Geetha's Kitchen

The adventure of making this soup reminded me of the old Indian Tamil saying of how a woman attempting to make Dosa, a pancake, asks her husband to use a bowl instead of a plate :). Yes, you guessed it, Dosa had ended becoming mush. For those who might appreciate the Tamil original saying, here it is: "Dosa varthu koozha pochu, donnai theyyum brahmana". I had aimed on making chundal; I soaked the dried whole peas and then pressure-cooked them for what I thought would be the right amount of time. To my utter dismay, I found porridge instead when I opened the cooker to proceed. The peas were too soft for anything but soup; so soup it became and a delicious one at that! It is so simple and yet absolutely delicious - better make plenty of it as it gets gobbled up pretty quickly; Yum! Although I used whole dried peas, regular split peas can be used as well. Whole peas are available in Indian markets; split peas are available in most markets. 6 Servings Ingredients: 2 cups wh...

Upma Peperonata Upma is a simple and hearty South Indian dish that can be made with coarse corn meal instead of the traditional cream of wheat - for a quick and delicious gluten-free treat! When you put Italian Polenta grains and lots of colorful peppers to make the Upma, it has to be called "Upma Pepperonata" of course! The procedure is the same as in preparing the traditional Upma . It is a versatile food great any time at all - as a meal or a nutritious snack. Upma is delicious served with cashews or other nuts and seeds to augment its protein content. Polenta or corn meal is usually available in most markets; Chana Dal, Urad dal, asafoetida, curry leaves and mustard seeds, etc are readily available in Indian markets. Serves 4 Ingredients: 2 Tbsp vegetable oil 1 Tbsp Ghee (clarified butter) 1/4 tsp Brown Mustard seeds 1 Tbsp Chana dal 1 Tbsp Urad dal 1 pinch Asafetida (Hing) 1 Tbsp fresh Ginger, 2 or 3 coin sized slices 1 or 2 green Chilies (Serrano or Jalapeno) 1 sm...

Garlic Pesto or Spread is fantastic to have on hand to spice up sandwiches and stir into pasta, soups, etc. I love to stir a spoonful of this wonderful spread into whatever I am cooking without having to stop and chop 1 or 2 cloves of garlic every time I cook. Once you try it, I am sure you will find your own special uses for this delicious spread. For perfect garlic bread, slather a generous amout of the Garlic Pesto on a split baguette or Italian or other bread and toast in a hot oven and golden and watch it disappear in seconds! Spread some on grilled sandwitches or mix a spoonful into veggies before roasting them - so useful and delicious. Garlic Pesto could be added to salad dressings also.  The word pesto is often synonymous with the popular Basil Pesto ; but it is anything that is pounded or pulverized! Here are a few others to try: Pistachio Pesto , Cilantro Pesto , irresistible Chile Pesto , and the amazing but deceptively simple Kerala Style Shallot-Chile Pesto....

Neyyappams (pronounced "Nay-up-pums") are classic South Indian sweet spherical fritters which often include ripe bananas and constitute an integral part of many celebrations. The well-loved appams are made for birth ceremonies, memorial ceremonies, various holidays, or simply as a special snack. Appams are made in a special pan called 'appa karai' or 'paniyaram' pan in Tamil and is similar to the Scandinavian aebleskiver pan, Japanese takoyaki pan, or the Thai Kanom Krok pan which gives them their characteristic spherical shape but can also be made without any special equipment. It is worth the investment in this pan since it can be used to make wonderful treats using other muffin and pancake batters for special occasions; I use it to make savory 'Vellai appams' using leftover dosa, idli, and adai batters. The nice thing about this pan is that it won't heat up the whole house like a fired up oven especially during summertime. Appams are traditi...

Lemongrass as well as green tea and mint are known for their many health benefits. So why not combine all three for a wonderful and healthful beverage? It turns out great and is absolutely delicious! Hot Lemongrass, Mint, & Green Tea A refreshing beverage that can be served hot or cold, I often make a large quantity so that there is plenty left to chill for a cooling beverage later. You may sweeten the tea if you wish, but I find that it is just perfect as is whether served hot or cold. You can use whole stalks or use a few of the outer leaves to make tea. If you like the health benefits of lemongrass but not its flavor so much, add strong herbs like mint; mint works wonderfully well with the lemongrass. Would you like your tea hot or cold? Iced Lemongrass Tea With Mint & Green Tea Ingredients: 6 to 8 leaves of fresh Lemongrass 4 tsp Green tea leaves 6 - 8 sprigs fresh Mint Sweetener of choice (Optional) Lemon or Lime slices for garnish Method: Bring 2 quarts (8 cups) of...

Mulagai Podi is a dry chutney that is mixed with oil/ghee and is used as a dip for dosa, idli, adai, upma, etc. Mulagai Podi means literally chili powder; but this is obviously more than just ground chilies. Traditionally dosa, idli, etc are served in homes simply with this podi and oil/ghee. Amma often packed a lunch of dosa or idlis rolled in mulagai podi mixed with a little oil - they tasted so wonderful that my friends often wanted a share of my lunch :). I am amazed yet again to find so much similarity between Indian and Japanese cuisines. Their furikakes are similar to the Indian chutneys and curries; in fact Mulagai Podi is a close cousin of the Japanese sesame salt, gomasio. Mulagai Podi is delicious sprinkled on buttered toast, vegetables, or steamed hot rice; some people I know (who shall remain anonymous ;}) even sprinkle it liberally on their pizza! Roasted Urad dal, Sesame seeds, Red Chilies, & Asafoetida chunk; Salt Often called Dosai Mulagai Podi to differentiate...

Sharbats are cooling beverages made with fruits, herbs, and/or vegetables and very popular during the hot summers. Watermelon Sharbat is a refreshing and delicious cooler. As I put the fruit through a powerful blender, I did not find it necessary to strain out the pulp; you may strain if you wish though. Good and good for you :P! 2 Servings Ingredients: 2 cups Watermelon chunks, chilled 4 to 6 ice cubes 1/2 Lime, juiced 1 pinch Sea Salt Mint sprigs for garnishing Method: Place all the ingredients in the blender container and process into a fine puree. Pour into glasses and serve cold garnished with mint sprigs. Enjoy!