Zucchini/Cucumber/Squash dal Kootu
 
Prep time
Cook time
Total time
 
Serves: 4
Ingredients
To pressure cook:
  • Moongdal/Paasi parupu - ⅓ cup
  • Chanadal/Kadalai parupu - ⅛ cup
  • Garlic cloves - 3
  • Asafoetida - Generous pinch
  • Turmeric Powder - ⅛ tsp
  • Sesame oil - ½ tsp
vegetables:
  • Small onions - 10
  • Tomato - 1 small or ½ of big
  • Cucumber/Zucchini/Squash - 2
To temper:
  • Coconut oil - 1 tbsp
  • Mustard seeds - ⅛ tsp
  • Cumin seeds/Jeera - ¼ tsp
  • Curry leaves - Few
  • Asafoetida - Generous pinch
Spices:
  • Sambar powder - 1 tsp or more
  • Salt - 1 tsp or as required
To garnish:
  • Coriander leaves - Few
Instructions
  1. Wash and soak ⅓ cup Moongdal with ⅛ cup chanadal for 15 to 20 mins.
  2. In a pressure cooker, add soaked dal, 3 garlic cloves, generous pinches of turmeric powder and asafoetida, along with 1 cup water and ½ tsp sesame oil.
  3. Pressure cook for for 3 to 5 whistles in medium-high flame.
  4. In a dry pan, add 1 tbsp coconut oil.
  5. Once oil is hot, add mustard seeds.
  6. Once seeds splutter, simmer and add cumin seeds.
  7. Once cumin slightly starts to change color(do not darken/burn), add chopped small onions along with curry leaves.
  8. Once onions are fried(do not darken), add chopped tomato along with a pinch of turmeric powder and salt.
  9. Once tomato turns mushy, add sambar powder/chilli powder and give a quick stir.
  10. Add chopped vegetables(zucchini/cucumber/gourd/squash) and stir for a minute.
  11. Add required salt and 2 to 4 tbsp water. Mix well.
  12. Cook closed for 5 to 10 mins until the vegetables are cooked soft. In between, splash more water, if required.
  13. Open pressure cooker and mash the cooked dal using potato/dal masher or just using thick bottomed ladle.
  14. Pour cooked and mashed dal into cooked vegetable pan. Rinse the cooker with little water and add. Add more salt and mix well. Add 1 tbsp grated coconut(optional) now, if required/desired.
  15. Let it boil for 5 mins without lid. Switch off once desired consistency is reached. Note that kootu will thicken over time.
  16. Garnish with coriander leaves.
Notes
1.Coconut oil tenders nice flavor to the dish. But you shall replace with any cooking oil, if you want to avoid coconut oil.
2.You shall garnish with 1 tb sp grated coconut, if you love the flavor of coconut.
3.Increase or decrease sambar powder as per your spice level.
4.In place of sambar powder, you shall add plain chilli powder too.
5.You shall skip sambar/chilli powder and add few broken dry red chillies before adding onions.
6.Small onions can be replaced with half of a big onion.
7.If you are making this kootu in the morning for lunch, make it lil runny as it will thicken over time.
Recipe by My Healthy Kiddo at https://www.myhealthykiddo.com/zucchini-cucumber-squash-dal-kootu/