Geetha's Kitchen

Sweet & Regular Potatoes with Green Chile Pesto I call this dish Kerala boil ( Kizhangu vevichathu/puzhungiathu - boiled tubers or root veggies) - it is one of life's simplest of pleasures; just gather together just one or as many types of root veggies as possible for their delicious diversity. Add the traditional pounded green chile chutney made in minutes to complete the meal and ah - a meal to please the hobbit in anyone!! The green chile chutney is similar to chimichurri. In Kerala, there are many varieties of root veggies which lend themselves to making Kerala Boil. The main traditional and inexpensive root veggie for this dish is Kappa, also known as marakizhangu or maracheeni (Cassava, Tapioca, or Yuca); but  Sweet Potatoes (both orange and cream colored), Chembu (Taro), and  various types and colors of  potatoes may be added for variety. The veggies are typically cut into thick cylinders known as chenda (drum). I do not limit it to starchy roots...

No-Cook Savory Aval Aval (poha in Hindi), made from rice, is an extremely user-friendly staple; it is similar to oatmeal. Parcooked or steamed rice in its husk is pounded flat to make aval. Although one can cook with it, aval is eminently edible without any cooking! Aval (poha) is an ubiquitous staple in a typical South Indian Home to be made into a number of quick and delicious recipes! It is very easy to prepare either sweet or savory dishes especially when it is hot and one does not want to venture anywhere near a stove for love or money :-). Notes:    Check the aval for any foreign or discolored particles and discard them. Place in a bowl and cover with water; swirl with fingers quickly to get any husk pieces to emerge and float up. Pour out all the water along with the floaters. The d rained aval is now ready to use in the recipes. Fresh coconut is best for these recipes; but frozen is acceptable. If only dehydrated or dessicated coconut is avai...

Achards de Legumes  This recipe is very similar to Hema's Vegetable Achar ; both are based on Mauritian fare. We love heaping up achards on toast or a roll for a very satisfying repast whether at breakfast, lunch, or a yummy snack any time. The pictures show Achards made without cauliflower but all the other ingredients - so you see that the recipe is quite flexible :) Cauliflower and turnips are good on an anti-inflammatory diet, so I thought of making the "Achards" (as it is called in Mauritius) with them instead of the cabbage. I was told that in Mauritius, they sell Achards de Legumes and freshly baked bread before the grocery stores open! What a great idea! A delicious peace offering to keep the waiting hungry shoppers from getting grumpy :)! Notes: * Use a non-reactive bowl and pan for making the achards (stainless steel, ceramic, glass). * I make a huge batch and keep the achards in 2 or 3 jars - easy to use as well as for giving as gifts. * I cut ...

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 ...

Gongura Dal or Dal with sorrel is a delicious dal (stew) to serve with chapati, naan, or other breads, any grains like rice, quinoa, couscous, etc. The gongura or sorrel leaves add a lovely lemony taste to the dal! I was fortunate to find gongura leaves at the Indian market since I had been wanting make dal, chutney, and thokku with it. Here is the dal - yummy! Gongura Dal with Quinoa Notes:   Other dals like red lentils, yellow mung dal, or split peas may be used instead of the chana and toor dals. A little lemon/lime juice may be added to the dal just before or when serving if you like. Ingredients: 1/4 cup Chana Dal 3/4 cup Toor Dal 1/2 tsp Turmeric 1 tsp Sea Salt 1/2 tsp freshly ground Cumin Seeds 1 small bunch Gongura OR Sorrel leaves (1 cup packed) 1 large Tomato, diced Thalippu: 2 tsp Oil 1/2 tsp Brown Mustard Seeds 1 pinch Fenugreek seeds 2 dry Red Chiles 1 pinch Asafetida 1 stem fresh Curry Leaves, sliced 2 large Shallots OR 1 small Red Onion, ...

Mild and delicious Farro is an ancient grain that is similar to wheat or barley. It may be served just like any other grain in addition to being used to prepare salads or soups. Try this easy recipe for a yummy salad. This salad is wonderful prepared with barley or quinoa also instead of the farro. Other greens such as kale or spinach may be substituted for the arugula. Farro Salad Ingredients: 1 cup Farro 1/2 tsp Sea Salt 1 tsp Extra Virgin Olive Oil 1 Tbsp Extra Virgin Olive Oil 1 cup Corn Kernels, fresh or frozen 1/4 tsp Turmeric 1 clove fresh Garlic, minced (optional) 1 large Shallot, thinly sliced 1 small bunch Arugula or other greens, sliced 1 cup Tomatoes, diced 1 small Cucumber, diced 1 Lemon, zest and juice Freshly ground Black Pepper 2 Tbsp fresh Italian Parsley or Cilantro, chopped Method: Cook farro according to package directions with the 1/2 tsp salt.  Drizzle the 1 tsp oil on top and let cool slightly. While farro is coolin...

Thenkuzhal is a delicious crisp snack made from rice and urad or mung dal similar to another favorite, murukku.  In the old days people did not buy snacks from outside; the ladies of the house prepared them for the family. After the midday meal was served and cleaned up and everyone had a little rest, snacks were prepared. Although these snacks are especially made for special holidays, they are often made as teatime snacks also :D. Thenkuzhal The Indians have a special machine made just for the purpose of preparing delicious noodle-like snacks from grains and legumes just like the Italian pasta machine which is used to extrude pasta in different shapes. The machine has many plates with different sizes and shapes to make different types of snacks. The dough is pressed through the machine into the hot oil and fried until crisp. As children, we loved breaking thenkuzhal to pieces to find the letters of the alphabet, shapes, or numbers! NOTE: As always, please be careful whe...