Kootu varieties 1. Plain kootu

1.       Plain paasiparuppu (moongdal) kootu 

Vegetables that can be used: Cabbage, chow chow, pudalangai/ snake guard,avaraikai, karamani, beans, carrot, kothavarangai, drumstick, noolkol, peerkangai, vazhai thandu, cauliflower and keerai (mulai keerai, ponnaganni keerai, pasalai keerai, parupu keerai, vendhya keerai, murungai keerai, manathakkali keerai).

 Ingredients: (4person)
 Pasi parupu/Moongdal - 1/2 cup
 Vegetable - 150/200gms
 Jeera - 1tsp
 Pepper - 5/6
 Turmeric powder - a pinch
 Asafoetida - a pinch
 Salt - 1ts p

seasoning
 Mustard seeds - 1/2tsp
 Urid dal - 1/2tsp
 Red chili - 1
 Jeera - 1/2tsp
 Asafoetida - a pinch
 Curry leaves
 Cooking oil/Coconut oil - 1tsp
Method:

 

1.     Pressure cook moongdal or you can cook straight away adding a pinch of turemeric powder, asafoetida. Smash and keep it aside.

2.      Wash and chop the vegetable into small pieces and cook adding the salt.

3.      Grind jeera and pepper into powder.

4.      Add smashed dal and add jeera-pepper powder.

5.      Boil it for 2 seconds. If the consistency is too watery sprinkle rice flour slowly.

6.      Season all the ingredients listed under seasoning.

Tips:

1. To cut vazhaithandu: Fibre of the vegetable should be removed. Peel off the external layer. Cut in horizontaly into thin circular pieces. While making the slice, use your fore finger to remove the fibre part. Cut into small cubes and put it in butter milk water to avoid blackening. vazhai thandu dissolves kidney stones. It can be used once or twice a month only. But regular use helps in bowel movement.

2. If you cook moong dal directly, it will over flow. So add a spoon of cooking oil, keep the karandi in the vessel and add turmeric powder after the dal is half cooked. While pressure cooking, add more water to avoid the stickiness in the dal.

3. All or some of the above vegetables not exceeding 200gms can be used to make mixed vegetable kootu. A small potato and brinjal can also be added to this kootu