Koottu Curry
Brahmin style coconut based curry with yam, ashgourd and bengal gram
Ingredients
- 1 cup ashgourd / elavan peeled and cut into small cubes
- ½ cup yam / chenai peeled and cut into small cubes
- ¼ cup chana dal / kadalai paruppu
- ¼ tsp turmeric powder
- 1 tsp grated jaggery
- Salt to taste
- Few curry leaves
To roast
- ¼ cup grated coconut
- 2-3 dry red chillies
To grind
- ½ cup grated coconut
- ½ tsp cumin seeds / jeera
To temper
- 2 tsp coconut oil
- 1 tsp mustard seeds
- 1 tsp split urad dal
- 1-2 dry red chillies
- Few curry leaves
Instructions
- Pressure cook the chana dal and yam with half of the turmeric powder, salt and water enough to cover them for 3 whistles.
- In a pan, roast ¼ cup coconut until they turn light brown in color. Transfer to a plate. Then roast the red chillies until they are crisp.
- Grind the ½ cup coconut, cumin seeds along with 2 tbsp of the roasted coconut and red chillies to a smooth paste adding water as required.
- In a kadai, add ashgourd, remaining turmeric powder, jaggery, salt and enough water to cover them and cook until the ashgourd becomes soft.
- Then add the cooked chana dal and yam. Mix well. Add the ground coconut paste, curry leaves, adjust salt if required and cook for 3-4 minutes.
- In a small pan, heat coconut oil and add mustard seeds. When it splutters, add urad dal, red chillies and curry leaves.
- Pour this over the koottu and add the remaining roasted coconut. Mix well.
Notes
- You can also use frozen yam if fresh yam is not available.
- If using frozen yam, soak the chana dal for 30 minutes and cook the dal, ashgourd and yam together in kadai with enough water, turmeric powder, jaggery and salt.