Geetha's Kitchen

One of Paji's favorites! It is a guaranteed crowd-pleaser that no matter how much is made, just disappears in minutes. What's not to like? - deliciously crusty and spicy outside and tender and velvety inside. Do remember that all parts of arbi must be cooked very well (until soft) to render harmless the oxalate crystals that they contain. 4 Servings; but may serve only 2! Ingredients: 1 lb Arbi (taro root) or Potatoes 1 Tbsp Oil 1/2 tsp Brown Mustard seeds 1 pinch Asafoetida 1 sprig fresh Curry Leaves 1 Tbsp Rasam Powder or Sambar Powder 1/2 tsp ground Turmeric 1 tsp Paprika 1 tsp Salt 1 tsp Aamchoor (dried mango powder), optional Method: Wash the arbi/potatoes well. Steam or pressure cook until soft. Peel when cool enough to handle. Set aside to cool thoroughly. Cut the arbi/potatoes into large chunks - 1" cubes would work well - or as desired. Heat the oil in a seasoned kadai (wok) or a non-stick skillet; add mustard seeds and when the seeds finish popping, add asaf...

When my little one asked for a second bowl of this salad for a snack, I knew it was a keeper! The crunchy broccoli, toasted nuts, sweet-chewy sun-dried tomatoes, and creamy cheese combine to make a very flavorful and tasty salad. It is a great salad to make year around especially when other salad veggies may be scarce. It is a great vegan salad as well if you omit the cheese. 4 to 6 Servings Ingredients: 1 lb Broccoli 1/4 cup marinated Sun-dried tomatoes (2 to 4 pieces), drained 1 clove Garlic, minced finely 1 Tbsp + 1 tsp Extra Virgin Olive Oil 1 Tbsp Balsamic Vinegar 1 tsp of Lime juice Freshly ground Black Pepper salt to taste 2 Tbsp Pine nuts, Pecans, or Walnuts, toasted 2 oz. plain vegetarian Goat Cheese or Feta (Optional) Method: Toast the nuts by baking for about 7 or 8 minutes in a 350 degree F oven; cool. Wash and cut the broccoli into bite size pieces. Peel and use the stems also. Pour 1 teaspoon of the Olive Oil in a baking pan and toss the Broccoli with a pinch of salt....

Here is India's equivalent of the mashed potatoes - tasty without any butter or cream! It is a lovely gluten-free and dairy-free treat for a vegan meal as well. Podimas is a family favorite especially with children and is typically served with plain rice, sambar and/or any type of rasam , and papadams. Also, here is one of the few veggie dishes where turmeric is not used! Baking potatoes (like russet) are the best choice for this dish. Mature green plantains and/or bananas work well also to make podimas; just make sure that they are green and are without even a hint of ripeness in them at all. 4 Portions; But may only serve two people :} Ingredients: 2 large Potatoes Salt or to taste Thalippu/Tadka: 2 tsp Oil 1/2 tsp Brown Mustard Seeds 1 Tbsp EACH Urad Dal and Chana Dal 1 dry hot Red Chili 1 pinch Asafoetida (Optional) 1 Sprig fresh Curry Leaves Method: Steam, pressure-cook or bake the potatoes. Cool well. Peel if desired (I usually leave the peel on) and break up the pota...

Ishtu? or is it Olan - that is the question! Both are stews made with coconut milk and scented with fresh curry leaves and fragrant coconut oil; but Ishtu is typically made with potatoes and onions whereas Olan is made with pumpkins/winter squashes and black-eyed peas or karamani (called Red Chori in Hindi). Another difference is that Ishtu often includes ginger; olan does not. Both are delicious served with other tangy/spicy dishes such as Mor Kuzhambu , Sambar , etc. Ishtu (perhaps a corruption of the word 'stew') a mild delicious stew, is often served with pancakes like Dosa or Aappam, or as a side dish. Ishtu with Idiappam (fresh Rice Noodles) is a traditional breakfast combo popular in Kerala. This is one of my favorite versions of Ishtu with mild leeks (look like green onions on steroids :D) instead of the usual onions, and zucchinis to boost the nutrition, good looks and taste. Sometimes I like to add a pinch of ground Turmeric to make "Golden Ishtu". ...

A friend gave me a bag of semolina flour for making pasta. I had never made fresh pasta. So what else can one do with a bag of pasta flour? Well, make Dosa of course! This is a basic recipe that makes very good dosas. It is really quite easy and doesn't require planning ahead like the traditional dosa batter. You can make wonderful, light, lacy dosas with almost any flour such as whole wheat, corn, millet, etc. Ingredients: 1 Cup Whole Wheat or other flour 1/2 cup Rice flour 1 tsp Salt or to taste 1/4 cup Plain Yogurt /Buttermilk (Optional) 11/2 cups Water 1/2 tsp whole Cumin seeds OR 1/2 small onion, finely chopped Thalippu/Tadka: 1 or 2 tsp oil 1/2 tsp Brown Mustard Seeds 1 hot green chili, finely chopped A few curry leaves, finely sliced A few Tbsp Oil for cooking the Dosas Method: Mix the flours and salt. Add the yogurt/buttermilk if using and the water and mix thoroughly; let sit for about 30 minutes to hydrate the flours well. The batter should be smooth and have the...