Monday, May 11, 2015

Kootu

Kootu is a basic TamBrahm dish made with lentils and vegetables.
It contains almost no oil (except for the seasoning), the lentils provide protein and the vegetables provide vitamins, minerals and fiber. All in all, it is one of the healthiest side-dishes to vote for.
It can be eaten as a side dish for chapatti, or eaten with rasam rice. You can even mix it directly with rice and eat it. With the versatility it offers, and the variety of vegetables that can be used in it, we can consider making this almost every alternate day.
The most common vegetables used for kootu are ridge-gourd, chow-chow, cabbage, bottle-gourd, ash-gourd, green leaves ( palak or dhante or any other keerai).
Ingredients:
  1. Vegetable of your choice (chopped into 1/2 inch pieces) - 3 cups
  2. Moong dal - 1 cup
  3. Green chillies - 3 or 4
  4. Jeera - 1 tsp.
  5. Coconut - 1/4th cup.
  6. Oil - 1-2 tsp.
  7. Mustard - 1 tsp.
  8. Red chilly - 1
  9. Urad dal - 1 tsp.
  10. Salt - to taste
Procedure:
  1. Wash the chopped vegetables and moong dal and cook them together in a pressure cooker, with enough water to cover them. Cook for 2-3 whistles until the dal is soft enough to be mashed.
  2. In a mixie, grind together the green chillies, jeera and coconut, with a little water to make a paste.
  3. Add this to the cooked vegetable and dal and stir well. Turn on the flame and bring to boil.
  4. Add salt as needed.
  5. In a skillet, add oil, temper with mustard seeds, red chilly and urad dal, till the urad dal turns slightly brown.
  6. Add this to the kootu and turn off the flame.