Geetha's Kitchen

This stew is so scrumptious and pretty easy to make - served over any grain or with some bread, it makes a lovely meal. The fragrant spices enrich the stew without making it overly spicy. I grow taro just for this purpose; leaves and stems are not always available in markets. But it is very easy to grow - see this post on How to Grow Taro . My grandmother used to prepare this dish using only the stems of the taro and called it "thalakam". You can make it with just leaves or both the stems and leaves. Other greens like amaranth, kale, collards, turnip greens, spinach, Swiss chard, etc may be used if taro leaves are unavailable in any combination. If you are using regular dried tamarind pulp instead of the concentrate, use about a 1" ball; remove seeds and any stringy fibers and soak in a little warm water; then add to the roasted spices and grind together. Taro Leaf & Red Lentil Stew With Basmati Rice, Taro Stem Thoran Ingredients: 1 cup Red Lentils ...

Nendra pazha pulisseri is another delicious Kerala classic to rival the popular Mango Pulisseri . Both are family favorites and quite easy to prepare. The naturally sweet pulisseri gets its sweetness from the ripe plantain - Nendra pazham in Malayalam! It is divine when paired with the Bitter melon fry ... I could wax poetic about the incomparable deliciousness about this combo. A bowl of freshly cooked hot rice with pulisseri and bitter melon fry .... yum! This delicious pulisseri could do double duty as a pachadi (sweet side dish) in a feast menu during Onam festival or other special occasions instead of mango or other pachadi.  This pulisseri is vegan and gluten-free too! Although traditionally pulisseri is made with yogurt, I used cashews to give that rich creaminess to this dish and did not miss the yogurt at all. If you like a little tartness, a squirt of lime or lemon just before serving will do the trick. Pulisseri with its perfect complement of Bitter melon fr...

Delicious Indian Coleslaw is a hit! - everyone who tried, absolutely loved it. Hema calls it Vegetable Achar or Achards Des Legume s - as the veggies get a bit pickled in the marinade. Use as a topping on any bread for a lovely, fresh tasting bruschetta, as a filling for a spring roll, wrap, or a sandwich, and as a side dish. With all the fresh tasting and crunchy veggies, Indian Coleslaw really satisfies one's craving for the munchies :-). So go ahead and make a big batch ... you'll be glad you did. Note: My favorite is apple cider vinegar and I do not use any sweetener. Any vinegar may be used including rice vinegar. When you use a vinegar other than seasoned rice vinegar, you might like to add about 1/2 tsp sugar, agave syrup, or other sweetener to the coleslaw to mellow the bite of the vinegar.  Hema's Indian Coleslaw (photo by Hema) Ingredients: 1 Tbsp brown Mustard Seeds, coarsely ground 1/2 tsp - 1 Tbsp Oil 1/2 medium Onion 1-2 cloves Garli...

Fried Thayir Milagai Thayir milagai and a bowl of Yogurt Rice is a simple but perfect combination; it is one of our all time picnic favorites :D. We enjoy these delicious chiles with everything - rice, dosas, and even toast. I know some friends who love to munch on a bowl of these for a little snack! It is quite easy to make thayir milagai; the best time to make them is in the summertime when chiles are abundant and we have long, hot, sunny days to dry them. I remember all the ladies getting ready to prepare all sorts of dried veggies - particularly the yogurt chiles - every year. Helping to bring in the dried chiles and put them back in the marinade were some of the duties of all the children - one of the side benefits of helping was that we loved sampling the delicious half-dry chiles :D. The half-dry chiles are also delicious with Molagushyam , Molakootal , and other mild curries - I am sure that it was no mystery to Amma how quantity of the chiles were dwindling rapidly. Thayi...