Geetha's Kitchen

Lemony Aval is another recipe that goes together rather quickly. Fresh or frozen corn kernels, chopped carrots, and/or peas are delicious additions to this dish. Although I prefer lime juice for its wonderful flavor, lemon works just as well. To see information on aval and the types of aval, click here . 2 to 4 servings Ingredients: 1 cup dry Thick Aval salt to taste 1 cup Cooked Potatoes, carrots, corn, or peas 2 to 4 Tbsp fresh lime/lemon juice or to taste Toasted cashew nuts or peanuts for garnish Thalippu/Tadka: 1 Tbsp Oil 1/2 tsp Brown Mustard Seeds 1 Tbsp EACH Urad and Chana dals 1 green or dry red hot chili 1 pinch asafoetida 1 sprig fresh curry leaves Method: Place the aval in a bowl and cover with water; pour off the water along with floating pieces of husk, etc. Add 1/4 cup of fresh water. Let soak for about 15 minutes. Prepare thalippu: heat oil in a seasoned kadai (wok) and add the mustard, dals, and dry chili. When the mustard finishes popping ...

Now that you have leftover package of Aval after making aval upma , you can make Puli Aval. Instead of going through the long process of making the tamarind sauce, we can take a shortcut by using the ready-to-use mix available in Indian markets called "Puliyogare Mix". Just use more or less of the mix according to your taste. This is a lovely dish for a picnic. For information on aval, click here . 4 - 6 Servings Ingredients: 2 cups dry Thick Aval 4 to 6 Tbsp roasted Peanuts or Cashews Thalippu/Tadka: 1 Tbsp Oil 1/2 tsp Brown Mustard Seeds 1 Tbsp EACH Urad and Chana dals 1 or 2 dry red hot chili 1 pinch Asafoetida 1 sprig fresh curry leaves Puliyogare Mix to taste Method: Place the aval in a bowl and cover with water; pour off the water along with floating pieces of husk, etc. Add 1/2 cup of fresh water. Let soak for about 15-20 minutes. Prepare thalippu: heat oil in a seasoned kadai (wok) and add the mustard, dals, and dry chili. When the mustard finishes popping and the d...

Thick Aval Aval Upma is another emergency dish that goes together rather quickly just like cream of wheat Upma . Aval is the Malayalam/Tamil word for flattened rice flakes (powa or poha in Hindi). It has been eaten in India since antiquity and is the Indian equivalent for oatmeal. It is a good staple to have on hand to make porridge to desserts which cook quickly. When we were growing up, Amma used to make aval soaked in hot milk with a little sugar called Pal Aval for a quick and simple after-school or afternoon snack. And if some raisins, nuts, and/or sliced bananas were added to Pal Aval, we felt we had Manna from Heaven! There are two types of aval/poha - thick and thin. For preparing upma, I prefer the thick kind. The thin kind is good for porridge or payasams (puddings). If you are using "dessicated coconut" (dry and unsweetened) in place of the fresh or frozen coconut, use only half the given amount and reconstitute it with a little water for about five minutes...

A Favorite Meal: Rice, Bell Pepper Chutney, Veggies The sunset colored Bell Pepper Chutney is another of Amma's fantastic contributions to my culinary repertoire. Amma often made it to accompany Dosa , Adai , simple dal , Molakootal , or Molagushyam . Red bell chutney raises the taste quotient of an otherwise simple or bland meal. Makes about 2 cups Ingredients: 1 Tbsp oil 3 Tbsp Urad dal 1 Tbsp Coriander seeds 1 or 2 red dry or fresh chilies (or more to taste) 1 pinch ground asafoetida (Hing) 2 large fresh red bell peppers 1 red or brown onion (optional) A few curry leaves, about 12 ½ cup fresh or thawed frozen grated coconut 1 tsp Sea Salt or to taste A cherry sized ball, dry tamarind pulp or lemon juice to taste Method: Roast the whole bell peppers and the onions whole in a 425 F oven until the skins are charred. Cover them until cool, and peel the skins off. Remove the stems and seeds of the pepper and trim the onion. Alternately, the veggies can be chopped and added to the...

Gratin is a wonderful and absolutely delicious make-ahead dish perfect for pot-lucks and parties. The vegetables are layered like a lasagna with the fragrant leeks and fennel and some cheese strewn between each layer. It is even better reheated the next day; so do make some extra :). I love to make this particular combination of autumn veggies for our Thanksgiving or Holiday dinner. The hot gratin is lovely served over the greens - which wilt and add another dimension to the taste sensation. It can star as a great starter too.  8 - 10 servings Ingredients: 1 large Potato 1 large Zucchini 1 large Sweet potato or Yam 1 small Butternut Squash Filling: 3 large Leeks 2 medium bulbs Fresh Fennel 2 cloves regular or 1 clove Elephant Garlic 2 Tbsp Each chopped fresh Parsley, Marjoram, and Thyme (+ extra for garnish) 1/2 tsp Salt Freshly ground Black Pepper 2 oz. Vegetarian Provolone, Fontina, or Mozzarella Cheese 2 oz. grated Vegetarian Parmesa...

--> Olla Gitana (pronounced "oyya hitana") is practically a meal in a bowl! It is a lovely Spanish style soup redolent with saffron, perhaps the most expensive of all spices. The use of winter squash such as small sweet pumpkins, butter nut or kabocha squash produces a full flavored and filling soup. You can also use sweet potatoes or American yams instead of the winter squash. Citrus scented cilantro adds a warm sunny flavor to this soup but parsley is lovely as well. Serve it with the Beetroot Salad and corn muffins or a crusty bread with your favorite cheeses for a winter celebration. 6-8 Servings 1 cup dried chick peas (garbanzo beans), soak for 8 hours or overnight ¼ cup barley (Optional) Picada: 1 Slice country style bread (like Italian), 12 raw almonds, 2 cloves garlic, 1 Tbsp apple-cider vinegar 1 tbsp olive oil 1 large onion, diced 1 tbsp sweet paprika 1/4 to 1/2 tsp ground dry red chilies (Cayenne) 2 large tomatoes, diced 1 ...

The simple Beet Salad brightens up winter menus deliciously. It can be made with uncooked carrots and beets also. The crunchy, juicy, and sweet Asian pear or jicama (a Mexican root vegetable usually eaten raw) is great in this salad. Jicama (pronounced hee-ka-ma) tastes a bit like the Asian pear. 4 Servings Ingredients: 2 medium Beets 1 medium Carrot 1 small Onion Sea Salt to taste 1 Lime/Lemon Chopped fresh Cilantro for garnishing Diced peeled Jicama OR Asian Pear for garnishing Fresh Pomegranate arils for garnishing Method: Steam the beets and carrot lightly until barely tender but still retain their crunch; cool and cut into 1/2" cubes. Cut the onion into small cubes while the beets are cooling. Place them in a colander and pour a cup of boiling water over them; drain well and let cool. Place the onions in a bowl; sprinkle a pinch of salt over them and squeeze the lime/lemon juice. Let marinate for a few minutes. Stir in the c...