Kerala Koottu kari

 

Kootu curry is also known as koottukari is a thick curry based dish made with a few veggies and legumes. The veggies that are added are yam, ash gourd, carrots, snake gourd, pumpkin or plantains. Kootu Curry makes its presence unique by being the only curry which uses roasted coconut as a topping. The vegetables used for this dish differ from place to place in Kerala. The legumes added are black chickpeas (kala chana) or Bengal gram (chana dal). Kootu Kari is one of the important dishes of any sadhya. My mom normally used yam, raw banana and ash gourd with chana dal. This dish was always my favorite from childhood in sadhya so it was a mandatory dish during feast at home. This was one dish which has flavors of sweet salt & spice in one dish.

 

Ingredients 

 Ash gourd - 1/4kg

Raw banana 1 small

Yam 1 small piece

Channa dal 1 small cup

Turmeric Powder- 1 tsp.

Jaggery 1 tbsp.

Coconut Oil - 1 tbsp.

Curry Leaves

Rai 1tsp

Urad dal 1 tbsp.

Dry red chilly 2no

Coconut 3-4tbsp

Curry leaf few

Salt as required 

For grinding

Coconut 3/4cup

Jeera 1tsp

Green chilly 2no

 

Method

Pressure cook channa dal. Don’t overcook it as dal should be visible. Cook all vegetables with turmeric powder jaggery and salt. Mix the dal with vegetables. Then add grinded mixture. Check for salt and spice level. Once done switch off. In kadai add coconut oil once hot add rai urad dal dry chilly curry leaf and coconut and fry it till coconut turns dark brown. If in case you feel the curry is less spicy add ½ tsp. of chilly powder to tadka. Add the cooked vegetables in kadai and stir to make it into thick consistency. Normally Amma keeps the curry in the kadai itself till its served.  

Garnish with curry leaves. A star dish for any sadya.