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Sambar has an affluent relative in kootu. A flavourful curry made from mixed vegetables and lentils, kootu is slightly thicker than sambar. A kootu is packed with nutrition as different kinds of vegetables can go into it. The flavour turns out to be excellent when the spices are roasted and freshly ground.
Although it is made throughout South India, the recipe varies depending on the location. Kootu is popular in various other regions across South India where each version follows unique methods and cooking style. Different households use different vegetables and even different lentils like moong dal and chana dal.
You will find cabbage kootu, chayote kootu, poricha kootu and sorakkai kootu in Tamil Nadu, Andhra Pradesh and Kerala. Koottu enthusiasts also prepare ash gourd kootu and ridge gourd kootu. Being a no onion no garlic dish, koottu is preferred to be prepared on festivals. Kootu is made mostly of pulses and vegetables, making it a protein-rich, fiber-rich food that also contains calcium and potassium. Today, we will learn how to make a mixed veggie kootu in Karnataka style in which it is topped up with crispy groundnuts.
Mix Veg Kootu
• Sweet pumpkin- small piece
• 1 potato
• 8 to 10 beans
• 1 carrot
• 1/4 cup peanuts
• 1/3 cup pigeon pea lentils (toor dal)
• 1/4 tsp turmeric powder
• 1 tsp oil
• 1 tbsp salt
To Roast And Grind:
• 1 tbsp oil
• 3 tsp white lentils
• 2 tsp chickpea lentils (chana dal)
• 2 tsp coriander seeds
• 1 tsp cumin seeds
• 10-12 black pepper
• 2" piece cinnamon-
• 4-5 red chillies
• 3/4 cup coconut
Method:
• Wash 1/3rd cup of toor dal with water. Rinse well.
• Now add 1 cup fresh water, 1/4th tsp turmeric and 1 tsp oil and pressure cook. Wait for three whistles.
• Take sweet pumpkin, beans, potato, carrot. Chop pumpkin and carrot into cubes and beans in 1 inch pieces. Cut potato into 1.5 inch pieces.
• In a vessel, pour 2 cups of water and add all veggies into it along with 1/4th cup of peanuts. Add 1 tbsp salt and let it simmer on a low flame.
• In a frying pan, put 1 tbsp oil and 3 tsp white lentils and 2 tsp chickpea lentils, 2 tsp coriander seeds, 1 tsp cumin seeds, 10-12 black peppercorns, 5-6 dry red chillies, cinnamon.
• Roast them on a medium flame. Roast till all ingredients turn golden brown. Add 3/4th cup of grated coconut. Roast for a few minutes. Transfer to a mixer and powder it finely.
• Add this masala to the boiled vegetables and blend it thoroughly.
• Open the lid of the pressure cooker. Add the cooked lentils to the vegetables.
• Let it come to a boil.
• In a sauteing pan, put 2 tsp oil, mustard seeds and a few curry leaves. Let it crackle and temper the curry with it.
• Kootu is ready. Serve with rice.
