Friday, September 23, 2011

Kootu

This a very easy recipe and is tastier too.I made this with beans and you can also use Potato,cluster beans,string beans, Chow Chow(chayote),White pumpkin(ash gourd)Podalangai(snake gourd)etc.For this posting I made it with Beans.This for four people

INGREDIENTS
Moong dhal--------1/2 cup
Beans--------------1/4 kg
turmeric powder----1/2 tsp
hing-----------------little

FOR FRYING
urid dhal-------------1 tbsp
red chilly-------------4
dhaniya seeds--------1 tbsp(coriander seeds)
grated coconut-------1tbsp

Cook the dhal and vegetable with hing and turmeric in pressure cooker.If you don't want to use pressure cooker you can cook in a thick bottomed vessel.Do not cover the vessel as the dhal will overflow.
Fry the urid dhal and red chillies and add dhaniya before switching off the flame as this gives a better taste than  when the dhaniya is fried.I don't fry coconut for any of my recipes.Just add it to the other ingredients  and grind it to a smooth paste.
Add this to the cooked vegetable. Add salt and curry leaves. Cook till it become thick.Heat one teaspoon oil in a kadai and  add 1/2 tsp of mustard seeds and when it crackles pour it in the kootu and mix well.





VARIATIONS:

You can add 1/2  teaspoon of black pepper while frying ,but reduce the red chilly to 2 and rest is same.Or else you can skip red chilly completely and instead add 1 teaspoon of pepper.