Bottlegourd kootu / Ridgegourd kootu / Kaai Kootu recipe

Vegetable Dal/Paruppu Kootu is an yummy combo of fiber and protein and is suitable for both kids and adults. You shall make this kootu spicy or bland as your wish. This kootu goes well with rasam rice or any spicy tamarind-based curries like Cowpeas/Thattapyir gravy(link), Garlic curry(link), Bittergourd/Paavakkai curry(link). You shall serve it as side dish for adults but mix with rice & ghee and serve it as main dish for kids. This kootu will subside the bitterness in Angaya podi and so I always pair it with Angaya podi(link) rice. This kootu goes well with dosa or chapathi as well.

Vegetable + Dal Kootu Recipe:

Bottlegourd kootu / Ridgegourd kootu / Kaai Kootu recipe

 

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Prep time

10 mins

Cook time

20 mins

Total time

30 mins

 

Serves: 4

Ingredients

Base ingredient:

• Gourd/Squash vegetable - 1 or 2 as per size

To Pressure cook:

• Moongdal - ¼ cup
• Chanadal - ¼ cup
• Water - 1 cup
• Green chilli - 1 or 2
• Garlic pods - 5
• Tomato - 1 small or ½ of big
• Turmeric powder - ¼ tsp
• Asafoetida powder - big pinch
• Sesame oil - few drops

To Temper:

• Coconut oil - 2 tsp
• Mustard seeds - ¼ tsp
• Cumin seeds - ¼ tsp
• Curry leaves - Few
• Small onions - 5

For flavor:

• Salt - as required
• Chilli powder - ½ tsp

To grind:

• Coconut - 2 tbsp
• Cumin seeds - ¼ tsp
• Peppercorns - 10

To garnish:

• Coriander leaves - Few

Instructions

1. Wash and soak ¼ cup Moongdal with ¼ cup chanadal for 15 to 20 mins.
2. Pressure cook soaked dals with 1 cup water, 1 or 2 green chillies, 5 garlic pods, 1 small tomato chopped, ¼ tsp each of turmeric powder, asafoetida powder & sesame oil for 3 to 5 whistles. Keep aside and let the pressure release naturally.
3. In a pan, add 2 tsp coconut oil. Once hot, add ¼ tsp mustard seeds.
4. Once seeds are spluttered, add ¼ tsp cumin seeds, few curry leaves and 5 chopped small onions.
5. Once onions start to change color, add peeled and chopped gourd/squash vegetable (see tips below to know the choices of veggies) and stir for a minute.
6. Add salt & ½ tsp or more plain chilli powder. Give a quick stir and sprinkle lil water. Cook closed for 5 mins. Don't add too much water as gourd/squash veggies will let out some water.
7. Grind 2 tbsp coconut with ¼ tsp cumin/jeera, 10 peppercorns/milagu with lil water.
8. Once the vegetable is cooked, add cooked dal and ground paste. Let it boil for 5 mins.
9. Garnish with coriander leaves. Yumm 👌

Notes

1.You shall use any gourd/squash vegetables like bottlegourd/suraikai, ridgegourd/peerkangai, snakegourd/pudalangai, ashgourd/vellai poosanikai, chayote squash/chow-chow.
2.Spiciness comes from peppercorns/milagu, green chillies and plain chilli powder in this recipe. Increase or decrease any of these spices as per your spice level and choice.
3.If you don't want to add whole green chillies while pressure cooking, you shall add green or red chillies while grinding coconut.
4.If you don't like chanadal, you shall reduce it to just 1 tbsp or skip it altogether but chanadal adds taste and crunch to kootu.
5.You shall replace small onions with ¼ of a big onion but small onions add taste and flavor to kootu.
6.If you are in hurry, you shall add the onions and veggies too along with dal and pressure cook. In another stove, temper and add coconut kootu, boil for 5 mins and then add cooked dal to it and mix well.
7.You shall skip coconut paste too but this paste enhances the taste of this kootu.

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How to make Vegetable Dal Kootu ?:

1. Wash and soak 1/4 cup Moongdal with 1/4 cup chanadal for 15 to 20 mins.
2. Pressure cook soaked dals with 1 cup water, 1 or 2 green chillies, 5 garlic pods, 1 small tomato chopped, 1/4 tsp each of turmeric powder, asafoetida powder & sesame oil for 3 to 5 whistles. Keep aside and let the pressure release naturally.
3. In a pan, add 2 tsp coconut oil. Once hot, add 1/4 tsp mustard seeds.
4. Once seeds are spluttered, add 1/4 tsp cumin seeds, few curry leaves and 5 chopped small onions.
5. Once onions start to change color, add peeled and chopped gourd/squash vegetable (see tips below to know the choices of veggies) and stir for a minute.
6. Add salt & 1/2 tsp or more plain chilli powder. Give a quick stir and sprinkle lil water. Cook closed for 5 mins. Don’t add too much water as gourd/squash veggies will let out some water.
7. Grind 2 tbsp coconut with 1/4 tsp cumin/jeera, 10 peppercorns/milagu with lil water.
8. Once the vegetable is cooked, add cooked dal and ground paste. Let it boil for 5 mins.
9. Garnish with coriander leaves. Yumm 👌

Tips for making Veg Dal Kootu:

1. You shall use any gourd/squash vegetables like bottlegourd/suraikai, ridgegourd/peerkangai, snakegourd/pudalangai, ashgourd/vellai poosanikai, chayote squash/chow-chow.
2. Spiciness comes from peppercorns/milagu, green chillies and plain chilli powder in this recipe. Increase or decrease any of these spices as per your spice level and choice.
3. If you don’t want to add whole green chillies while pressure cooking, you shall add green or red chillies while grinding coconut.
4. If you don’t like chanadal, you shall reduce it to just 1 tbsp or skip it altogether but chanadal adds taste and crunch to kootu.
5. You shall replace small onions with 1/4 of a big onion but small onions add taste and flavor to kootu.
6. If you are in hurry, you shall add the onions and veggies too along with dal and pressure cook. In another stove, temper and add coconut kootu, boil for 5 mins and then add cooked dal to it and mix well.
7. You shall skip coconut paste too but this paste enhances the taste of this kootu.