Poosanikkai Kootu

Ash gourd and lentil kootu — white ash gourd (poosanikkai/winter melon) peeled, deseeded, and cut into cubes, cooked with toor dal or moong dal, and finished with a freshly ground paste of coconut, cumin, dried red chilli, and black pepper, tempered with mustard seeds, urad dal, and curry leaves. The ash gourd has a naturally mild, slightly sweet flavour and holds its shape in cooking while absorbing the coconut-spice paste; the dal binds the kootu into a thick, coherent preparation. The most important kootu in Tamil Brahmin cooking: ash gourd is considered the most Brahminical vegetable in South Indian Ayurveda, believed to cool the body and be spiritually neutral. Present at almost every Tamil Brahmin wedding feast and festival meal.