Geetha's Kitchen

Pulled Broccoli Salad is the brainchild of havng to figure out how to eat healthy with a few ingredients ready at hand. We all are trying to stay and eat healthy despite being in isolation and having to make do with available ingredients. I had a couple of handfuls of kale, half a carrot, and some broccoli and a few other odds and ends. I was trying to create different ways of making and presenting salads to make them more interesting, delicious and nutritious. On a whim, I thought of just pulling off bits of the broccoli rather than chopping .... and I really liked the way they looked. Long story short, here's the Pulled Broc Salad! Pulled Broccoli Salad is gluten/dairy free; it has barely much oil - only the few drops to massage the kale. It was really awesome - gorgeousl colors as well as tasty - was gobbled up in record time by a very appreciative family :). Note: if the almond slices are raw, just heat them in a small pan and stir until lightly browned and toasted. ...

Carrot Creme or Creamy Carrot Soup is quite simple, yet, so delicious! Although we call it "Creme", there is no cream or other fat/oil in this gorgeous soup. Carrot Creme, just like its cousin Butternut/Pumpkin Creme , is naturally gluten, dairy, and fat free; the nuts and coconut provide creaminess and a small amount of natural fats. Just a few basic ingredients contibute to a wonderfully scrumptious and creamy sunset-colored soup!  An abundance of fresh carrots prompted this recipe. The pepper provides a nice contrast to the natural sweetness of the carrots and nutmeg takes it to the next level of carroty scrumptiousness. As there aren't many steps to follow other than the basic prep, the soup comes together quite quickly. Onions and garlic maybe omitted; if you omit them, a pinch or two of freshly ground cumin maybe added. Makes about 10 cups INGREDIENTS: 6-8 Cashews, preferably raw 6-8 Almonds, raw 1 1/2 lbs Carrots, scrubbed and cut into large c...

Delicious Smoky Almond/Mame Pâté makes a lovely appetizer, snack or even a meal especially when piled on a toast or salad! This is similar to the other wonderful recipe Chickpea Salad Spread . I am using the Japanese word for bean here as I like the sound of it! I thought I had a perfect name for the lovely brignt carrot-colored Pâté until I introduced it to friends as "Sal-None Pâté"; one friend had a hugely violent reaction and chided me for picking a horrible name! Her aversion to the name was so strong that I gave up the idea. Oh, the things One does to appease one's friends' sensibilities! :-) NOTES: Soak and cook the soy beans until soft but not mushy. Check How to cook beans for info on cooking the beans. You may also use canned beans. If soy is not an option, use cooked great northern or cannellini beans instead. Roast or cook the garlic cloves until they are soft and golden. Uncooked garlic maybe used also but will have a different flavor profile...

We love all things lentil and this Spanish-style lentil soup is a  favorite!  Lentil soup can serve as a main dish, light meal or as a starter.  The soup begins with preparing a flavorful base called sofrito, common to most soups, an aromatic combination of onion, celery, and  carrots (love to add lots of carrots which add color, texture, and sweetness) plus garlic, tomato and smoky roasted peppers. The soup is finished with a nutty picada, a thick pesto-like sauce made of toasted bread, almonds, garlic, parsley, and a bit of olive oil. Typically the bread is fried in oil; but in order to keep the oil to a minimum, I opted to toast it instead. The soup is delicious just as it is, but the picada takes it to the next level. Picada is usually added towards the end of cooking. Leftovers are fabulous for about a week or maybe frozen for up to 3 months. Or, turn the delicious leftovers  into a yummy casserole:   stir the soup into cooked...

A simple yet wonderfully colorful crunchy and delicious salad! All the veggies plus the almonds and sesame provide ample fiber, vitamins, anthocyanins, and even a good amount of protein. Cabbages and Kale belong to the Brassica or commonly known as cruciferous vegetables family along with broccoli, cauliflower and others. The benefits of the Brassicas are numerous; they not only provide nutrients but also are anticancer, anti-inflammatory as well as protection from other diseases. All of the veggies and nut/seeds and dressing maybe prepared ahead and tossed together just before serving; a great one for the weekdays. The salad maybe prepared with one type of cabbage alone; other veggies maybe added or omitted also. Brussels sprouts, Napa Cabbage, broccoli or cauliflower, etc make great additions. Oil maybe added to the dressing if desired. 4-6 servings Ingredients: Dressing: 2-3 Tbsp Apple Cider Vinegar 1-3 tsp Maple syrup, or to taste Salt and Pepper to tast...

If you like biriyani, a rice and vegetable casserole, this recipe is a must try. Everything is done in one pot in layers; although it is easy, it is quite flavorful and great for company too. When cooked in a glass dish in the oven, it makes a pretty presentation. Very family friendly! A simple and easy recipe, biriyani is awesome accompanied simply by  Chopped Salad , and papadams and non-dairy yogurt; but could be served with  Salna or Korma  or other curries like Aviyal, Vegetable Kofta, or any bean dishes like Chole or Rajma . Notes: If peas are fresh, add them about 5 minutes sooner; but frozen peas do not need very much cooking time and will do fine as directed in the recipe. A favorite curry powder maybe used instead of the Biriyani/Garam masala and Kashmiri chile powder. Feel free to adjust and change the spices according to your preference. Alternately, after layering in an oven-safe pan with cover, the biriyani may be baked in the oven for 30 minut...

A quarter of a cup of this spread has a goodly amount to protein - 7g! and of course plenty of other good nutrients. Similar to the Green  Seed Butter  and the Chickpea Spread , it is a lovely dip or spread with an abundance of nutrition and great taste. Variation: Use 1/2 cup each of sunflower and pumpkin seeds. A pinch of cayenne is great in the spread. 2 or 3 tablespoons of vegan mayo maybe used also instead of the lemon juice and mape syrup. About 5- 10 servings Ingredients: 1 cup raw sunflower seeds 1 cup raw almonds 1/3 cup finely chopped celery 1/4 cup finely chopped red onion 2 tablespoons chopped fresh Dill or Parsley 1-2 tablespoons maple syrup or agave nectar 2 tablespoons lemon juice 1 teaspoon ground black pepper 1/2 teaspoon sea salt Optional Ingredients 1/3 cup finely chopped pickles 1/3 cup finely chopped/grated Carrots 1 teaspoon kelp granules Method: Put sunflower seeds and almonds into a large bowl, add plenty o...

Chickpea Spread is a wonderful in so many ways - not just on regular sandwiches and wraps but as a salad and filling for a cool lettuce taco or as a dip to scoop with your favorite veggies or chips! Stuff pretty little peppers, tomatoes, lettuce cups, endive, celery, etc. for a delicious and easy snack or starter. Cook your own chickpeas or use canned; I cook a big batch so there is enough for a couple of different recipes as well as freeze a portion or two for another day as they freeze well. Notes: 1. I do the whole thing using the food processor; if you like the veggies chunkier, the carrots and celery may be finely chopped with a knife and added at the end and pulsed once or twice just to mix. 2. Homemade or purchased vegan mayo works quite well. 3. Other herbs like basil, cilantro, chives, etc may be added instead of or in addition to the parsley. INGREDIENTS: 1 Handful raw or roasted Almonds, around 1/4 cup 2 ribs Celery include leaves, coarsley chopped 1 ca...

Autumn Muesli II Warm and creamy Autumn Muesli II is a much loved porridge in our household; the aroma of the spices and fruit cooking with the steel-cut oats wafting through the house entices everyone out of their hibernation even on a cold and rainy day! Made with fresh cranberries, delicious apples, almonds, persimmons (when available), and wonderfully warming cardamom as well as other spices, it is indeed a delight! If you use a slow/rice cooker, a pressure cooker or Instant Pot, it is very easy to prepare! Adjust the spices according to your taste. Any leftovers can be reserved in the fridge and warmed up for the quick comfort of a steaming bowl of muesli anytime you want one! Oats thickens upon standing; you may have to loosen it with a little almond milk. Do try the muesli with the cardamom; it adds a bright fragrance! I like uing freshly ground  cardamom seeds; lightly crush the pods, remove the seeds, and crush/grind into a powder.  Dried Cranberries may...

Quick and Easy Korma really is pretty easy and fast as it doesn't require undue attention of sauteing or stirring; a great recipe for a busy day or evening. Just layer all the ingredients in the pot and in minutes delicious korma will be ready to go with your favorite grains or breads! Omit or add tomatoes depending on what other dishes are being served at the same meal; if other dishes include lots of tomatoes, leave them out. Cooked chickpeas - tan or brown type - make a nice addition to the korma; add them along with the potatoes and carrots. 4 Servings INGREDIENTS: 1 tablespoon Vegetable Oil ½ tsp Fennel Seeds 1 small piece Cinnamon 1 Bay leaf 1 medium Onion, finely chopped 2 medium tomatoes, finely chopped (optional) 1-2 green chillies, cored and minced 1 medium Potato, diced ½ cup Green Beans, diced 2 Carrots, diced ½ cup Corn Kernels, fresh/frozen ½ cup Coconut Milk  ½ cup Green Peas, fresh/frozen ½ cup Chayote/Zucchini, diced (optional...

Povetica/Potica ("Poveteetza/Poteetza") is a delicious nut filled Eastern European pastry. It takes a bit of planning and work, but very much worth the effort. Just watching it being made was so very intriguing that I couldn't wait to make it myself! Vegan Povitica - My first one! This is a veganized adaptation of a recipe from Paul Hollywood of The Great British Bake-Off fame. I substituted ground almonds for the walnuts and used other vegan ingredients but have tried to keep it as close to the original as possible. I have left the measurements in weight as the original as weighing gives more precise results. Notes: Aqua Faba is the fancy name for the cooking liquid from garbanzo bean; if it is not handy, use other egg replacers. I added a generous pinch of Turmeric for adding a healthy golden hue as eggs are eliminated in the dough; it is not necessary for the filling. Good vanilla extract or paste may be substituted for the vanilla bean. I omitted the salt a...

Bright sunset colored Carrot Halwa or Gajrela is a delicious dessert - another one of the ingenious Indian desserts based on vegetables. It can be served in soft scoops or cut into fudgy pieces depending on the amount of sugar and length of cooking. Shorter cooking time with less sugar will yield a soft result whereas longer cooking with more sugar will result in a fudgy, chewy, candy; both are good! I thought lovely carrot halwa would be wonderful as the Post # 501 in memory of Amma and as a tribute to her! When Amma first presented it, my grandmother and other family members in the rural South were very skeptical as they had never seen carrots let alone carrot halwa! But one hesitant taste, and everyone was hooked! Gajarela will last for a couple of weeks in the fridge; for longer storage, it may be frozen. Ingredients: 2 lbs Carrots 1 cup Coconut Milk Or 1/2 cup Coconut Cream 1/2 - 1 cup Sugar 1/2 cup Dried Coconut, finely grated (Optional) 3 Tbsp Earth Balance 5-7 ...

I cannot believe this is recipe # 500! I am celebrating it with this delicious pudding - an amalgam of Indian and American ingredients which work amazingly well! Polenta Pudding came into being many years ago because a lot of the sauce was left over after making Ras Malai ! I did not want to waste all that wonderfully flavorful creamy sauce and thought a quick pudding would be the best option to use it up.  I was looking for cream of wheat, but all I had available was a bag of cornmeal (even though made of corn, it had the consistency of cream of wheat) - so Indian/Polenta Pudding was born to rave reviews!! When the pudding was presented, I was asked if it was Indian pudding?!  As it was made with a lot of Indian ingredients, I said that it was :-).  As I was new to cooking, I did not know that there actually was such a thing called "Indian Pudding", a famous New England dessert! How did Indian pudding get its name? Columbus got lost when he tried to s...

Almond Butter Wow, talk about easy! Making almond butter is not only very easy, it is also economical. I use purchased roasted nuts for ease of preparation; but the nuts may be roasted at home in a skillet or in the oven. And since the roasted nuts are already salted, I do not add any additional salt.  If you prefer an unsalted product, by all means use unsalted roasted or raw nuts. I make small quantities to keep it fresh. I love almond butter just as it is and do not add anything else; but if you like, you may add cardamom or cinnamon for a bit of spice. Dates or raisins may also be added to make a sweet spread. Add spices or dried fruits to the food processor after the almonds have turned into butter and process a little longer until you have a uniform butter. I use the food processor to make the nut butters as I can scrape out every bit of it out (versus the blender) and it is so easy to clean too. Note:  This process takes about 15 minutes; at first it might...

Kurma (Korma or Qorma) is a fragrant stew enriched with aromatic spices, nuts and poppy seeds. It is a full flavored and rich tasting curry with all the roasted spices, nuts, coconut, etc and is typically on the mild side. This classic kurma from Chettinad cuisine is known as White (Vellai in Tamil) Kuruma as the veggies and the gravy remain whitish as there are no tomatoes and barely a pinch of turmeric. It is delicious served with rotis or rice dishes, and also dosas, adai, etc. White kurma uses Indian cinnamon bark which has a slightly different flavor compared to the commonly used cinnamon sticks. Use cinnamon bark for the authentic flavor but if it is not handy, regular cinnamon stick will do quite nicely. Typical Chettinad Kuruma does include garlic; so if you like garlic, saute a couple of cloves of it along with the spices and proceed as per the masala instructions. I use a Serrano or Jalapeño chile and remove the core with the seeds and whitish parts so that you...

Roasted eggplant spread is wonderful to have on hand to make quick snacks, elegant meals and appetizers. Use it as a sandwich spread or sauce/topping for pasta or rice - Delicious! Eggplant Spread Ready to Serve Using a food processor to slice all the veggies make it a snap to prepare this dish. Chopped Veggies Ingredients: 1 large Globe Eggplant 1 Red Bell Pepper 1 large Red Onion 1 clove Garlic 1/2 tsp Red Pepper flakes (to taste) 2 Tbsp fresh Thyme or 2 tsp dry 1 tsp Sea Salt 1 pinch Turmeric 2 Tbsp Extra Virgin Olive Oil 2 Tbsp fresh basil, chopped Ready for roasting Garnishes: Toasted Almonds Sliced Green or Black Olives 2 oz. Feta or Goat cheese 2 Tbsp Fresh Parsley, finely chopped 2 Tbsp Fresh Basil leaves Method: Preheat oven to 400 degrees F. Wash all the veggies and herbs. If you are using a food processor, cut the eggplants and peppers into long pieces that will fit the chute. Use the slicing plate to process. Or chop using ...

Thyme-scented Almonds are a wonderful snack or starter. They also make a delicious and different garnish for all types of dishes including salads and spreads. Herb scented almonds are very easy to make and can be made up to one week ahead. Ingredients: 2 tsp Extra Virgin Olive Oil 1 cup Almonds 2 or 3 sprigs fresh Thyme 1/4 tsp Red pepper flakes or more 1/4 tsp Sea Salt Method: Heat olive oil in a wok or skillet. Add the almonds and stir for a 3 or 4 minutes. Sprinkle pepper flakes and chopped thyme with the salt. Cook stirring until almonds are toasted and golden. Cool and store in an airtight container until ready to serve. Enjoy! Freeze the almonds for longer storage.

I call these dainty cookies Snow Balls because they look exactly like little balls of snow. Not too sweet, they are still rich and delicious treats for special occasions or just any time really. Snow Ball cookies are wonderful little treasures quickly and easily made. The last couple of times I made them after the guests had already arrived - in fact I had the guests roll them into balls. The cookies baked while we had our dinner and were offered as part of the the dessert menu with steamy cups of Masala Chai . Snow Ball cookies can be made with your favorite nuts; almonds, pecans, hazelnuts, or peanuts. Use vanilla essence with pecans, hazelnuts, and peanuts. I have used butter; but one could use a good quality margarine to make this a vegan treat. Ingredients: 1 cup Almonds 2 to 4 Tbsp Sugar 1/2 tsp Almond extract 3 or 4 pods Cardamom 1/2 cup Unsalted Butter (1 stick) 1/2 tsp Sea Salt 1 cup Whole Wheat flour 1/2 cup Powdered Sugar (for coating) Method: Preheat the oven to 300 ...