Sorakkai (Bottle Gourd) Kootu

Sorakkai (Bottle gourd) kootu is one of our family’s favorite dish which is healthy and easy to make. Bottle gourd is a common vegetable in India, an yellowish green vegetable, having the shape of a bottle. It has white pulp, with white seeds embedded in spongy flesh. Known as 'sorakkai' in Tamil,Chorakka in Malayalam,Sorakkaya in Telugu and lauki in Hindi.Kootu is a south Indian dish made up of vegetables and lentils. It can be had with rice, roti/phulkas.Its rich in essential minerals, iron, protein and fibre.I have added  a very small amount of toor dal along with the moong dal which increases the taste and obviously rich in protein.

Prep time: 15 mins|Cook time: 20 mins|Serves: 4 persons

Ingredients	Quantity
Bottle gourd	3 cups full
Moong dal	¼ cup
Toor dal	2 tsp
Tomato	2 no’s
Turmeric powder	¼ tsp
Salt	To taste

To grind

Grated coconut	½  cup
Jeera seeds	1 tsp

To temper

Oil	2 tsp
Mustard seeds	½ tsp
Urad dal	1 tsp
Dry Red chillies	2-3 no’s
Curry leaves	2 sprigs
Hing	pinch
Onion	1 no

Method

1. Peel the skin, scoop out the seeds and chop the bottle gourd into small pieces.In a pressure pan, add the chopped bottle gourd pieces, salt, moong dal, toor dal ,tomato,turmeric powder. Pour water (level the water till it touch the sorakkai pieces and pressure cook till both the veggie and dals are done properly.(3 whistles will do).

2. Meanwhile grind grated coconut along with cumin seeds to a fine paste, adding little water.Once the bottle gourd/sorakkai and dal mixture is done ,pour the ground paste with little salt and mix well. 

3. Heat oil in small pan, add little mustard and urad dal from the tempering items. When urad dal turns brown add onions, fry for a minute and pour it in the kootu.Let this simmer for 5-6 minutes, stirring at regular intervals.

4. Heat 1 tsp oil in a pan. Add mustard seeds. When mustard seeds splutter, add urad dal, curry leaves, dry red chillies and asafetida.Remove from heat and pour the tempering on top of the kootu.

5. Sorakkai kootu is ready to be served hot with rice or  roti.

Notes

• Green chillies can be added while grinding.(Optional)
• De-shelled raw peanut powder (Dry roast the peanuts in a small pan. Cool it and remove the outer skin of peanuts. Blend it to fine powder & keep aside) can be sprinkled on top of the kootu for a rich taste.