olive Oil (optional) 5 Garlic cloves 8 oz Fresh Mushrooms, sliced 8 oz Fresh Spinach Salt & Freshly ground Black Pepper 1 pinch Crushed R...