Tomato Dhal Kootu / Thakkali Kootu (with moong dhal)

Tomato kootu is easy to make, tasty recipe which I learned from my mom.  It goes well with rice along with any poriyal / veg stir fry / pappad; you can also try this kootu with chapathi.

Do try and give your feedback,

PREP TIME

20 min

COOK TIME

25 mins

TOTAL TIME 

35 mins

                                                                                                                                                

Recipe for Tomato dhal kootu

Recipe type: Main Course

Cuisine: Tamil nadu Cuisine

Serves:  3 to 4 (approximately)

Ingredients:

Tomato - 4 medium sized (chopped)
Onion - 1 medium sized(finely chopped)
Turmeric powder - ½ tsp
Red chilli powder - ¾ to 1 tsp
Salt - as required

To Grind:

Coconut - 2 to 3 tbsp

Cumin seeds - ½ tsp 

For seasoning:

Oil - 1 tbsp

Mustard seeds - 1 tsp

Urad dhal - ½ tsp 

Curry leaves - 1 sprig

Directions:

Take a pressure cooker; add moong dhal and turmeric powder along with a cup of water and cook it for 2 to 3 whistles or until it becomes soft.

Grind coconut and cumin seeds by adding very little water; keep aside.

Heat oil in a kadai; add mustard seeds, urad dhal and curry leaves.

Once the mustard seed crackles, add chopped onion. Fry till onion becomes translucent.

Then add chopped tomatoes, turmeric powder, red chilli powder and salt.  Give it a stir and add little water; allow to cook.

Once the the tomatoes becomes soft, add cooked moong dhal and coconut cumin seed paste. Add water to adjust the consistency if necessary.

Give it a mix and allow to cook for another 5 minutes in medium flame.

Switch off the gas and serve hot with rice!

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Keerai Poricha Kootu / Keerai Kootu / Spinach with Moong Dhal

Spinach / Keerai Kootu is a delicious and easy to make veg accompaniment; popular among Tamilnadu cuisine!

Moong dhal and spinach makes a healthy combination; which is easily digestible and suitable for all ages.  This is one among many varieties of kootu that mom used to prepare with different combination of vegetables and dhals / lentils.  We usually like to have it with vatha kulambu / kara kulambu, rasam and sometimes with chapathi too!

Check my Chow Chow kootu / Chayote Kootu with Channa Dhal  also.

Let's go through the recipe now;

PREP TIME

15 min

COOK TIME

20 mins

TOTAL TIME

35 mins

                                                                                                                                                       

      
Recipe for Keerai Poricha Kootu

Recipe type: Veg Curry
Cuisine: Tamilnadu

Serves: 4 persons                                  

Ingredients:

Spinach - 2 bunches(big)
Moong dhal / Pasiparuppu-  ¼ cup
Turmeric powder - ¼ tsp
Salt - to taste
To Roast and Grind:
Coconut - 3 tbsp
Urad dhal - 1 tsp
Pepper - ¼ tsp
Cumin - ½ tsp
Red chillies - 1 or 2

For Seasoning:

Oil - 2 tsp
Mustard seeds - 1 tsp
Red chillies - 1

Chow Chow kootu / Chayote Kootu with Channa Dhal (Kadalai Paruppu)

Chow Chow Kootu is a popular and easy to make veg accompaniment in Tamil Nadu meal menu; goes well with Chapathi as well! 

Chow Chow is rich in fibre, amino acids and vit c; it is also beneficial against cardiovascular disease and cancer.

 Ingredients:

Chow Chow - 2
Channa dhal - ½ cup

Asafoetida - a pinch

Turmeric powder - ¼ tsp

Salt - to taste

To Grind:
Coconut - 3 tbsp
Cumin Seeds -  ½ tsp
Green chilies - 2 to 3

For Seasoning:
Oil - 2 tsp
Mustard seeds - 1 tsp

Red chillies - 2

Curryleaves - 1 sprig

Directions:

Wash, peel the skin; remove the inner soft seed and chop the chow chow into bite sized pieces.  Keep aside.

Vazhalai Thandu Mor Kootu (Plantain stem with Yoghurt)

Kootu is a basically a south indian dish. It is in semi solid consistency mostly consists of vegetables and dhal or curd. In this receipe I have used plantain stem which is rich in pottassium and fibre.

Ingredients:

Vazhalai Thandu / Plaintain stem - 1 cup
Yogurt / curd - ½ cup
Salt

For seasoning:
Mustard seeds – ¼ tsp
Curry leaves – few
Red chilly - 1 (optonal)
Asafoetida – a pinch
Oil - 2 tsp

To Grind:
Cumin seeds – ½ tsp
Coconut - 2 tsp
Green chillies – 1 or 2

Directions:

Remove the outer layer of the banana stem.   Cut into roundels by removing the thread like fiber in that. Chop that into small pieces.

To prevent darkening, put them in a diluted mixture of water and buttermilk.

Grind the coconut, green chilli and cumin seeds by adding very little water; keep aside.

Take a kadai; cook plantain stem with little water and salt.

After it is done, add the coconut, greenchilli and cumin seed paste.

Mix well and allow it to cook for 5 minutes ( If you feel the mixture is not thick enough, add a tsp of rice flour to that and mix well).

Turn off the gas. Once it is cooled, add curd and mix well.

Season  it with the above mentioned ingredients. 

Serve as an accompaniment to any spicy gravy (kara kuzhambu) with rice or eat as it is as a salad.