Geetha's Kitchen

I wanted to post something fabulous for the 601st recipe! Can't believe they have added up! Chadachadayam (Rice Pudding/Payasam), a favorite payasam or pudding popular in Kerala, is not only vegan, but also gluten free. It is very similar to Pal Payasam , but differs in taste because of the additions of Jaggery and Coconut Milk. Chadachadayam (Rice Pudding/Payasam) aka Sadasadayam or Idichu Pizhinja Payasam is a fabulous dessert and a favorite in Kerala. It is often called Idichu Pizhinja Payasam since the milk is squeezed (pizhinja) from pounded(idichu) fresh coconut and added to the payasam. But for ease of preparation, I have used canned coconut milk here. Variations: Alternately, cook the soaked rice in a pressure cooker. Then proceed as in the recipe above. Cashews pieces and raisins  and/or chopped almonds and pistachios may be added as a garnish. Although traditionally made with rice grains, sometimes I like to prepare it with toasted Aval aka Poha which is Rice ...

Here's a wonderful Apple Crumble that can do double duty as a luscious dessert or as part of a warm weekend brunch! Or anyway and anytime you like. Gluten and Dairy -free, it is a welcome addition to any table. Other berries or pitted cherries maybe used instead of the blueberries. Finely chopped or coarsely ground almonds, walnuts etc maybe added to the topping.  Serves: 6 INGREDIENTS: 6 medium Apples 1 pinch Salt Juice & grated zest of 1 lime or lemon 1 teaspoon vanilla ½ cup Dates, chopped 1-2 teaspoon ground Cinnamon ½ cup Blueberries Crumble Topping: 1 cup Oatmeal 1/2 cup nuts, finely chopped 2 tablespoon Brown Sugar 3 Tbsp ground Flax seeds To Serve: 1/2 cup Cashew or Coconut Cream Blueberries for garnish METHOD: Preheat the oven to 375ºF. Peel and core the apples. Cut them in thin slices, put them in a bowl and sprinkle with a pinch of salt,  vanilla, dates, lime or lemon juice and zest and cinnamon ...

Happy New Year everyone! I wanted to start the New Year with a sweet, healthy option for satisfying the craving for a little sweet something. These quick and easy Date Bites are delicious little confections for those times when you want something sweet but healthy.  Although similar to the digestive  Masala Date Bites , these confections are exactly that - simply little confections to satisfy a sweet tooth! - so use only a smidgen of spices. They really are very easy as well as quick and take only about 10 minutes to make plus chilling time. Date Bites store well in the fridge; if longer storage is needed, they freeze well also. NOTES: If the dates are soft and moist, use them straight up. If they are on the dry side, sprinkle with about 1 or 2 tablespoons of warm water, let them soak for 10 minutes or so until the dates are soft, then proceed. Chill the date mixture in the fridge for 15 minutes or so. Chilling helps to firm it up and form into bites. Moiste...

Cracked Wheat Payasam is a quick and simple but delicious dessert pudding prepared Kerala style! Other types of milks such as almond, rice, or soy may be used instead of the coconut milk. Made with a little more water, half the jaggery, and minus the spices, nuts, and raisins, it does double duty as a lovely kanji for breakfast or snack. We often had this for breakfast growing up. Regular or Irish style steel-cut oats may be used instead of the cracked wheat. Bulgar or cracked wheat is a wonderful staple to have on hand for making Tabbouleh , Upma , and Pongal as well as a simple porridge like oatmeal. I use the finely cracked (#1 grade) for porridge, upma and tabouleh; the coarsely cracked bulgar (#3) is great for pongal and pilaf. Dessert: 4 Servings Porridge: 2 Servings Ingredients: 1/4 cup finely Cracked Wheat (Bulgar) #1 grade 1 cup Coconut Milk 1/2 cup Jaggery or Brown Sugar 2 Cardamom Pods OR 1/2 tsp Dried ground Ginger (chukku) 1 tsp Coconut Oil 1 Tbsp Cashe...

Bright sunset colored Carrot Halwa or Gajrela is a delicious dessert - another one of the ingenious Indian desserts based on vegetables. It can be served in soft scoops or cut into fudgy pieces depending on the amount of sugar and length of cooking. Shorter cooking time with less sugar will yield a soft result whereas longer cooking with more sugar will result in a fudgy, chewy, candy; both are good! I thought lovely carrot halwa would be wonderful as the Post # 501 in memory of Amma and as a tribute to her! When Amma first presented it, my grandmother and other family members in the rural South were very skeptical as they had never seen carrots let alone carrot halwa! But one hesitant taste, and everyone was hooked! Gajarela will last for a couple of weeks in the fridge; for longer storage, it may be frozen. Ingredients: 2 lbs Carrots 1 cup Coconut Milk Or 1/2 cup Coconut Cream 1/2 - 1 cup Sugar 1/2 cup Dried Coconut, finely grated (Optional) 3 Tbsp Earth Balance 5-7 ...

I cannot believe this is recipe # 500! I am celebrating it with this delicious pudding - an amalgam of Indian and American ingredients which work amazingly well! Polenta Pudding came into being many years ago because a lot of the sauce was left over after making Ras Malai ! I did not want to waste all that wonderfully flavorful creamy sauce and thought a quick pudding would be the best option to use it up.  I was looking for cream of wheat, but all I had available was a bag of cornmeal (even though made of corn, it had the consistency of cream of wheat) - so Indian/Polenta Pudding was born to rave reviews!! When the pudding was presented, I was asked if it was Indian pudding?!  As it was made with a lot of Indian ingredients, I said that it was :-).  As I was new to cooking, I did not know that there actually was such a thing called "Indian Pudding", a famous New England dessert! How did Indian pudding get its name? Columbus got lost when he tried to s...

Greek Walnut Cookies are especially delicious a few days after they are made - if they survive that long :)!  Very easy to prepare, they are a lovely addition to the holiday dessert table.  A whole clove is inserted in each cookie to signify the gift of spices that the three wise men brought to Bethlehem.  I love the gentle flavor that the orange flower water adds to this cookie.  I freeze at least half the cookies to keep them fresh and also to keep them out of sight.... and off the hips :). Since they are going to be ground, one can use the cheaper bits and pieces of walnuts rather than the more expensive halves. Pre-toasting the walnuts bring out their full flavor.  Coconut oil may be used instead of the butter substitute if you wish. Ingredients: 3/4 cup Walnuts 1 tsp Orange Zest, finely grated 11/2 cups Unbleached Flour 1 Tbsp Cornstarch 1/2 tsp Baking Powder 1/2 cup Confectioner's Sugar 1/4 tsp Sea Salt 1/2 cup Vega...

Pradhaman (translates as chief or first) is a traditional and delightful Kerala dessert and a small portion is always served to be eaten first at any banquet - a welcome preview of what is to come! There are many types of pradhamans in which the star ingredients may be rice or rice products, dals, or fruits such as jack-fruits or plantains; all are typically made with jaggery and coconut milk and are porridge-like - a bit soupy. This pradhaman is also called "idichu pizhinja payasam" as freshly grated coconut is "pounded and squeezed" to extract the milk.  I have given the option of canned coconut milk to make it easier. Some families flavor the pradhaman simply with dried ginger only and the toasted coconut; others like to add cardamoms and cashews. Try both and decide for yourself. It is important to stir regularly so that the pradhaman does not stick or burn. This is a gluten and dairy free and fat free too if the ghee is omited. If you like, use cocon...

Paruppu Pradhaman or Dal Dessert, a delicious soupy pudding, is one of the traditional payasams made for special occasions and feasts. Skinless, split yellow Chana or Mung dal are the dals of choice to make this payasam resulting in Kadala Paruppu (chana dal) or Pasi Paruppu (mung dal) Pradhaman respectively. Coconut milk, toasted coconut and cashews contribute to the rich and fabulous flavors of this delightful treat aromatic with cardamom and saffron. Break up the cashews into small pieces about the size of the raisins - this is quite easy as cashews are soft and are easily broken with your fingers. The coconut should be cut about the size of baby teeth :D or 1/2 as big as corn kernels. Either dark or golden raisins may be used. 6-8 Servings Ingredients: 1/2 cup skinless split Mung or Chana dal, sorted 1 pinch Sea Salt 2 cups Jaggery or Brown Sugar 2 cups fresh or canned coconut milk (1 can) 1 tiny pinch Saffron (optional) 5 pods Cardamoms 1 Tbsp Ghee 2 Tbsp raw Cashew Pieces 2 ...

Pumpkin Bread Pudding is a toothsome and luscious dessert. I really like all the crispy, crunchy, crusty bread; in fact the crusty bread is what makes it truly delectable. Even though the recipe called for canned pumpkin, I used a fresh pumpkin since that's all I had in my pantry; but then I always have a pumpkin or a winter squash of one kind or another waiting in the wings :D. These wonderful veggies last for days or even weeks without getting spoiled. I adapted this recipe from Smitten Kitchen's pumpkin bread pudding; I really liked her lazy method :D. I have tweaked it to reduce the amount of fat and have included the vegan option! I also used fresh and whole dry spices; but dry and purchased ground spices may be used instead. Oh, and make sure you do use a crusty bread like Italian, french, or a baguette - preferably a day old; it will be lot easier to cut. Of course it does not mean you cannot use a fresh bread; as you would expect, I ended up using a fresh french ...