Vegetable Kootu

Kootu
Kootu is a nourishing vegetable preparation that goes well with both rice and chapati. There are many types of kootu

I Araichuvitta kootu This type is a combination of vegies, lentils and freshly ground masala

Ingredients
Vegetable : any one or combinations of your choice cut into medium size pieces ( total half kg). Ideally one or 2 vegetables combination
1. Dudi (Bottle guard) combine with one or two small potatoes
2. Pudalangai ( snake guard)
3. French Beans
4. Kothawarangai ( Cluster Beans)
5. Brinjal ( Egg plant )
6. Murungaikai (Drum stick ) generally few pieces combined with any of the above - totally optional
7. Any greens like Palak, Mulakkeerai ( rajgira), araikeerai ( chawli) etc.
8. 1 or 2 tbsp. peas, Soaked rajma may be added to veggies

Masala :
2 tbsp. Udid dal
1 or 2 red chilli
handful or less kadipatta ( curry leaves )
2 tsp Jeera
few black pepper
Grated coconut 3 tbsp or as per your choice
Hing powder ( 1 pinch)


Lentil ( Dal)
Moong or Tur or a mix of both ( 150 to 200 gms. cooked dal should be around 2 small cups )

Method
1.Cook dal in pressure cooker
2. Cook vegetables in a kadai or thick vessel
3. Roast all the masala ingrdients with little oil till a nice rich flavour emerges. Grind them coarsely ( wet or dry )
4. Mix all the above three, add salt, boil for few minutes till they have blended well
5. Season with mustard, jeera, hing, turmeric ( optional) , udid dal, red chilli. Garnish with corriander leaves and add few drops of coconut oil for a yummy flaver

II. Araikada Kootu : In this type there is no masala to be ground. This is an absolutely nourishing quickie type

Ingredients :
1. Ideally palak or dudi or pudalai ( snake guard) cleaned and chopped
2. 1 cup moong dal
3. Jeera, black pepper powder , salt

Method
Add all the ingredients in a vessle and presure cook
Mash and season with mustard, jeera, hing, 1 or 2 red chilli, few curry leaves.
This palak kootu goes well with hot rice .
It can be simply eaten with curds in a bowl without rice too

III. Chana dal Kootu
Yet a third kootu is just cook soaked chana dal with certain veggies like red pumpkin, white pumpkin, yam ( Senai ) etc. with salt. Season with mustard, jeera, red chilli , hing . Garnish with curry leaves and few drops coconut oil , grated coconut. Give the whole thing a good stir to blend the spice and coconut.

IV. Parangikai pal ( Milk ) kootu
This is a sweetened type and I just love it.
Cut yelow pumpkin into small pieces, cook . Add 1 cup milk ( or more ) and sugar ( as per taste) . Season with mustard, jeera, 1 red chilli , hing . Garnish with curry leaves and few drops coconut oil , grated coconut, raosted cashew ( optional) . Give the whole thing a good stir to blend the spice and coconut.

...mmmm... I love all of them They are nourishing as they have no harsh spice and have healthy ingrdients like veggies and lentils and greens.