Thursday, April 15, 2010

Kootu Curry (Mixed vegetables in coconut)

 Kootu curry is a mix of chick pea, yam and plantain in coarsely ground coconut.  The main flavoring of the dish is the fried coconut.   This dish is popular in North Kerala.  I learned this dish from a family friendthat  from Kannur.   Eating at her home made me realize with finality  that small changes in ingredients make huge difference.  I say that because she would serve a fish curry which is with a coconut gravy and I would expect it to be like something I have already tasted.  However, the minute I taste it I know I am wrong.  A little jeera or a little this or that I learned gives a totally different dimension.  Anyways, the crux of it is this dish may not sound very different from a sauted vegetable with coconut but once the vegetables are more of the starch protein variety and pepper and chili powder instead of green chilis come into play  you have a new experience.  Another of those dishes served in sadya it seems just apt to talk about it today.  
Ingredients:
Black Chana - 1/2 cup
Yam - 1 cup
Grated Coconut - 1/3 cup + 1Tbspn
Chili powder - 1 tspn
Turmeric - 1/2 tspn
Jeera - 1/2 tspn
Pepper - 4 - 5 pepper corns or about 1/4 tspn or as per taste
Salt - for taste




Method:
1. Soak chana overnight or atleast 6-7 hours
2. Pressure cook with a little salt till done
3. Cook yam with turmeric, chili powder and a little salt
4. Grind coconut coarsely with jeera and pepper corns
5. Mix cooked chana, yam and the ground coconut mixture and check for taste and salt.  Add pepper or salt if needed
6. Temper with 2 tspn of coconut oil, mustard, curry leaves, 1 broken red chili, curry leaves and 1 Tbspn of coconut
7. Mix well and serve with rice

Notes: You may add plantain to this dish.  There is also a version of green grams and pumpkin with the same coconut mixture which I will talk about in another post.

We talked a lot about Vishu and "Vishukkani" yesterday.Here is a picture of Vishukkani for you




Contributor: Sunitha & Namitha

45 comments:

  1. Would be really cool to wrap them up with roti!

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  2. This recipe is very innovative,never heard of this. Click says it all.

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  3. Very beautiful pic, and happy vishu to you..

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  4. looks so delicious..very tasty..

    www.foodlyrics.com

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  5. Awesome Idol of Lord Krishna. Kootu Kari looks fabulous!

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  6. Nice combo of chana and yam, the pic is amazing. Wish u a happy Vishu.

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  7. Happy Vishu...
    Wot a lovely curry.. I totally agree... small changes in ingredients give a good twist...

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  8. Looks so delcious....

    Vishukkani pic looks devine..

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  9. Nalla Vishu kani..Koottu curryum adipoli aayittundu...Happy Vishu to you too!!

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  10. my favorite recipe. Mouthwatering. Nice click

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  11. This sounds like an amazing curry and your photos of it are gorgeous. I hope you are having a wonderful day. Blessings...Mary

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  12. Nicely decorated dear with nice photography,,,Curry looks great well presented...

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  13. wish u a very happy vishu. The yam kootu looks very tasty and delicious.

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  14. wow this looks great !!! A must try. Happy Vishu to you too.

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  15. This sounds similar to sundal but adding Yam and plaintain makes its tastes differ. Awesome!
    Nice picture of Lord Krishna.

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  16. Bowl of chickpeas looks lovely, new recipe for me to try. Happy Vishu to you.

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  17. I devour that whole bowl of black channa anytime..Happy VIshu to u...

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  18. Namitha and sunitha

    Kootu curry looks really good. Kaniyum kollam .

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  19. Lovely vishu kani pics...hope you had a relaxing vishu!

    the kootu curry is lovely...i make it with the pumpkin variation...will try your recipe too.

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  20. Your pictures are so incredibly gorgeous!!

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  21. Happy Vishu.This dish looks delicious.

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  22. Happy Vishu dear..the dish is awesome..but the last snap has given such peace in mind...thanks for sharing...

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  23. Happy Vishu CC....

    Love
    Kairali sisters

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  24. Wow! Wonderful combo and beautiful pics! They are really divine!

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  25. Looks very nice. I feel like having some rice now.
    Nice click too.

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  26. We call it sukka... The click luks awesome

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  27. New to me but sounds interesting. Great clicks!

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  28. Hello Ladies, hope you guys had a grate time. Late better than never, Vishu wishes to you both. I never mixed yam with this black channa.. point noted.

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  29. Happy vishu and yummy kootu curry!

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  30. lo sai...il tuo blog è per me un viaggio , buon weekend

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  31. So yum yam ! I would love to try it but I want to know that if I use mustard oil or soya oil instead of coconut oil will taste differ a lot?

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  32. Nalla vishukkanni.....kootucurryum kollam.

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  33. I can't say that I've ever seen plantains in Indian cooking, or yams really! But these are two of my favorite foods. Do you use sweet plantains (ripe) or green plantains?

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  34. My version of kootu is so different than yours. Gr8 clicks absolutely treat to see it. Happy Vishu.

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  35. Hi dear,

    Please collect ur awards from my blog!

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  36. Great recipe. My mom makes this curry and didnt realize that its from Kerala :-)

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