Geetha's Kitchen

Sai Bhaji is a wonderful rich stew brimming with protein-packed dal, greens, and veggies. I still remember when we had Sai Bhaji years ago thanks to a Sindhi friend who cooked it for us. Our friend commented that her family used lots of tomatoes in their cooking as they liked their food robustly red. Isn't it amazing that a relatively new food has found such favor in so many cuisines all over the world? I wonder how people made do before tomatoes came from the Americas! I believe that this recipe would have delighted her and her family because the ruby red Swiss chard which makes it quite red :D. In India spinach (palak) or greens called "bathua" and Chukka/Khatta Bhaji are used to make this stew. Any leafy greens may be used in addition to spinach - chard, radish/beet greens, Malabar spinach , or kale. Gongura or sorrel leaves are good substitutes for the Indian Chukka/Khatta Bhaji which are simply sour greens. If sour leaves are not available, add more amch...

Olan is perhaps the simplest of all Kerala recipes. The unique combination of the ingredients contributes to producing an amazingly delicious taste sensation leaving one longing for more! Olan is traditionally made with mathan (pumpkin), elavan or kumbalanga (winter melon or ash gourd), and fresh or dry cowpeas or karamani (Red Chori in Hindi) or dry black-eyed peas. No important feast is complete in Kerala without Olan - especially one served during the Onam festival. An important fact to note here is that Olan is one of the very few dishes where turmeric is not used!! That is indeed rare for an Indian vegetable dish! Olan with Kabocha squash and Red Chori Beans Olan can be made with a combination of the pumpkin and winter melon along with the karamani or black-eyed peas. At our home it was made using either the pumpkin or the winter melon but not both at once. I was very fortunate to have a volunteer pumpkin (Kabocha) plant growing (thanks to a little bit of pit ...