Zuchini Mixed Vegetables Kootu

I made this kootu last week. It came out pretty good and it went well with rice an also with Roti. Here goes the recipe.


Ingreients:-

1. Zuchini - 1 cup (chopped)
2. tomato - 1 (chopped into cubes)
3. Mixed Vegetables - 1 cup (frozen)
4. Moong dhall - 1/2 cup
5. Toor Dhall - 2 tbsp
6. Turmeric powder- 1/2 tsp
7. Salt to taste
8. Oil -1 tsp
9. Mustard seeds - 1/2 tsp
10. Urad dhall - 1/2 tsp
11. Hing -  a pinch
12. curry leaves - for garnishing

To grind :-

1. Coriander seeds - 3/4 tsp
2. channa dhall - 1/2 tsp
3. red chillies - 2 or 3 (acc to taste)
4. Coconut - 2 tsp (shredded) **
5. fenugreek seeds - 1/4 tsp

Pressure cook moong dhall & toor dhall adding required amount of turmeric powder.  Keep it aside. Thaw the frozen vegetables and keep it aside.  In the mean time, fry the ingredients given for grinding, to golden brown and let it cool. Grind it into a fine paste and keep it aside. In a wide pan, put the zuchini pieces and chopped tomato pieces, add required amount of water & turmeric powder and let it cook for about 5 to 7 minutes. If both the veggies are 3/4th cooked, add the thawed frozen veggies & salt to it and let it boil for another 3 to 5 minutes. Now add the coconut paste to it and boil it for another 3 minutes. Add the cooked dhall to it. Let it boil for another 3 to 5 minutes.  Now kootu is ready. In a small pan, pre heat oil, splutter mustard seeds, fry urad dhall to golden brown, add hing and pour it on top of the kootu. Garnish it with curry leaves.

** - If you are allergic to coconut, then try using almonds in the place of coconut. For 2 tsp of shredded coconut, you can use 4 almonds.

Zucchini Kootu

Now a days I have started cooking without using coconut. This is the result of what I tried with zuchini. Here is the recipe.
Ingredients:-

1. Zuchini - 1 (chop it into small cubes)
2. Moong dhall - 1/2 cup
3. Toor dhall - 1/4 cup
4. Turmeric powder - 1/2 tsp
5. Salt to taste
6. Channa Dhall - 1 tbsp
7. Urad dhall - 2 tsp
8. Cumin seeds - 1/2 tsp
9. Red chillies - 2
10. Asafoetida powder - a pinch
11. Oil - 1 tsp
12. Mustard seeds - 1/2 tsp
13. Urad dhall - 1/2 tsp (for garnishing)
14. Curry leaves - few

First, cook both the dhall with a pinch of turmeric powder and keep it aside. In the mean time, fry channa dhall, urad dhall, cumin seeds, red chillies and Asafoetida powder to golden brown and keep it aside. Grind it into a fine paste. Also in a wide pan, put the zuchini pieces, add salt and turmeric powder and let it cook. When it is half cooked, add the grounded paste and add water to adjust the consistency. Let it mix for another 3 mts. Now add the cooked dhall and mix it well. Pre heat the oil in a small pan, splutter mustard seeds, add urad dhall and curry leaves and fry it till golden brown and pour it on top of the kootu. This kootu goes really well with rice and chapathi.

Green Tomato Kootu

Thakkalikai kootu - This is how we call this kootu. We can make this kootu with green tomatoes or raw tomatoes. This is very simple to make and really yummy and it goes well with rice, chapathis and pooris.

Ingredients:-

1. Green tomatoes - 7 (medium sized)
2. Moong dhall - 1 medium sized cup
   
3. tumeric powder -1/2 tsp
4. Salt to taste
5. OIl - 1/4 tsp
6. Mustard seeds - 1/4 tsp
7. Urad dhall - 1/2 tsp
8. Asafoetida powder - a pinch
9. Curry leaves - few

To grind:-

1. Channa dhall - 2 tsp
2. Urad dhall - 1 tsp
3. Red chillies - 1
4. Black pepper - 1 tsp (acc to taste)
5. Coconut - 2 tsp (optional)

First pressure cook moong dhall with a pinch of turmeric powder and keep it aside. Wash the tomatoes and cut it into 4 pieces, if its too big then make it 8 pieces. Take a pan, put the tomatoes, add required amount of water, turmeric powder and salt and let the tomatoes cook. In the mean time, fry channa dhall, urad dhall, red chillies, black pepper and coconut, to golden brown and let it cool and grind it into a fine paste. when the tomato is half done, (half cooked) add the grounded paste and let it boil for another 3 to 5 mts. Now add the cooked dhall to it and add water to adjust the consistency. Let it boil for another 5 mts. By the time, tomatoes will be fully cooked. Make sure tomatoes are not mashed while doing these processes. Now pre heat oil in a pan, splutter mustard seeds, when it is done, add urad dhall and asafoetida powder and fry it till golden brown. Pour it on top of kootu. Garnish it with curry leaves. Enjoy with white rice or with chapthis or pooris.

Mixed Vegetable kootu

This kootu can be made with some left over vegetables like beans, peas, carrot, chow chow, kholrabi, ridge gourd, wintermelon, pumpkin etc. Here is the recipe.

Ingredients:-

1. Vegetables (of your own choice) - 2 cups (chopped)
2. Moong Dhall - 1/2 cup
3. Turmeric Powder - 1/2 tsp
4. Salt to taste
5. Coconut - 2 tsp
   
6. Cumin seeds- 1/4 tsp
7. Green chillies - 2

For Seasoning:-

1. Oil - 1 tsp
2. Mustard seeds - 1/2 tsp
3. Urad dhall - 1/2 tsp
4. Asafoetida powder - a pinch
5. Curry leaves - few

Pressure cook moong dhall with a pinch of turmeric powder. Keep it aside. Grind coconut, green chillies and cumin into a fine paste. Keep it aside. Now take a wide pan, put all the vegetables, add turmeric powder, salt and required amount of water and let all the vegetables cook. When all the vegetables become tender, add the coconut paste to it and add a little water and let it cook for another 5 minutes. Now add the cooked moong dhall and let it all mix nicely and cook for another 5 mts. Turn off the stove. This is kootu.

Take a small pan, pre heat oil, add mustard seeds, when it splutters add urad dhall, asafoetida powder and curry leaves and let it fry till golden brown and pour it on top of kootu.

Cucumber Kootu 2

This is another way of making cucumber kootu. Here is the recipe.

Ingredients:-

1. Cucumber - 1 cup (chopped into big cubes)
2. Channa dhall - 1/4 cup
3. Turmeric powder - 1/2 tsp
4. Salt to taste.

For Grinding:-

1. Channa Dhall - 1 tsp
2. Urad dhall - 1/4 tsp
3. Coconut - 2 tsp
4. Red chillies - 1
5. Asafoetida powder - a pinch
6. Curry leaves - 5

For seasoning:-

1. Oil - 1 tsp
2. Mustard seeds - 1/2 tsp
3. Urad dhall - 1/4 tsp
4. Asafoetida powder - a pinch
5. Curry leaves - few

Take a pan, pre heat a drop of oil, fry the ingredients given for grinding, to goldeb brown and grind it into a fine paste. Keep it aside. Now take a wide pan, put the chopped cucumber, add turmeric powder, required amount of water, salt and let it cook. Cucumber takes less time to cook. when its half done, add the coconut paste to it and add a little bit of water. Let it again cook for another 3 mts. Now add the cooked channa dhall to it and let everthing mix for another 3 to 5 mts. When everything is nicely mixed, turn off the stove. Take a small pan, pre heat oil, add mustard seeds, when it splutters add urad dhall, asafoetida powder and curry leaves and fry it till golden brown. Pour it on top of kootu. This can also be a wonderful side dish for sambar rice and chapathi

Onion & dhall kootu

This is the quickest recipe one can make as a side dish for rotis. Here is the recipe.

Ingredients:-

1. Onion - 1 (nicely chopped)
2. Channa dhall - 3 tbsp
3. Turmeric powder - 1/2 tsp
4. Rasam powder - 1/4 tsp
5. Pepper powder - 1/4 tsp
6. Salt to taste
7. Oil - 1 tsp
8. Mustard seeds - 1/4 tsp
9. Urad dhall - 1/2 tsp
10. Asafoetida powder - a pinch
11. Red chillies - 1
12. Curry leaves - few
    

First take a pressure pan, put the chopped onion and channa dhall, add turmeric powder and pressure cook it upto 2 whistles. When it is ready to open, take a pan, pre heat oil, add mustard seeds, when it splutters add urad dhall, red chillies, curry leaves and asafoetida powder and fry it till golden brown. Now add the cooked onion and channa dhall to it. Add rasam powder and salt and let it boil for 5 mts. If necessary add some more water to it. In order to get a thicker consistency, take a teaspoon of besan flour, mix it with 2 tbsp of water and pour it to the onion mixture. Let it cook for another 2 mts. Turn off the stove, when you get the required consistency. This is a wonderful side dish for chapathi

Brinjal poricha kootu 2

This is another kootu we make with channa dhal and peanuts. I like this kootu very much because peanuts very much. Here is the recipe.

Ingredients:-

1. Brinjal - 1 cup (chopped
2. Channa dhall - 1/4 cup
3. Pea nuts - 2 tbsp
4. Coriander seeds - 1 tsp
5. coconut - 2 tbsp
6. urad dhall - 1/2 tsp
7. Red chillies - 1 (acc to taste)
8. Pepper - 1/2 tsp
9. Cumin - 1/4 tsp
   
10. Asafoetida powder - a pinch
11. Salt to taste
12. Turmeric powder - 1/2 tsp

For seasoning:-

1. Oil - 1 tsp
2. Mustard seeds - 1/2 tsp
3. Urad dhall - 1/4 tsp
4. Red chillies - 1
5. Curry leaves - few
6. Asafoetida powder - a pinch

First pressure cook channa dhall with required amount of water and a pinch of turmeric powder. Do not over cook. It needs to be 1/2 cooked. Take a small pan, pour a drop of oil, fry urad dhall, red chillies, pepper, cumin and coconut to golden brown and let it cool. Grind it into a fine paste. Now take a pan, put the brinjal pieces and peanuts, add turmeric powder and salt and let it cook for 7 to 10 mts. When it is 1/2 cooked, add the pressure cooked channa dhall to it and also add the coconut paste and let everything cook for another 5 to 7 mts. A nice aroma of coconut, peanuts and pepper will come out of the kootu. Now turn off the stove.

Take a small pan, pre heat remaining oil, add mustard seeds, when it splutters add urad dhall, red chillies, curry leaves and asafoetida powder and let it fry till golden brown. Pour it on top of kootu. Now kootu is ready to serve. This can be eaten with rice as a main dish or as a side dish with dosa, chapathi.

Brinjal (eggplant) Poricha kootu

I like eating brinjal or eggplant in the form of kootu instead of eggplant curry. This is one way of making brinjal kootu and my MIL is an expert in making this kootu. Here is the recipe.

Ingredients:-

1. Brinjal - 1 cup (chopped into big cubes)
2. Moong dhall - 1/4 cup
3. coconut - 1/2 tbsp
4. Urad dhall - 1/2 tsp
5. Channa dhall - 1/2 tsp
6. Red chillies Or green chillies - 2
7. Pepper - 1/2 tsp
8. Cumin - 1/4 tsp
9. Turmeric Powder - 1/2 tsp
10. Salt to taste

For seasoning:-

1. Oil - 2 tsp
2. Mustard seeds - 1/2 tsp
3. Urad dhall - 1/2 tsp
4. Asafoetida powder - a pinch
5. curry leaves - few
   

First pressure cook moong dhall with a pinch of tumeric powder and keep it aside. Take a pan, pre heat a drop of oil, fry urad dhall, channa dhall, red chilles, pepper and cumin into golden brown. Turn off the stove, add coconut and saute for a minute. Grind it into a fine paste. Keep it aside. Now take a pan, put the brinjal pieces, add required amount of water (don't add too mcuh water), turmeric powder and salt and let the brinjal for 7 to 10 mts. When it is 1/2 cooked, add the coconut paste to it and let it cook for another 3 mts. Now add the cooked moong dhall to it and let everything cook for another 5 mts. Add water if necessary. This is poricha kootu. Now take a small pan, pre heat oil, add mustard seeds, when it splutters add urad dhall, asafoetida powder and curry leaves and let it fry till golden brown. Pour it on top of kootu. Now kootu is ready to serve. This can be eaten with rice, as a side dish for chapathi or roti.

Cucumber Kootu

This is a very simple recipe and if we have no other vegetable to cook other than cucumber, we can try making this kootu which can be eaten with rice and can be used as a side dish also. Here is the recipe.

Ingredients:-

1. Cucumber - 1 cup (chopped into big cubes)
2. Moong dhall - 1/4 cup
3. turmeric powder - 1/2 tsp
4. Salt to taste
5. Pepper - 1/2 tsp

For seasoning:-

1. Oil - 1/2 tsp
2. Mustard seeds - 1/4 tsp
3. Urad dhall - 1/4 tsp
4. Asafoetida powder - a pinch
5. Curry leaves - few

First, pressure cook moong dhall with a pinch of turmeric powder. Keep it aside. Take a pan, add cucumber+required amount of water + turmeric powder + salt and let it cook for 5 mts. When the cucumber is 1/2 cooked add the cooked moong dhall + pepper to it and let it boil for 7 mts. Turn off the stove when everything is nicely mixed. This is kootu. Take a small pan, pre heat oil, add mustard seeds, when it splutters add urad dhall, asafoetida powder and curry leaves and let it fry till golden brown. Pour it on top of kootu.

Ridge gourd Kootu

This is another kootu we can make. Here is the recipe.

Ingredients:-

1. Ridge Gourd - 1 cup
2. Peas - 1/4 cup (optional)
   
3. Baby Lima beans - 1/4 cup (optional)
   
4. Fresh coconut - 1 tbsp
5. Coriander seeds - 1 tsp
6. Channa dhall - 1/2 tsp
7. Black pepper - 1/4 tsp (acc to taste)
8. Cumin Seeds - 1/4 tsp
9. Asafoetida powder - a pinch
10. turmeric powder - 1/2 tsp
11. Salt to taste
    

For Seasoning:-

1. Oil - 1/2 tsp
2. mustard seeds -1/4 tsp
3. Urad dhall - 1/2 tsp
4. asafoetida powder - a pinch
5. curry leaves - few

First take a small pan, pre heat it with a drop of oil, fry the above said ingredients from 4 to 9, to golden brown. Let it cool and grind it into a fine paste. Cook the vegetables with required amount of water, salt and a pinch of turmeric powder. When it becomes tender, add the coconut paste to it and let it cook for another 7 mts. Add some more water if necessary. Take a small pan, pre heat oil, add mustard seeds, when it splutters,add urad dhall, asafoetida powder and curry leaves and fry it to golden brown and pour it on top of kootu. Now kootu is ready to eat.

Wintermelon Kootu

This is another vegetable which is mostly used for making kootu. Using moong dhall is optional in this case. This recipe is based on the recipe without using moong dhall. This recipe is very very easy to make and it could be a wonderful side dish for chapathis and will also go with rice. Here is the recipe.

Ingredients:-

1. Wintermelon - 1 cup (chopped into small cubes)
2. Green chillies - 2 (according to taste)
3. Cumin - 1/2 tsp
4. coconut - 1/2 tbsp
5. Rice - 1 tsp (soak it in water for 10 mts)
6. Turmeric powder
7. Salt to taste
   

For Seasoning:-

1. Oil - 1 tsp
2. Mustard seeds - 1/2 tsp
3. urad dhall - 1/2 tsp
4. Asafoetida powder - a pinch
5. Curry Leaves - few

First grind coconut+rice+Cumin+Greenchillies into a fine paste. Keep it aside. Now take a pan, pre heat oil, add mustard seeds when it splutters add urad dhall, asafoetida powder and curry leaves and fry it till golden brown. Add the chopped winter melon to it, add required amount of water, turmeric powder, salt and let it boil. When its half done, add the coconut mixture to it. Add little more water and let it cook for another 5 to 7 mts. When everything mix together and a semi-solid consistency comes, turn off the stove. Serve it hot with rotis and also try with rice.

Noolkol Kootu - Kohlrabi Kootu

Now lets go back to our recipes!!! I am not a lover of this vegetable. Kohlrabi - Noolkol(in Tamil) is good for breastfeeding moms. Occasionally I make this kootu without any complication. Here is the recipe.

Ingredients:-

1. Noolkol - 2 cups (chopped into small cubes)
2. Moong Dhall - 1 cup (cook it with a pinch of turmeric powder)
3. Turmeric Powder - 1/2 tsp
4. Pepper - 1 tsp
5. Cumin - 1/2 tsp
6. Asafoetida powder - a pinch
7. Salt to taste

For Seasoning:-

1. Oil - 1 tsp
2. Mustard seeds - 1/2 tsp
3. urad dhall - 1/2 tsp
4. Asafoetida Powder - a pinch
5. Curry leaves - few

First grind pepper and cumin coarsely and keep it aside. Now take a wide pan, pre heat oil, add mustard seeds, add urad dhall, asafoetida powder and curry leaves and let it fry till golden brown. Add the chopped noolkol to it. Add required amount of water, turmeric powder and salt and let it cook. When it is half done add the pepper+cumin mixture to it. Also add the cooked moong dhall to it and let everything for 7 to 10 mts again. Add water if necessary before boiling. This kootu can be a wonderful side dish for Chapathis and also can be eaten with rice.

Spinach Kootu

This is something which I learnt from my MIL. We can make this kootu with or without dhal. In case of immediate requirement, can make this kootu without dhal. This receipe I am writing here is without dhal. The main ingredients are as follow...

Ingredients:-

1. Spinach - 1 box (frozen)
2. Onion - 1/2 finely chopped
3. Fresh coconut - 1 tbsp
4. Cumin seeds - 1/2 tsp
5. Green chillies - 3 (acc to taste
6. Turmeric powder - 1/2 tsp
7. Salt to taste

For Seasoning:-

1. Oil - 1 tsp
2. Mustard Seeds- 1/2 tsp
3. Urid dhal - 1/2 tsp
4. Asafoetida powder - a pinch
5. Curry leaves - few

First thaw the frozen spinach and cook it for 5 to 6 mts. in microwave. Take it out and keep it aside. Now take coconut+greenchillies+cumin seeds+onion and grind it into a fine paste. Take a wide pan, pre heat oil, add mustard, allow it to splutter, now add urid dhall, asafoetida powder and curry leaves and fry it to golden brown. Now add the cooked spinach to it. Add a cup of water, turmeric powder, salt and coconut paste to it **. Let it cook for another 5 mts. Now spinach kootu is ready to serve. We can use this kootu with rice, chapathi, poori.

** - If you have plans to add dhall, we can add it in this stage. Toor dal(1/2cup) + Moong dal (2 tbsp) cooked will work.

Chow Chow Kootu (Bangalore kathirikkai)

Chayote Squash ( Bangalore Kathirikkai) - the fruit and the seed are rich in amino acid and Vitamin C. This kootu is a wonderful side dish for Thogayal Rice. The main ingredients are as follows...

Ingredients:-

1. Chow Chow - 1 cup (cut it into a small cubes)
2. Peas - 3 tbsp
3. Moong Dhal - 1/2 cup
4. Turmeric powder - 1/2 tsp
5. Salt to taste
   
6. Coriander seeds - 1 tsp
7. Channa dal - 1/2 tsp
8. Urid dhal - 1/4 tsp
9. Black Pepper - 1 tsp
   
10. Cumin Seeds - 1/2
    
11. Fresh Coconut - 1 tbsp
12. Asafoetida powder - a pinch

For Seasoning:-

1. Oil - 2 tsp
2. Mustard Seeds - 1/2 tsp
3. Urid dhal - 1/2 tsp
4. Red chillies - 1
5. Asafoetida powder - a pinch

First pressure cook the Moong dhal upto 2 whistles adding turmeric powder to it. Keep it aside. You can also add the vegetables to the dhal and cook it along with the dhal. Take a small pan, pour a drop of oil in it and add coriander seeds+channa dal+urid dhal+black pepper+cumin seeds+Asafoetida powder+Coconut and fry these to golden brown. Let it cool and grind it. Keep it aside.

After opening the pressure cooker, take a wide pan, pre heat the remaining oil, add mustard seeds, when it splutters, add urid dhal, red chillies and asafoetida powder and fry it till golden brown. Now pour the vegetable and dhall mixture in it and also add the coconut mixture to it. Add salt and let it cook for 5 mts. When everything is mixed, turn off the stove and garnish it with coriander leaves. Now kootu is ready to serve.

Kootu - Kerala receipe

This is also my favourite receipe. This kootu has different namakaranam "vellamum Thengayum arachu vitta kootu", "kadukum thengayum arachu kottina kootu", "chenayum elavanum(winter melon) pottu kootu"(sounds funny but tastes yummy). This also a simple receipe. The main ingredients are as follow.
Ingredients:-

1. Suran(chenai) - 1 cup (chopped into small cubes)
2. Winter Melon (Poosanikai or Elavan) - 1 cup (chopped into small cubes
3. Channa dal - 1/2 cup
4. Jaggery - 3 tbsp
5. Coconut - 4 tbsp
6. Turmeric powder - 1/2 tsp
7. Salt to taste
8. Red chillies - 2 or 3
9. Mustard seeds - 1/2 tsp

For seasoning:-

1. Oil - 2 tsp
2. mustard seeds - 1/2 tsp
3. Urid dal - 1/2 tsp
4. Red chillies - 1 or 2
5. Asafoetida powder
6. curry leaves - 5 nos.
   

Take a wide pan and cook channa dal till 1/2 cooked (can also be pressure cooked) make sure its not fully cooked. Now add suran and winter melon to it. Add a little water, turmeric powder and salt to it and let it cook for another 5 to 7 mts. The veggies should be tender and the dal should be 3/4th cooked. Now take a small pan preheat 1 tsp of oil, add mustard seeds when it splutters add red chillies and 3 tbsp of coconut to it and fry it till golden brown. Do not burn the coconut or chillies. Let it it cool and grind it into a fine paste. When the veggies and dal are 3/4th cooked add this paste and jaggery to it and let it cook for another 5 to 7 mts till the paste get mixed with the veggies and dal. The consistency should be thick not watery. Take a small seasoning pan, pre heat the remaining oil add mustard seeds, urid dal, red chillies, asafoetida powder and curry leaves to it and stir it for a minute and pour it on top of the kootu. At last, sprinkle the remaining 1 tbsp coconut on top of the kootu. Now the kootu is ready to serve. This can be a good side dish for sambar rice, more kozhambu, Mango kootan.

Kootu - Cabbage Molagootal

This is a very common dish of Kerala Iyers. Its easy to make and yummy to eat. This is a non-spicy gravy, so everybody can eat including kids. Molagootal can be made with spinach(keerai molagootal), Winter Melon (Elavan molagootal), Pumpkin (mathan molagootal), Cabbage (kosu molagootal), Suran (chena molagootal), Banana stem (vaazhathandu molagootal) etc.. Even mixed vegetable molagootal can also be a choice. Today I am going write about cabbage molagootal. The main ingredients are as follows:

1. Cabbage - 1 cup(washed and chopped finely)
2. Toor dal - 1/2 cup
3. Moong dal - 1/4 cup
4. Fresh coconut - 3 tbsp
   
5. cumin seeds - 1/2 tsp
6. Red chillies - 2
7. Salt to taste
   

For Seasoning:

1. oil - 1 tsp (some people use coconut oil - can use whichever you want)
2. mustard seeds - 1/4 tsp
3. urid dal - 1/2 tsp
4. curry leaves - 10 leaves
5. asafoetida - a pinch

Take a small pan and pour a drop of oil, add coconut+cumin seeds+red chillies to it and fry it for less than a minute. Grind it and make it a paste. Keep it aside. Pressure cook both toor dal and moong dal. Keep it aside.

In a big pan, cook the cabbage (or any vegetable) with turmeric powder for 6 to 8 minutes. Now add the coconut paste, salt and the mixture of toor dal and moon dal and let it boil till it comes to pouring consistency. In a small pan, heat the remaining oil, add mustard seeds, when they splutter add urid dal curry leaves and asafoetida and pour it in molagootal. Now molagootal is ready to serve.

This Molagootal can be used as side dish for chapathi, poori, dosai (I use this as a side dish for adai:-) also). Many people only use Toor dal in molagootal. I once tried using both Toor dal and Moong dal and I liked the taste. Try this and lemme know your comments