Geetha's Kitchen

Polenta French Toast is a wonderful vegan alternate breakfast treat when regular French Toast will not do. Once you prepare the polenta , making the French Toast is a breeze; but you do have to plan ahead and make the polenta ahead of time - preferably a day before :D. Coarse corn meal and cornflour are available in Indian Markets. Corn flour is finely ground corn resembling wheat flour; not cornstarch (cornstarch is known as cornflour in commonwealth countries). If corn flour is not readily available, use more of the regular cornmeal or rice flour instead. Ingredients: 1 Recipe Breakfast Polenta, made with 3 cups of water Finely grated zest from 1/2 Orange A few gratings of Fresh Nutmeg, about 1/8 tsp Canola oil for cooking French Toast 2 Tbsp Corn Flour, for dredging French Toast Fresh Berries of your choice to serve 1/4 cup Pure Maple Syrup to serve Whipped cream or nondairy topping to serve 1/2 cup toasted pecans or other nuts to serve Method: Prepare breakfast pole...

Polenta is really plain cornmeal upma without the seasonings! The coarsely ground cornmeal is traditionally cooked on stove-top similar to the Indian Upma. Until corn was brought from the New World, Italians did not have cornmeal and used wheat, farro, chestnuts, etc instead. After the European exploration of the Americas, corn as well as potatoes and tomatoes have become integral parts of not only Italian cuisine but others word-wide. Baked polenta does away with all the relentless stirring of the traditional method as well as the burnt food if you are not diligent. You will want to make it a part of your repertoire of dishes to enjoy often once you try it. Enjoy creamy soft polenta with savory toppings or cool, cut and savor grilled, baked or broiled. Directions for both the soft type and the slices are given below. Polenta is coarse cornmeal; although polenta is preferable, regular cornmeal (ground finer) may be used for making polenta. Polenta made with regular cornmea...

Upma can be baked instead of the traditional stove-top method! The procedure is the same as in preparing the traditional Upma up to cooking the veggies; then just put everything in a casserole and bake! You can use the hands-free time to attend to other duties in the kitchen. For a delicious change of pace or a gluten-free treat, upma can be made with polenta instead of the traditional cream of wheat. Polenta (coarse corn meal) is usually available in most markets; cream of wheat, Chana Dal, Urad dal, asafoetida, curry leaves and mustard seeds, etc are readily available in Indian markets. Carrots, corn kernels, bell peppers, peas, green beans, potatoes, zucchini, etc will work well. 4 Servings Ingredients: 2 Tbsp vegetable oil 1 Tbsp Ghee (clarified butter) OR Earth Balance (butter substitute) 1/4 tsp Brown Mustard seeds 1 Tbsp Chana dal 1 Tbsp Urad dal 1 pinch Asafetida (Hing) 1 Tbsp fresh Ginger, 2 or 3 coin sized slices 1 or 2 green Chilies (Serrano or Jalapen...

Upma Peperonata Upma is a simple and hearty South Indian dish that can be made with coarse corn meal instead of the traditional cream of wheat - for a quick and delicious gluten-free treat! When you put Italian Polenta grains and lots of colorful peppers to make the Upma, it has to be called "Upma Pepperonata" of course! The procedure is the same as in preparing the traditional Upma . It is a versatile food great any time at all - as a meal or a nutritious snack. Upma is delicious served with cashews or other nuts and seeds to augment its protein content. Polenta or corn meal is usually available in most markets; Chana Dal, Urad dal, asafoetida, curry leaves and mustard seeds, etc are readily available in Indian markets. Serves 4 Ingredients: 2 Tbsp vegetable oil 1 Tbsp Ghee (clarified butter) 1/4 tsp Brown Mustard seeds 1 Tbsp Chana dal 1 Tbsp Urad dal 1 pinch Asafetida (Hing) 1 Tbsp fresh Ginger, 2 or 3 coin sized slices 1 or 2 green Chilies (Serrano or Jalapeno) 1 sm...