Geetha's Kitchen

Frijoles Negros or Seasoned Black Beans are amazingly delicious; just a handful of ingredients produce lip smackingly yummy beans! With a pressure cooker or an Instant Pot, cooking beans becomes so easy and quick. Do try to cook the beans if possible rather than using canned for the wonderful and rich taste. See Ode to Beans or Basic Black Beans for more ideas on cooking beans. Any leftovers maybe used as filling for tacos/burritos/tostadas etc. or in the delicious  Black Bean and Corn Casserole , Burgers ,  Cuban Black Bean Soup , or Casamiento .  Black Beans belong to the superfood family of legumes; they are typically served as part of meals in Mexican, Central & South American, and other cuisines. Cooking beans is quite simple and very cost effective. Similar to most beans, black beans have negligible amounts of fat. They are a great source of protein, fiber, and thiamin. Black beans are loaded with anthocyanins and also contain good amounts of iron, calcium...

Tofu Tikka Masala is a hearty dish and although it sounds like a lot of work, it can be done in steps. Both the tofu and the sauce maybe prepared a day ahead and assembled the next day. Making the sauce one day ahead helps to make it a lot easier; and the sauce is fabulous after it gets a chance to meld all the flavors. Do try it; when you taste and see how delicious it is, you will agree it is worth the effort. Serve with plain rice, any pulao or biriyani, roti, naan etc. accompanied by a platter of sliced cucumbers, tomatoes, and onions or a raita. Notes:  Tandoori Masala  may be homemade or purchased. 4-6 Servings Ingredients: Tofu: 1 block of extra-firm tofu (16 oz) 1 tsp Salt 1 tsp Kasoori Methi (dried Fenugreek Leaves) 2 tsp Ginger, grated 2 Tbsp Tandoori Masala 2 Tbsp Cornstarch Oil for coating the pan Sauce: 2 medium tomatoes 2 tbsp raw cashew nuts 1 tsp Oil   1 large Onion, Divided - one half into 1-inch dice, the other half fin...

Succulent, saucy and pleasantly spicy Chili Tofu is an adaptation of the popular chili paneer and example of the Indo-Chinese fusion recipes. Flavored with tamari, ginger, garlic, coriander and cumin, it is the perfect blend of two distinctive world cuisines. Serve with rice, rice noodles, corn/rice tortillas for a delicious starter, lunch or dinner. Use Thai chiles or serranos without removing the core for spicy hot Chili Tofu. Roasted Tofu maybe used in this recipe; prepare it without the herbs and adjust the amount of spices as there is some in the roasted tofu also. 4-5 servings Ingredients: Marinade: 1 tsp Garlic paste 1 tsp Ginger paste 2 tsp Corn Starch 1 tsp Tamari/soy sauce Chili Tofu:  1 14-oz block extra-firm Tofu  1 large bell pepper (any color), diced 1 green Chile, like Serrano, cored and minced 1 tsp Oil 1/4 tsp Cumin seeds 2 tsp ground Coriander seeds 1/2 tsp freshly ground Black Pepper 1 large Onion, diced 1-2 c...

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...

Kidney bean Enfrijoladas Tortillas in Bean Sauce might sound so bland and bleak - but Enfrijoladas are nothing of the kind - they are amazingly flavorful and tasty food. They belong to the homey, comfort food category and utilize leftover beans, tortillas, etc. Once tasted, they are sure to become a family favorite - they have become ours. Beans and tortillas provide great nutrition without impacting your food budget. Enfrijoladas make a hearty meal but the tortillas may be served simply dipped in the enfrijoladas sauce (see picture above) without any stuffing. We love this sauce over chips, Mexican rice , and Kidney bean cakes . Note: Assemble the enfrijoladas just before serving as they taste best served right away; they get soggy if kept waiting too long. 4-6 Servings Ingredients: 1 medium Onion, chopped 1-2 cloves Garlic, crushed 2 Tomatoes, chopped 1 small green Bell Pepper (capsicum) 1 or 2 Jalapeno/Serrano OR Chipotle Chile (optional) 1/2 tsp Turm...

Love at first bite! I was trying to make something different and delicious with my supply of sweet potatoes for the family -  Sweet Potato Patties are quick as well as uncomplicated; I made them in a matter of minutes.  Serve them anytime any way you like: although they are fantastic on their own, they are marvelous served with green and sweet chutneys and a garnish of chopped onions, tomato chutney , or apple sauce and sour cream! Rice flour, Besan (garbanzo bean flour), Mung bean flour, Asafetida (hing), turmeric, etc are available at Indian markets. Sweet Potato Patties About 12 - 14 Patties Ingredients: 4 cups grated Sweet Potatoes/yams (about 3 or 4) 1/2 small Red Onion, minced 1/2 small Bell Pepper (Capsicum) minced 1 large handful Basella or Spinach, coarsely chopped (optional) 1 Tbsp fresh Ginger, grated 1 bunch Cilantro, chopped 1 pinch Hing 1 generous pinch Turmeric 1 tsp Sea Salt or to taste 1/2 cup Rice flour 1/2 cup Besa...

Paji picked a peck of parsnips, peppers, and potatoes; I made the most delicious roasted veggies (also known as "fry") with them :-). Try these and you will be glad you did. These roasted veggies taste heavenly with a bowl of steaming rice and Rasam . Parsnips are tan colored carrot-like vegetables with a lovely sweet flavor. Treat them as you would carrots - they can be eaten raw, boiled, roasted, or fried. Parsnips lend a wonderful flavor to stews and soups and along with turnips were the mainstay of Asian and European kitchens before potatoes were imported from the Americas. Ingredients: 2 medium Parsnips 2 medium Potatoes or 8 oz. Fingerling or other baby Potatoes 2 Bell Peppers (Capsicums) 2 Tbsp Oil 1/2 tsp Brown Mustard Seeds 1 Tbsp Chana Dal 1 Tbsp Urad Dal 1 sprig Curry Leaves 1 pinch Asafoetida 1/4 tsp Turmeric 1 tsp Sea Salt or to taste 1 tsp Sambar Powder Method: Wash all the veggies well. Peel the parsnip and quarter the thick portions longitudinally; cut int...

Chick Pea Salad I love Mediterranean foods with their lemony, fresh flavors and the abundance of vegetables and legumes. Here is a lovely lemony salad inspired by the Mediterranean cuisine featuring the wonderfully healthy, popular chick peas/garbanzo beans which also incorporates lots of veggies. The hearty, creamy taste of chick peas are nicely complimented by the lemon dressing and the colorful crunchy veggies. Soaking and cooking the chick peas takes a bit of planning but is not otherwise difficult; it is worth every effort. There is no comparison between freshly cooked and canned ones; canned ones are either overly salty, may have sugar added to them, and/or are bathed in preservatives. Using the pressure cooker reduces cooking time quite a bit. I like to cook a large batch of chick peas and use the extra portions for Chole , Hummus , etc. The cooked chick peas can be stored in their cooking liquid in the fridge for about 5 days. They freeze well also. Chick peas are high i...

Protein and fiber-rich lentil salad is perfect for summer lunches and picnics! The walnuts provide extra protein as well as healthy Omega-3 oils. 4 to 6 Servings Ingredients: 1 cup Lentils, green, brown, or black 2 Tbsp Extra Virgin Olive Oil Lemon juice to taste, about 1/4 cup A splash (2 tsp) of White Wine Vinegar Salt and Freshly ground Black Pepper to taste 1 clove Shallot, thinly sliced 1 cup thinly sliced Celery 1/4 cup chopped Italian Parsley/Cilantro 1/2 cup sliced Leeks or Green Onions 1 cup finely diced carrots and/or Red Bell Pepper 1/4 cup Mint leaves, cut into thin slices 1/2 cup walnuts, coarsely chopped Method: Sort the lentils for debris, wash well and cook in water to cover until tender but not mushy. Drain the cooking liquids and set aside for soup if you wish. Let the lentils cool slightly. Mix the oil, lemon juice, vinegar, salt and pepper in a large bowl and add the warm lentils. Stir gently to coat the lentils. Let cool. Add the rest of the ingredients and mix...