Friday, September 30, 2011

Chayote & Lentils Curry /Chow Chow Kootu

I  grew up eating a whole lot of simple, healthy & hearty food-- My mom always believed in the power of fresh vegetables and the daily menu would have a variety of veggies packed in simple but eternally satisfying forms. I owe my love for all veggies & fruits to her - in her own persistent but indulging ways amma incorporated them in to our diet - yup even bitter-gourd was supremely blissful when she cooked ! 
So the kootu which is a very satisfying and omni-present dish in South Indian Cuisine ( it even finds its way in to marriage menus !!!), is one dish that was a regular in my mom's kitchen.Not only is the dish comforting & easy to make but also having picky eaters at home, the dish promises to lend a wholesome appeal !


When lentils & vegetable/(s) have a happy union, the resulting dish is  hearty & comforting ! Kootu  a medley of this marriage has its origins in Tamilnadu (South India) and literally means to add (கூட்டு) - veggies are added to the lentils and are seasoned & tempered to suit one's palate. The dish gets its semi-solid consistency to the ground spice & coconut mix. There are many regional versions to the dish and even in my hearth I bring a few subtle changes to the dish every time. For instance, this version of the Chayote Kootu has tomato to bring a tangy flavour to the dish; at times I add a good spoon of the tamarind paste instead of tomatoes or entirely skip both of them to have a different tasting dish altogether. Thus kootu can be played around to get a medley of flavours to suit your taste-buds. !
Now Coming to the veg part of the kootu, either one vegetable or a combination of two or more can be added to have a hearty kootu. The lentils are generally moong dal or a combination of moong dal & toor dal.


In today's Recipe, Chayote the hero of the dish gives a mild n refreshing taste to the kootu and is defenitely a family pleaser. Chayote is a pear shaped fruit eaten as a vegetable and is versatile.Originating in Central america, it is also known as vegetable pear/pear squash/chow chow/ chou chou/சௌ சௌ and is abundant in Amino Acids & Vitamin C . It can be eaten raw (for instance in salads) or cooked. The stems, leaves & tuber part of the roots of this plants are also edible and are said to contain medicinal uses. Though the skin & seed of the chayote are also edible, a few varieties of it is prickly & hard skinned - you can gently scrape of the skin before use. It is fat-free, cholesterol- free and is very low in calories - all the right reasons to gorge on it !! 



Now for the recipe :-

The star ingredients:-

  • Chayote Squash - 2 (washed,peeled &cored ) - peel it if skin prickly or hard
  • Moong Dal - 1 cup - washed & soaked for some time 

For the spicy -coconut paste :-

  • Coconut - a few pieces/grated
  • Black peppercorn - 1 tbsp
  • Cumin seeds - 1
  • Red Chilli & Green chilli - 1 of each - to taste
  • Roasted bengal Gram - 1 to 2 tbsp

Seasoning & Tempering :-

  • Coconut oil - 1 tsp 
  • Mustard Seeds, Urad Dal - 1 tbsp
  • Curry leaves - a few
  • Asafoetida - a pinch
  • Salt - to taste

Others :-

  • Tomato - 1 - cubed
  • Turmeric Powder - 1/2 tsp
  • Coriander leaves - for garnish

Useful Pointers !

1.
Soak lentils for some time before cooking to save fuel
2.
If using chillis while tempering or grinding make sure to use both red & green (to taste) as it adds to the flavour and gives the dish a definite punch
3.Use tomatoes or tamarind paste if you like it tangy or you can totally skip them
4.
The skin & seed of chayote are generally edible - peel them if it is prickly or hard 



How :-


Cut the chayote squash to small cubes and pressure cook it along with the lentils up to 3 whistles.Dry roast the ingredients for the paste (except green chilli) till golden brown and once it cools grind it along with the green chilli to a fine paste adding little water - Set aside.


In a wok, add oil and as it warms up , let the mustard seeds & urad dal crackle. Add the curry leaves & asafoetida and saute the tomatoes till it turns mushy. Add salt to taste and tip in the cooked lentils & chayote. Mix well. Let it come to a boil. Add water if the consistency is too thick. Now mix the ground paste and let it simmer for a while.Check for seasoning & take off flame. Garnish with coriander leaves and serve hot  with rotis or rice. Enjoy !

28 comments:

  1. Slurp,salivating here, kottu looks simply out of the world..

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  2. very flavourful kootu...love this anytime of the day!

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  3. I need to cook with this vegetable, looks superb.

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  4. Very yummy and delicious curry
    www.rajafood.blogspot.com

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  5. i like chow chow, the curry looks great n delicious..

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  6. Delicious koottu. Perfect with hot rice.

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  7. Chow chow kootu looks delicious.

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  8. oh priya, this reminds me of mom's cooking! awesome, I say :)

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  9. Awesome is the word. Love this preparation very much.


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  10. healthy and tasty kootu.. perfect with rice and rasam..

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  11. I've been meaning to try chayote especially since you make it sound so delicious!

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  12. Looks simple and great will try it thanx for the pointers

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  13. Envious of the size of the chayotes :) We get 1/3 the size and used to be 69 cents now is $1.69!!!
    THis is one of my most fav kootus :) looks yum with appalam and all :)
    xoxo priya

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    please do check out my blog and leave ur opinions !
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  15. I love chow chow kootu! Mom makes it often! I also thinks it so healthy!
    -
    Kavi | Edible Entertainment

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  16. Love this chow chow kootu, super comforting curry..

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  17. All time classic kootu...this kootu makes a regular appearance in my home and we really love this a lot.

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  18. I like this very much ...looks very yum

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  19. Wow......Very healthy & hearty.....beautiful!!!!!!!!

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  20. wow that sounds gr8..i never tried this kind of curry.i use to prepare only sambar and side dish,,.book marked..will buy today only and prepare..thanks for sharing.....

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  21. Awesome recipe.Traditional recipes always has a charm that nothing can replace it.

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  22. Looks very delicious priya.

    Cheers,
    Uma

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  23. Hi priya
    thanx a lot for your sweet comments after my post for bonjour event...and i appreciate your concern...
    coming to this kootu...very nice recipe and love all the ingredients n flavors in it...superb preparation...You have lots of yummy n interesting recipes i am so confused to choose one among them(blog Hop wednesday)...have selected some 6 recipes n would like to try some bakes also...lets see :)

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