Kootu
Thick vegetable-lentil preparation — cooked vegetables (yam, raw banana, ash gourd, raw jackfruit, or drumstick) combined with cooked chana dal or toor dal and a freshly ground coconut-cumin-dried red chilli paste, simmered together until the lentil and vegetable merge into a thick, dry-ish preparation that holds its shape on a plate. Distinct from dal (too thick), curry (not liquid), or salad (cooked); the kootu occupies a unique textural space in Tamil Brahmin cooking. The coconut paste is the binding agent and flavour carrier; without freshly ground coconut a kootu becomes something else entirely. Eaten as a side with rice, the thickest wet preparation on the leaf.
Cuisines
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Recipe
Ingredients
| 1/2 cup | split yellow moong dal |
| 1 cup | chopped mixed vegetables (e.g., carrots, beans, potatoes) |
| 1 cup | water |
| 1 cup | coconut milk |
| 1/4 teaspoon | turmeric powder |
| 1 teaspoon | salt |
| 2 tablespoons | grated coconut |
| 1 teaspoon | cumin seeds |
| 2 teaspoons | oil |
| 1 teaspoon | mustard seeds |
| 1 pinch | asafoetida |
| 1 sprig | curry leaves |
| 2 | dried red chilies |
| 1 tablespoon | chopped coriander leaves |
Instructions
- 1 Wash the moong dal thoroughly and soak it in water for 10 minutes.
- 2 In a pot, add the soaked moong dal, mixed vegetables, 1 cup of water, turmeric powder, and salt.
- 3 Cook on medium heat until the dal and vegetables are tender.
- 4 Grind the grated coconut and cumin seeds into a smooth paste with a little water.
- 5 Add the coconut-cumin paste to the cooked dal and vegetables, and mix well.
- 6 Pour in the coconut milk and bring the mixture to a gentle boil.
- 7 In a small pan, heat oil and add mustard seeds. Once they splutter, add asafoetida, curry leaves, and dried red chilies.
- 8 Pour the tempering over the kootu and mix well.
- 9 Garnish with chopped coriander leaves before serving.
Tips
For a richer flavor, you can add a small piece of jaggery to the kootu while cooking.