Wednesday 21 August 2013

Snakegourd & Channadal Kootu

What is kootu?? its a tamil word which means addition, when vegetable added with lentils forms a semi solid in consistency like curry is called Kootu. Whenever we serve a feast to a guest, we Tamilians never forget to serve rice, sambar,rasam,curd,poriyal,appalam,pickle and a sweet with this famous kootu. There are so many variations of kootu however kootu will always goes for vegetables and lentils combination.

Coming to today's kootu, snakegourd and channadal both works wonder together, this dish goes awesome as a curry with rice and as side dish with rotis. This thick kootu tastes fantabulous with papads or else with potato fries, you can also serve with any kind of non vegetarian sides as well. This kootu goes for an easy preparation along with a simple masala paste which makes the difference from the usual kootu.



2cups Snakegourd (chopped)
1no Onion (chopped)
1no Tomato (chopped)
1/2tsp Mustard seeds
1/2tspcumin seeds
Few curry leaves
1/2cup Channa dal
1/4tsp Turmeric powder
1/4tsp Asafoetida powder
Salt
Oil

To grind:
3nos Dry red chillies
1/2tsp Cumin seeds
1tbsp Coriander seeds
3tbsp Grated coconut

Heat few drops of oil, roast the spices given under list 'to grind' one by one until they turns brown.

Let it cool and grind as smooth paste with enough water and keep aside.

Meanwhile take the channadal,asafoetida powder, turmeric powder together in a pressure cooker with enough water, cook upto 3hisses.

Heat enough oil in a kadai, let splutters the mustard seeds, cumin seeds, add immediately both chopped onions and chopped tomatoes with salt, cook until the veggies get well cooked.

Now add the chopped snakegourd pieces to it, cook in simmer until the veggies gets half cooked.

Add now the already prepared grounded paste, cooked dal to the veggies.

Bring to boil, put in simmer and cook until the veggies gets well cooked.



Serve with rice,rotis, idlis or dosas.

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