7. Paal kootu

7.       Paal kootu

Snake guard, pala keerai, seemai ponnaganni keerai can be used to make this dish. Ashguard can also be used.
Ingredients:
Snake guard - 1/4kg
Milk - 1cup
Green chilli -2
cumin seeds - 1/2tsp
Rice flour - 2tbs
Salt -1tsp
Turmeric powder - a pinch
Asafoetida - a pinch
For tempering:
Mustard seeds -1tsp
Urid dal - 1tsp
curry leaves
Method:

1.       Chop into very small pieces and cook in little water, salt and turmeric powder.

2.       Add chopped (lengthwise) chillies and milk. Boil it for 5 minutes. Add rice flour paste.

3.       Temper all the items given under seasoning in oil.

5. Maakootal or milagoottal

5.       Milagootal or makkootal

Spinach/keerai (mulai keerai, manathakali keerai, parupu keerai, pasalai keerai and ponanganni keerai) are the best for this dish. Cabbage, beans, chow chow, snake guard and other vegetables used for plain kootu can be used.
Ingredients:
Keerai/ spinach - 1 bunch
Thoor dal/moong dal - 1/2 cup
Grated coconut - 1/2 cup
pepper - 5
cumin seed/jeera - 1tbs
optional urid dal- 2tsp
Red chilli - 1
Turmeric powder - a pinch
Asafoetida - a pinch
Salt - 1tbs
For tempering
Coconut oil/cooking oil - 1tbs
Mustard seeds - 1/2tsp
urid dal - 1/2 tsp
cumin seeds - 1/2tsp
Broken red chilli - 1
Asafoetida - a pinch
Curry leaves
Method:

1.       Clean the spinach and chop into very small pieces and cook adding salt and turmeric powder.

2.       Pressure cook thoor dal adding a pinch of turmeric powder and asafetida.

3.       If you used urid dal, fry it with cumin seeds and pepper in dry pan and grind it with coconut. If you do not use urid dal grind the rest of the items raw.

4.       Smash the dal well .Mix all the three well and boil it for a 2 seconds. If the consistency is thin add rice flour.

5.       Temper all the items given under seasoning in oil.
Note: This is makes a best combo with vathakuzhambu. This can be used as a main gravy with ghee rich and pickles can be used as a side dish.
It is a good side dish for chappathi.

 

2. Araithu vitta kootu

2.       Araithu vitta kootu

Same vegetables that are used for Plain kootu can be used for this also. Brinjal and vazhaipoo/ banana flower can be used for this.
Ingredients:
Same ingredeients as for plain kootu.
Thoor dal or masoor dal can be substituted for moongdal -1/4 cup
For grinding:
Grated coconut -2tbs
Jeera -1/2 tsb
Pepper - 3
Urid dal -2tsp
Red chili -1
Oil - 1tsp
Method:
1. Repeat steps 1 and 2 from plain kootu.
2. Fry urid dal, jeera and pepper in oil and grind into fine paste along with coconut.
3. Add smashed dal, cooked vegetable and ground paste and mix well. Boil it for 2 seconds and season as we did in plain kootu.