Geetha's Kitchen

Corn Cakes are utterly delectable and very easy to make. They are scrumptious with  Tomato Chutney   but maybe served any time with any of your favorite accompaniments. Some even like it with ketchup! Serve the corn cakes as a light snack or lunch or dinner with roasted corn chowder or another soup , any salad or raita . Variations: Mix 1/2 tsp (or to taste) of Sambar Powder into the batter for a nice change. And/Or stir in 1 small grated zucchini or carrot or a little of both for beautiful color, delicious flavor and added nutrition. Adjust the seasoning of the batter when adding extra ingredients. Sambar Powder is a classic South Indian spice mix that even people who profess to dislike "curry" absolutely enjoy; it is readily available in Indian markets. My friend L is one such example who would probably balk at the thought of going to an Indian restaurant, but happily sprinkles Sambar Powder quite liberally in all sorts of dishes except of course her fabulo...

A lovely pasta salad with a bounty of colorful vegetables to celebrate Earth Day! Use your own favorite combination of vegetables - here is one of mine. Great for lunch bags too :)! A fabulous variation is to use Pesto (homemade or store-bought) with a little more  olive oil to dilute it and use this to dress the salad instead of other dressing. 8 main dish servings; Each serving as prepared below contains: 320 Calories; 13 g Protein; 8.5 g Fat; 12.8 g Fiber; and 46 g Carbohydrates. Ingredients: 1 lb Multi grain Pasta, any short type like penne or rotelle Salt to taste 1 large clove Garlic, chopped 3 Tbsp Extra Virgin Olive Oil 1 Orange or Red Bell Pepper (Capsicum) 1 Yellow Crookneck Squash 1 Zucchini 1 Leek OR 2 Green Onions OR 1 small Red Onion 1 small bulb Fresh Fennel or 2 ribs Tender Celery 10 Kalamata Olives (or any type) 2 cups Broccoli florets 4 to 6 Baby Artichokes 3 Ripe Tomatoes 1/4 cup Fresh Italian Parsley 1/4 cup Fresh Basil Leaves 2 tsp ...

Molagushyam is another classic Kerala stew that we adored as children. Although it does not sport an impressive list of herbs or spices, it is simply divine and satisfying. I have only seen it served for family meals and never at any formal occasions. It definitely belongs in the homey, comfort food category. It is one of Amma's favorite dishes too; she would forgo the traditional rice in favor of enjoying a little more molagushyam! I remember that although she preferred using the Indian 'thali' or stainless steel plate instead of porcelain plates or bowls in general, she would bring out the wide soup bowls with a big smile to serve the molagushyam :). According to Ayur Veda, mung beans are restorative and strength building. Mung bean, especially the split yellow dal, generally leads the list of the "pathiam" or convalescent foods which are the traditional get-well foods which are easy to digest and nutritious. Mung beans provide high quality nutr...

Channa Payesh is an easy, breezy recipe - a wonderful make-ahead dessert based on freshly made Indian Channa or Paneer Cheese. If you use the ricotta cheese or store-bought paneer, there is absolutely no cooking involved at all! It is utterly divine with fresh berries, mangoes, peaches, etc. 8 Servings Nutrition Information per serving as prepared with ricotta cheese without any fruit: 163 Calories; 7.1 g protein; 14.1 g carbohydrates; 8.1 g fat Ingredients: 1 lb Whole Milk Ricotta Cheese or fresh Paneer 6 Tbsp Sugar or to taste 2 tsp Rose or Kewra Water 1/4 cup Almonds(blanched if preferred), coarsely ground 2 Tbsp Pistachios, finely chopped Fresh fruits of your choice (Optional) Fresh Rose Petals (Optional) Method: Cream the ricotta cheese with the sugar until light and creamy in a food processor. If using paneer you may need to use a few spoons of cream to moisten as necessary. Stir in the rose or kewra water and the almonds and mix well. Cover well and chill for at least 4 h...

Here is a Kerala classic that is at home with fancy feasts or modest meals. My sister won a prize when she entered this recipe at the Mango Festival! According to my sister 'Parikkai Fry' (Bitter Melon Stir Fry ) is the perfect dish to balance and accompany the sweet Mango Pulisseri :). Mangoes are returning after a long winter and now is the time to try this recipe. No feast in Kerala is complete without Mango Pulisseri especially during mango season! Another one of our childhood favorites that we were always happy to eat! Firm mature mangoes work best for this curry. Whether or not you add sugar depends upon the sweetness of the mangoes and/or how sweet you like the curry. Taste a piece of the uncooked mango first to decide. We like the pulisseri tart or sweet. With the sweet one it is nice to serve parikkai fry ; with the tart one I like to serve some type of paruppu usli curry (sautéed vegetables with steamed and seasoned dal). Note: For a dairy free...

Brown Rice and Barley Pongal is a very healthy and delicious food. I make it nonfat (see the directions below) so that individuals can decide to add ghee/butter if they choose. I love to include barley in everyday cooking as much as possible. Pleasant tasting barley grains are a good source of B vitamins and soluble fiber that helps reduce cholesterol and lowers your risk of heart disease. According to Ayurveda principles, barley is good for the reproductive/urinary tract health especially in women. Barley tea or water is a highly recommended beverage to prevent swollen legs and feet for pregnant women in Southern India. 6-8 Servings Ingredients: 1/2 cup Brown Rice 1/2 cup Barley 1 handful each : Chana Dal, Toor Dal, Masoor Dal, Split Mung Dal with skin, and Red Chori (Karamani) beans 1 tsp Turmeric 2 tsp Salt or to taste Thalippu/Tadka: 2 Tbsp Oil,  Ghee or Unsalted Butter 1- 2 tsp Whole Black Peppercorns (Mulaku) 1 Tbsp Whole Cumin Seeds (Jeera) Method: ...