Kootu

This particular dish evokes so many memories for me. When I was a kid, I never liked my veggies or in fact food in general. It was a big task for my parents to make me eat and they followed one simple rule, I had to eat whatever was placed in my plate and I couldn't move from the dining table, till I'm finished!! (much to my chagrin and disappointment :( ) And this KOOTU was my death knell!

I detested it with all my being and to add to it, my entire family loved it! While I would sit sulking on the table and take forever to start eating it, forget finishing, my dad, mom and bro would relish it like it is manna from heaven!

It took me a total of two decades of my life to understand what it was that made it so delicious and today I am an ardent lover too :)

Pardon me for the not so great shots. This dish is not particularly camera friendly!

For this you will need -

3-4 tbspns - Tur Dal
Beans
Carrots
Potatoes
Peas
Any other "sturdy" vegetable like beetroots, cluster beans, yam etc

Cut them into cubes, ideally big chunks but I cut them smaller so my two year old also eats!

Salt as per your taste

For the ground masala -

1 tspn - Oil
1 tbspn - Bengal Gram (Chana Dal)
2-3 Nos - Red Chillies
2 Nos - Clove
1 inch - Cinnamon Stick
1 tbspn - Coriander Seeds
1 tspn - Black Pepper Seeds
2 tbspn - Fresh Grated Coconut

For the tempering -

2 tspn - Oil
1 tspn - Mustard Seeds
Few curry leaves


Method -

Soak the tur dal for about half an hour. Then cook this with all the veggies in a pressure cooker. Give 3-4 whistles, so the dal is well cooked.

In the meantime, fry all the above ingredients mentioned for the masala, except the coconut and grind to a fine paste.

Once the pressure is off from the cooker, add the masala to the cooked dal and veggies and give it one boil. Add desired amount of salt and temper it! Serve with rice or rotis.