Chow Chow Kootu / Chayote in coconut gravy

Chayote also known as chow chow or Bangalore Kathirikkai is considered a squash variety. It will be light green in color and pear shaped. I generally peel the skin and use.

The cooked chayote will taste close to Bottle Guard.

I love chayote when its cooked soft and tender. It is a very comforting food. This kootu is mild and pleasing to our taste buds and very apt when you want to give spicy curries a rest. The combo of coconut+cumin+green chilli gives a wonderful taste. This goes as a perfect side dish for Rotis.



Many people cook this kootu with moong dal, But I had gotten used to cooking it as a plain gravy with the grounded spices.

Ingredients:-
Chayote - 1
Moong Dal (Opt) - 1 Tbsp
Grated Coconut - 1 Tbsp
Green Chilli - 3-4 depending on the hotness
Cumin - 1 sp
Roasted Gram - 1 sp

Rice flour - 1 or 2 sp (If required)

Wash, peel skin and chop chayote to small cubes.
Grind coconut, chilli, cumin and roasted gram with little water.
Pressure cook with little water. (Can cook it with moong dal).
Add ground paste with cooked chayote, add salt, cook for 5-6 minutes.
If it is not thick enough, add 1 sp of rice flour mixed in few tablespoons of water. Cook for few mins till done. Serve hot with Rotis.

Keerai Mor Kootu - Greens in spiced butter milk gravy

Its one of granny's recipe. Very healthy, soothing and comforting. This could be done with any green leafy vegetables. I made it with spinach.

Check out the nutrition benefits for spinach.



Ingredients:-
Chopped Spinach - 1 cup
Sour Thick buttermilk - 1/2 cup
Salt

To grind:-
Red Chilli - 4-5
Cumin - 1 sp
Coconut - 1 Tbsp

To temper:-
Urad Dal - 1 sp

Beat curd to thick buttermilk.
Make paste from grinding Red chillis, cumin and coconut adding little water.
Wash well and chop the spinach. Pressure cook till soft.
Add ground paste to boiled spinach, cook for about 5-8 mins.
Finally add buttermilk,salt. boil for 2 mins (till a boil) not more.
Temper urad dal in very little oil and add.
Serve hot with rice.

**If its not thickened enough, add 1 tbsp of rice flour mixed with cold water and cook for few mins.
** Can add 1 sp of tamarind if butter milk is not sour.

This entry goes to the sweet Sowmya's Cooking-with-greens event :)

Spinach Dal

Ingredients:
Spinach - a small bunch
Tur dal - 2 heaped Tbsp
Tamarind Extract - 1 tbsp
Turmeric - A pinch
Onions/Fried Onions - 1 tbsp
Salt
Oil - To temper/ fry onions

To Temper:
Red Chilli - 3
Hing - 1/2 sp
Mustard - 1 sp
Urad Dal - 1 sp
Channa Dal - 1 sp
Cumin - 1 sp
Curry Leaves
Coriander

Wash well and chop spinach.
Pressure cook Tur dal with spinach, adding pinch of turmeric.
In little oil fry the onions till brown, add cooked dal, tamarind pulp and boil for few mins till it blends well.
Temper with the tempering ingredients.

If using fried onions, it could be added at the end. This goes well with Rice /Rotis.

Avial

Ingredients:-
Beans/Carrots/Shell Peas/Drumstick/Potato - 2 cups
Sour curd - 1 cup
Coconut - 1/2 cup
Green Chilli - 5
Cumin - 1 sp
Curry Leaves - 1 string
Coconut Oil - 1 sp
Rice flour/Corn Flour - 1/2 Tbsp
Salt
Turmeric - A pinch

-Grind together coconut,chilli,cumin to a paste adding just enough water.
-Cut the vegetables to 2" to 3" long and cook it adding just enough water adding salt when the vegetables are half cooked.
-Once cooked, add the ground paste,turmeric.Cook
-Finally add curd, cook few minutes for the taste to blend well.
-If avial is too watery, add 1/2 tspn of rice flour or corn flour mixed in little cold water for thickening.
-Switch off. temper curry leaves in 1 sp coconut oil and add.
-Serve hot with rice. Also goes well with Adai, roti's.
(The avial should not be cooked too long after adding curd, as it might result in curdling)

Mango Dal - Unbelievably Tasty

Ingredients:
Sour Mango - 1
Tur Dal - 3 Tbsp
Turmeric

To Temper:
Mustard - 1sp
Urad Dal - 1sp
Channa Dal - 1sp
Curry Leaves
Coriander
Hing - 1/2 sp

Wash well, cut the mangoes into small pieces.
Pressure cook mangoes with Dal with little turmeric.
Once cooked, add salt.
Temper the given ingredients and add.

Goes very well with hot rice.

Tomato Dal

Ingredients:
Sour Tomatoes - 3
Tur Dal - 3 Tbsp
Turmeric - A pinch
Tamarind - 1 sp

To Temper:
Mustard - 1sp
Urad Dal - 1sp
Channa Dal - 1sp
Curry Leaves
Coriander
Hing - 1/2 sp

Wash well, cut the tomatoes. Pressure cook with Dal and a pinch of turmeric.
Once cooked, add tamarind pulp, salt. Simmer till it blends.
Temper the given ingredients and add.

Tamarind could be avoided if tomatoes are too sour.
Goes very well with rice.
The Dal,if divided equally between Tur and Moong Dal and cooked in above method goes good with Rotis too.

Simple Greens

This could be made with any type of Greens. I made it with Spinach today.

Ingredients :
Greens - 1 Bunch
Salt
Red chilli - 3
Hing.
Mustard

Wash well. Chop fine and pressure cook the green for one whistle or till cooked.
Remove. Mash it well while it is hot.
Add salt and bring to boil in a saucepan.
Switch off.
Temper mustard, hing, red chilli and add.