Chettinad Kootu
Veg
Vegan
Thick vegetable and lentil preparation — seasonal vegetables (ash gourd, raw banana, yam, or raw jackfruit) cooked with cooked toor dal and a freshly ground coconut-cumin-pepper paste. Thicker than sambar, eaten as a semi-dry side with rice, representing the umami-forward vegetarian side of the Chettinad table.
Cuisines
Chettinad
Best for
Lunch
Dinner
Recipe
Prep: 15 min
Cook: 25 min
Total: 40 min
2-3 servings
Ingredients
|
1/2 cup | Moong Dal , yellow |
|
1 cup | Mixed Vegetable , carrot, beans, potato |
|
1 tbsp | Ghee |
|
1 tsp | Mustard Seed |
|
1 tsp | Cumin , seeds |
|
1 pinch | Asafoetida |
|
1 | Green Chili , slit |
|
1 | Chili , dry red |
|
5-6 | Curry Leaf |
|
1/4 tsp | Turmeric powder |
|
1 tsp | Salt , or to taste |
|
2 cups | Water |
|
2 tbsp | Coconut , grated |
|
1 tsp | Cumin Seed , for grinding |
|
1 tsp | Black Pepper , to taste |
|
1 tsp | Fennel Seed |
Instructions
- 1 Wash the yellow moong dal thoroughly and soak it for 15 minutes.
- 2 In a pressure cooker, add the soaked dal, mixed vegetables, turmeric powder, and water. Pressure cook for 2 whistles.
- 3 In a small pan, dry roast the cumin seeds (for grinding), peppercorns, and fennel seeds until aromatic. Let them cool.
- 4 Grind the roasted spices with grated coconut into a smooth paste using a little water.
- 5 In a pan, heat ghee and add mustard seeds. Once they splutter, add cumin seeds, asafoetida, green chili, dry red chili, and curry leaves.
- 6 Add the cooked dal and vegetable mixture to the pan and stir well.
- 7 Mix in the ground coconut paste and add salt. Let it simmer for 5-7 minutes.
- 8 Adjust the consistency by adding water if needed. Cook for another 2-3 minutes and remove from heat.
Tips
For a richer flavor, you can add a small piece of jaggery while simmering the kootu.