Geetha's Kitchen

Bisi Bele Bath (BBB) is a delicious Indian risotto and a one pot meal. Do include the cashew topping; the ocassional bites of the buttery tasting toasted cashews gives a sublime taste. I serve steaming hot bowls with a simple chopped salad or raita and some papadams for a very comforting and filling meal. Bisi Bele Bath with Carrot Salad Although similar to the Easy Bisi Bela , this Bisi Bele Bath is made with freshly made spice masala. Bisi Bele Bath is a great recipe that lends itself to doubling, tripling, etc and can feed a small family or a huge crowd. This recipe comes from the Indian State of Karnataka known for the gorgeous gardens, beautiful temples, architecture, and delicious food. Tamil Nadu and Kerala, neighborig states, have Sambar Sadam and Kadamba Sadam, similar but slightly different. All are made with rice, toor dal, and vegetables but the spices vary according to region. Note: Assorted Vegetables for BBB: Butternut Squash or a flavorful pumpkin, Green B...

Casamiento (Rice and Black Beans) is another delicious rice and bean dish that is satisfying and nutritious which is naturally gluten-free. It is often served for breakfast in El Salvadore, Honduras, and neighboring countries in Central and South America for a warming, filling and  rib-sticking fare. Sometimes Casamiento is prepared with red beans also. For an authentic breakfast or brunch, serve with sautéed ripe plantains and a dollop of cashew cream. Casamiento With Corn Salad w/Lime-Maple Dressing Rice and bean dishes are popular in most cultures; there are countless types and variations on this idea using various types of  beans. While most cuisines have their own special rice and bean recipe, in India there are many as the various regions have their very own such as Pongal, Bisi Bela Rice, Pulagam, Kichdi, etc. Typically, Casamiento (marriage in Spanish) is prepared with leftover rice and beans, a marriage that is heavenly for the tastebuds! But there is no rea...

Yogurt Rice with Mango Pickle, Zucchini With Besan , Papadams You read that right, yes non-dairy! Vegan Yogurt Rice - really and truly vegan! South Indian people raised on yogurt for every meal would appreciate the joy of this vegan version. I had been trying to make vegan yogurt a long time. I tried to find plain unflavored soy or coconut yogurt as a substitute for regular yogurt but have not been lucky to find them. Life without a yogurt substitute has not been easy - but not anymore :-). Now we can have our fill of recipes that usually include yogurt as an important ingredient! In my quest for a replacement for regular yogurt, I made cashew yogurt; it was absolutely lovely but a bit expensive, not practical for daily consumption. Although I had toyed with the idea of making a tofu yogurt for a long time, I just honestly did not find the idea very exciting - until I did it - thinking that if it did not work, I could always compost it! Long story short, I plunged ah...

Aapams Aapams, also known as hoppers, are delicate pancakes with crisp, lacy edges and a spongy soft center. They are traditional breakfast or brunch fare in Kerala, other neighboring states of India and Sri Lanka. Served with sweetened coconut milk, mild stews or spicy curries, aapams make a delectable repast; the spongy aapams readily soak up the coconut milk and syrup or gravy from the curries and become deliciously succulent. The ingredient list for the batter is quite simple - mainly rice and coconut! Rice flour specially made for aapams are sold in Indian Markets and can be used instead of grinding the rice. I like to store the freshly made batter overnight or for about 8 to 10 hours in the fridge to allow slow fermentation which develops a lovely flavor while still keeping the batter sweet - a secret I learned from baking bread :-). The batter must be allowed to ferment adequately to produce light and springy pancakes; if it is not, the result would be heavy and doug...

          Kozhakattais with  Sweet Potato Chutney I Kozhakattais are steamed rice dumplings - the South Indian equivalents of gnocchi - albeit made with ... you guessed it - rice! It is amazing what one can do with rice :D. These kozhakattais are delicious hot, warm or cold (room temperature cold, not ice cold) anytime at all. I made mini ones to serve as starters with Sweet Potato Chutney - they were very quick to disappear - not a single one remained! Kozhakattais were often prepared as fasting day foods. Some of the fasts were more like food festivals (lol) - fasting meant only that plain cooked rice was not eaten; but delicacies made from it or other grains were. And believe me, nobody felt even a tiny pang of hunger on these fasts! We loved eating the leftover kozhakattais for breakfast especially with the beloved kozhakattai story. I made these kozhakattais with converted rice aka parboiled rice, Uncle Ben's, etc.   Plain raw rice ...

Idli With Kadapa Idlis rank highly in the South Indian breakfast repertoire; and well they should! - they are very wholesome with nary an empty calorie in them. The combination of cereal (rice) and legume (urad dal) produces an abundance of protein resulting in extremely nourishing food. Idlis also make wonderful picnic/journey food as they are delicious at room temperature. Amma often packaged them for our lunches during our school/college days and almost all of us enjoyed them except for one who chucked them out the school bus window when she was young - very nervy for one so young, don't you think? Rice and skinless (decorticated) Urad dal are soaked and ground into a thick batter and fermented by leaving the batter at room temperature for several hours or overnight. Once the batter is prepared, steaming the idlis takes just minutes. Although it is nice to have a traditional idli mold, idlis can be made using custard cups, an egg poacher, cake pans, or any contain...