Geetha's Kitchen

Amma made this delicious garlic chutney topping that we use on everything from pasta to pizzas - in fact  pizza or pasta without it is unthinkable! Once we tasted pizza with it, there was no going back to eating without the Garlic Topping! Another must for every pantry! Delicious sprinkled over any dish, we love it on salads, soups, pizza, pasta and more. Amma (my mom) received requests for care packages of this from everyone who tasted it :). Many were the jars of garlic topping that Amma prepared for care packages as no one left the house empty-handed. She used to peel and chop all the garlic by hand meticulously but as the demand and requests increased, the food processor was put to good use! This is such a simple recipe; use your taste buds as your guide to add salt and chile powder to suit your needs. Make a little for a meal or make a lot and keep a stock ready to use or give away. Notes: The cooking needs to be done over low heat so that garlic does not burn. Bu...

Arachu kalakki means "ground mix" in Tamil/Malayalam; and ground mixture it is - mangoes or Indian gooseberries (nellikai or amla), chiles, and coconut are ground and mixed with water or buttermilk/yogurt to make an uncooked soupy chutney or sauce; it is also called Uppu Mangai or Neer Nellikai Pachadi depending on the ingredients.  Although the traditional ingredients for making arachu kalakki are baby mangoes (kanni manga)/gooseberries (nellikai) in brine, hot pickled ones may also be used.  When using hot pickled mangoes/gooseberries, chiles may not be needed.  Arachu kalakki is a good way to use up aging pickles with soft mangoes/gooseberries. It is typically served over dry kinds of food like rice/grain dishes, upma , idlis ,  kozhakattais , sevai (rice noodles), etc. If you would like to use dried mangoes/gooseberries, soak a small handful of the dried pieces in warm water until softened before proceeding with the grinding.  You will need to adjust the...

Here are a few amazingly simple snacks that take hardly any time to put together. Everyone needs a nice pick-me-up now and then if not daily. Just plan ahead to stock your fridge and pantry with the necessities. Instead of reaching for a bag of chips or cookies laden with tons of unwanted calories and hard to pronounce chemicals and fillers, these hip yummy snacks will fill the bill without contributing to expanding hips or other parts of one's anatomy - been there and done that :D. 1. Yogurt with Honey and Poppy Seeds: One of the delicious Turkish treats that we loved was a plate of thick, creamy yogurt with toasted poppy seeds and honey. It is so simple and yet really amazingly delicious! Place half a cup of plain yogurt in a bowl, drizzle a little honey, and sprinkle with toasted white poppy seeds. Other nuts or seeds may be used instead of the poppy seeds. Serve immediately. Afiyet olsun! 2. Sprouted Peas/Beans Salad : Sprouted bean salads are wonderful as appetize...

When we have a thogayal for a meal, one of the frequently asked questions is "whose tholi (skin or peel) thogayal is it today?" ;D. Luscious thogayals are often made with tender skins or innards of veggies when a recipe calls for peeling or hollowing them and you don't want to throw away perfectly good and nutritious scraps. Today's thogayal utilizes the skin of peerkankai; when the ridge gourds are peeled for dishes like masiyal , some of the flesh is peeled away as well - what a waste of good food! This tasty thogayal is very similar to Pumpkin Thogayal . Of course, it goes without saying that the whole veggie may be used to make the thogayal as well. Other vegetables that make great thogayal are carrots, eggplants, various winter/summer squashes. We love to spread this chutney (and others) on toast; it makes a wonderful savory breakfast or snack. It is also great as a sandwich spread and a delicious dip for fresh breads. Ingredients: Peels of 1 or 2 Peerkankai ...

Here is a tangy chutney to spice up a simple meal! You can make it mild or as hot as you like by adjusting the number of the dry red chilies. It is a classic thogayal (thick chutney) that usually accompanies mild curries or dals like Molakootal , Molagushyam , or Simple Dal . Sauteed sorrel or gongura leaves may be used instead of the tamarind. Other tasty additions are fresh garlic cloves or sauteed onions. Puli Thogayal is wonderful mixed with hot steamed rice, with roti or toast, in sandwiches, etc. Puli means tamarind or sour and the 'l' is pronounced as in 'pole' and not as in 'peel'. Ingredients: 1 tsp oil 2 Tbsp Chana Dal 2 Tbsp Urad Dal 1 Tbsp Whole Coriander Seeds (Dhania) 1/4 tsp Whole Fenugreek Seeds (Methi) 1 pinch Asafetida 2 or more Dry Red Chilies, to taste 1" ball Dry Tamarind Pulp 1/2 cup Fresh Coconut, grated or chopped 1/2 tsp Sea Salt or to taste Method: Heat the oil in a small pan and add the dals, seeds, and...

This green chutney is lovely to serve with meals as well as snacks. Shobha adds the extra ingredients for an extra delicious chutney :D. Ingredients: 1 bunch Fresh Cilantro (Coriander Leaves or Dhania) 1 small bunch Fresh Mint (Spearmint or Pudina) 3 or 4 Green Onions, white and green parts 2 hot green chili (Jalapeño or Serrano) or more to taste 1 tsp whole Cumin seeds, toasted 1 clove fresh Garlic 1/2 " piece Fresh Ginger 1 ripe Tomato, chopped 1/2 tsp Sea Salt or to taste 1 Lime or Lemon 1 pinch Sugar Method: Sort out weeds and yellow leaves from mint and cilantro and discard. Strip the leaves and tender tips of the mint and cilantro; discard the stems. Wash the herbs well in several changes of fresh water to get rid of sand and grit. Spin dry in a salad spinner or gently blot dry with paper/kitchen towels. Wash well the green onion and trim the ends and any yellow leaves. Chop coarsely. Wear gloves before processing t...

Tomato Pachadi is easy to prepare; it takes just minutes. It adds sparkle to a simple meal especially if the dishes are mild flavored. Tomato pachadi is delicious with sandwiches, upma, dosa, yogurt rice, all types of dals, molagutal, poricha kuzhambu, etc. I used hot Serrano chilies; you can use other chilies - even milder ones or make it hotter by adding more hot chilies. Ingredients: 4 ripe Tomatoes, coarsely chopped 2 hot green chilies, cut into thick slices 1/2 tsp Sea Salt a few curry leaves, chopped 1 tsp oil 1 pinch brown mustard seeds 1 small pinch fenugreek seeds 1 tiny pinch asafetida Method: Heat the oil in a stainless steel pan. Add the mustard and fenugreek seeds. When the seeds pop and become fragrant, quickly add asafoetida and then the green chilies and stir. Be careful when adding green chilies as the moisture in them might sizzle and splatter when they come in contact with the hot oil. Stir in the tomatoes and the sal...

This is another one of Amma's recipes. It is a lovely pale green chutney and is delicious served with Whole Wheat Dosa, Bajji , Kunukku , Adai , Grilled Cheese Sandwich/Quesadilla , etc or any dish that would benefit a bit of spicing it up! Ingredients: 4 Hot Green Chilies 1 Small Onion 2 sprigs Fresh Curry Leaves and/or 1/2 cup Cilantro Salt to taste 1 Lime or lemon Method: Wash well, remove the stems from the chilies; cut in half lengthwise. Remove seeds and membranes if you like a mild chutney. Or leave them in a couple of the chilies or all according to your heat preference. Peel and cut the onion into large chunks; cook them if you do not care for raw onion taste - saute, microwave/steam, or roast and let cool. Squeeze the juice from the lime/lemon; discard the rinds. Combine all the ingredients in a blender container with a few Tablespoons of water and blend until smooth. Pour into a container; rinse the blender with a few tablespoons of water to extract all of the chutney...

Coconut chutney is the traditional accompaniment to Adai , Dosa , Idli (steamed rice and lentil cakes), Bajji, etc. Amma gave me this recipe along with a few others as I was getting ready to embark on a new phase of life as a wife. Those hastily written recipes were ever so helpful and now I am happy to rediscover them and pass on to a new generation to enjoy. Frozen grated or dessicated (dried unsweetened) coconut may be used instead of the fresh. Ingredients: 1/2 medium coconut, grated 1 tsp oil 2 Tbsp Chana Dal 1 tiny pea sized piece (1 pinch powdered) Asafoetida 2 fresh hot Green Chilies (Serrano/Jalapeno) 1 spring fresh Curry leaves 1 marble size ball of dry Tamarind pulp Salt to taste Thalippu/Tadka: 2 tsp oil 1/2 tsp Brown Mustard Seeds 1 Tbsp Chana Dal 1 dry hot Red Chili 1 sprig fresh Curry Leaves Method: Heat the 1 tsp oil in a small pan and roast the chana dal until lightly browned. Stir in asafoetida, sliced green chilies, and curry leaves. Cook until chilies are soften...

This is another household pet chutney/relish that is good to have on hand to do its magic on all kinds of snacks like Bajjis , Pakoda, Kunukku , and Ragada-Patties . It is quite easy to make and will store in the refrigerator for a couple of weeks in an airtight jar or in the freezer for longer storage. Combined with the Green Chutney it makes a delicious salad dressing especially for chopped salads like Kale Bhel Salad . Ingredients: Tamarind pulp, the size of 1 golf ball Dates, a handful to equal the tamarind 1/2" piece Fresh Ginger 1/2 tsp salt 1 Tbsp Jaggery or Brown Sugar 1 Tbsp Oil 1 Tbsp Cumin Seeds 1 tsp Coriander Seeds 1 Dry Red Chili Method: Soak the Tamarind pulp in 1/2 cup of boiling water. When cool enough to handle, mash with your fingers to remove any seeds, fibers or shell pieces. Heat the oil in a small pan with the spices: cumin, coriander and chili until slightly browned and aromatic. Remove from heat and cool. ...

This emerald green chutney is a household pet and it brings a fresh taste to whatever it accompanies. It is delicious as a condiment not only with Indian foods such as Amma's Bajji , Corn Cakes , Dosa , Vegetable Patties , Upma , Pongal , other rice dishes etc.; it is also good in/with  sandwiches . We love to spice up tomato, cheese, and cucumber sandwiches with this chutney. Feel free to experiment and find your own favorite ways to enjoy this vitamin packed chutney. This chutney is traditionally hot - and it should be! But of course it is delicious in its mild avatars too :) Basic Green Chutney is often paired with the sweet Date & Tamarind Chutney to offer a nice contrasting taste! Combined with the  Date & Tamarind Chutney  it makes a delicious salad dressing especially for chopped salads like  Kale Bhel Salad . Ingredients: 1 bunch Fresh Cilantro (Coriander Leaves or Dhania) 1 small bunch Fresh Mint (Spearmint) 2 Green Onions ...

This fresh chutney is fabulous served with almost anything - Dosa , any Rice dishes such as Pulav , any type of sandwiches like grilled cheese or quesadillas or toasts, omelettes, etc. The chutney turns out great even with canned tomatoes; just coarsely puree them. Enjoy! Tip: Roast more chilies and save the extra for other dishes when roasting veggies for dishes such as Eggplant Gothsu or Salsa Mexicana . Ingredients: 4 large Tomatoes, coarsely chopped 1 medium Onion, finely chopped 1 or 2 Jalapeño or Serrano Chilies, roasted and chopped 1/2 tsp Sambar Powder (Optional) 1/2 tsp Turmeric 1 tsp Salt or to taste 2 to 4 Tbsp Fresh Cilantro Tadka/Thalippu: 2 Tbsp Canola Oil 1/2 tsp Brown Mustard Seeds 1 pinch Asafoetida 1 sprig Fresh Curry Leaves Method: Heat the oil in a 2 quart Stainless Steel pan and add mustard seeds. When they pop, add asafoetida, the chopped onion, curry leaves, turmeric and salt. When the onion becomes soft, stir in the tomatoes and chili. Bring to a boil, ...