Geetha's Kitchen

"Yogurt" Dip With Herbs  Herbed "Yogurt" Dip & Spread is a very easy and quick dip to serve with crackers and veggies. I cobbled this recipe up when I decided to serve fresh veggies as a starter impromptu and didn't have much time before the guests arrived. I quickly prepped some fresh veggies and stirred up a bit of yogurt with the herbs and a pinch of onion flakes; much to my delightful surprise, the dip got rave reviews and everyone wanted the recipe! So here it is. Now that a vareity of non-dairy yogurts are available, this dip is easy to make. I used to make it with  homemade "yogurt" (soaked and ground cashews/almonds with a bit of lime/lemon juice to give the tangy yogurt taste). If your yogurt is a bit on the runny side, line a strainer with a piece of clean muslin or tea towel and and add yogurt (stir in a pinch of salt first as the salt helps to remove moisture); place the strainer over a bowl and put in the fridge. Let it drain...

White Bean-Carrot Dip With Rice Crackers & Veggies White Bean & Carrot Spread/Hummus Or Dip is delicious as a starter with veggies or crackers; our favorites are assorted veggies along with rice crackers. It is great to spread in sandwiches and wraps also. This gorgeous dip gets its lovely color from the carrots. It is naturally gluten and dairy free as well as oil free; hence guilt free too! White bean dip is a delicious alternative to the regular hummus made with garbanzo beans and is just as easy to make. It is fabulous! Notes: Check this post on cooking beans if you like; cooking beans is not hard and procduces delicious as well as economical results. The best part is that you can put aside or freeze the extras for another time or another dish like Turkish Bean Soup or Greek Fasolatha ! Canned beans maybe used as well; one 15 oz can of great northern or cannelini would probably be about the right amount (please measure to check as I am not sure the amount of...

We love all things lentil and this Spanish-style lentil soup is a  favorite!  Lentil soup can serve as a main dish, light meal or as a starter.  The soup begins with preparing a flavorful base called sofrito, common to most soups, an aromatic combination of onion, celery, and  carrots (love to add lots of carrots which add color, texture, and sweetness) plus garlic, tomato and smoky roasted peppers. The soup is finished with a nutty picada, a thick pesto-like sauce made of toasted bread, almonds, garlic, parsley, and a bit of olive oil. Typically the bread is fried in oil; but in order to keep the oil to a minimum, I opted to toast it instead. The soup is delicious just as it is, but the picada takes it to the next level. Picada is usually added towards the end of cooking. Leftovers are fabulous for about a week or maybe frozen for up to 3 months. Or, turn the delicious leftovers  into a yummy casserole:   stir the soup into cooked...

Non-Dairy Sambharam or Namkin (savory or salted) Lassi is a savory summertime mojito! It is a very popular cooling yogurt-based beverage all over India; Southern Indians call it Sambharam, Neer Mor, or Karacha Mor whereas in the North it is Namkin Lassi, Chaas, etc. This wonderful thirst-quenching beverage is also enjoyed in other areas of the world; my Armenian friends call it Tahn and Turkish call it Ayran! Some of the ingredients may vary, but the basics are the same - yogurt and water. In India this beverage is made with cultured buttermilk; first the milk is cultured and set, then it is churned to remove the butter. What is left is low-fat buttermilk and it is consumed as is or in recipes. Regular Sambharam was prepared especially in the summer to offer to pilgrims; my grandparents offered it to the yearly pilgrims who came by the house as well as the workers toiling in the hot tropical sun on their farm. We also enjoyed sambharam with the noon meal. If one wanted to go ve...

Ellu Sadam is traditionally made at home and in some Temples as offering particularly on certain Saturdays. At home, first the crows are fed some cooked rice in the mornings, then the freshly prepared sesame rice is blessed and usually shared with neighbors and friends before enjoying it. Ellu Sadam/Ellodarai is delicious served with appalam (papadums), karuvadams or vadams (crisp rice noodles and papadams respectively). I like to pair it with a simple chopped tomato-cucumber salad . Notes: Black or white sesame seeds (unhulled) and black or white urid dal maybe used in any combination depending on how you want the resulting rice color; if you like lighter colored rice, use a combination of one white and one dark, and both white for a very light-colored results. Sesame powder maybe prepared without black pepper also. You can store the Sesame powder for a few days at room temperature or a few weeks in the fridge; for longer storage, keep in the freezer. Peanuts maybe u...

Coconut Rice evokes fond memories of the festival called Aadi or Pathinettam Perukku which is a festival celebrating the life-giving water and the bounty it brings to all life. This South Indian festival is celebrated on the 18th day of the Tamil month Aadi (hence the name "pathinettam") which falls somewhere at the end of July or beginning of August. It is a time of the Monsoons which bring water to the waterways and life to fields and streams. In thanksgiving and honor, women and girls go on a picnic by a water body whether it be a river, brook, pond or lake and enjoy Coconut Rice, Lemon Rice , Puliyodharai (Tamarind Rice) , Yogurt Rice and other treats. Most tropical countries have their own version of coconut rice; some are savory and others sweet. This savory South Indian version of coconut rice involves minimal preparation and easy to make. It uses freshly grated coconut which is toasted with other spices and added to cooked rice to make this aromatic rice. Traditi...

A simple yet wonderfully colorful crunchy and delicious salad! All the veggies plus the almonds and sesame provide ample fiber, vitamins, anthocyanins, and even a good amount of protein. Cabbages and Kale belong to the Brassica or commonly known as cruciferous vegetables family along with broccoli, cauliflower and others. The benefits of the Brassicas are numerous; they not only provide nutrients but also are anticancer, anti-inflammatory as well as protection from other diseases. All of the veggies and nut/seeds and dressing maybe prepared ahead and tossed together just before serving; a great one for the weekdays. The salad maybe prepared with one type of cabbage alone; other veggies maybe added or omitted also. Brussels sprouts, Napa Cabbage, broccoli or cauliflower, etc make great additions. Oil maybe added to the dressing if desired. 4-6 servings Ingredients: Dressing: 2-3 Tbsp Apple Cider Vinegar 1-3 tsp Maple syrup, or to taste Salt and Pepper to tast...