Bittergourd (Pavakkai) Kootu

Bitter melon, also known as bitter gourd or bitter squash is a nutritious vegetable differing in shape, size and color. The vegetable is known for its strong bitter taste. My kids do not eat this because of its bitter taste, so I tried this recipe and my kids enjoyed it. This is a very simple basic recipe for kootu by adding bitter gourd and toor dal with mild seasoning,topped with grated coconuts.Lets try serving our family with this healthy recipe.

Prep  time	Cooking time	Serves
15 mins	20 mins	4persons

Recipe type:  Kootu varieties

Cuisine:South Indian Cuisine

Ingredients Bitter gourd  -1 large Toor dal -3/4 cup Channa dal -1/4 cup Grated jaggery -1 tbsp Turmeric powder  -1/2 tsp Freshly grated coconut -2 tbsp Seasonings Mustard seeds -1 tsp Urad dal -1 tsp Dried red chillie -2 nos Green chilli -1 no Hing -1/2 tsp Curry leaves –few Oil –to temper Green chillies -3 no’s Cilantro –few sprigs

 

Method

1.Soak the tamarind in 1/2 cup of water for 30 minutes and get the juice.Soak split bengal gram and split pigeon pea for an hour. Drain water.Pressure cook bitter gourd along with toor dal,channa dal and turmeric powder until soft and mushy.(3-4 whistles).Once the pressure is released,add salt and simmer for 5 minutes.

2. Heat some oil in a kadai and temper from mustard seeds through curry leaves.Add to the boiling bitter gourd along with the oil.Simmer for 5 more minutes. 

3.Now add the coconut paste and bring to boil until the raw smell is gone. Remove from heat then add asafoetida powder and coriander leaf mix well and serve.

Notes

Wash, de-seed and cut gourd into slices. Sprinkle some salt, 1/2 tsp turmeric powder, set aside for about half an hour. Now squeeze slices, wash 1-2 times in fresh water.

Snake Gourd /Pudalangai Kootu

This kootu is made with Pudalangai which is known as "snake gourd" in English, probably because of its appearance and length. This is vegetable which is very commonly grown and cooked in Kerala. I am sharing a simple South Indian kootu recipe which is very common in my house. Snake gourd is rich in fibre and helps prevent constipation. It tastes so good and is also very easy on the digestive system. It goes well with both rice and roti is important to use the vegetable in its tender stage, as once it is mature, pudalangai (snake gourd) tends to develop string-like fibres in it making it difficult to chew and tasteless. It is served as one of the side dishes to the main meal. A "kootu" is made with one vegetable (sometimes two), Bengal gram lentils and a spice-coconut paste. This preparation does not have gravy as such, yet cannot be defined as "dry" because the spice-coconut paste coats the vegetables and lentils resulting in a moist and semi-solid consistency.

 Prep time        : 30 mins            Cook time   : 20 mins            Serves         : 3

Ingredients	Quantity
Snake gourd /pudalangai	2 cups
Kadalai paruppu	¼ cup
Toor dal/yellow moong dal	2  tbsp
Turmeric powder	¼ tsp.
Sambhar powder	¾ tsp.
Oil	2 tsp.
Lemon juice	2 tsp.
Cilantro	few

To Grind

Coconut	¼ cup
Green chilli	2-3 no’s
Cumin seeds	¾ tsp.
Whole pepper	¼ tsp.

Heat a tsp. of oil and fry the above ingredients, adding coconut at the end. Grind it to a smooth paste adding little water.

To temper

Oil(I used coconut oil)	1 tsp.
Mustard	3/4 tsp.
Urad dal	1 tsp.
Fennel seeds	¼ tsp.
Dry red chillies	3 no’s
Hing	pinch
Curry leaves	A sprig
Onion	1 medium

Method

1.First cut snake gourd vertically and scoop out the seeds. Then cut snake gourd into small pieces. Do not cut it finely. .Soak the Bengal gram lentils (chana dal) in a little water for 1/2 an hour. Cook the snake gourd pieces and lentils together in the pressure cooker along with turmeric powder and salt.

2. The lentils should be cooked well but firm and not mushy.Once done, remove from the stove and heat a tempering pan and add oil when it’s get hot add all the "tempering ingredients" one by one and wait till it splutter.

3. And grind the “Grind Ingredients" using little water to a smooth paste and keep aside. Add the tempering and the  ground masala to the snake gourd lentil mixture.

4. Allow this mixture to cook in medium heat until the raw smell leaves. Combine well add enough salt and little water if you feels it’s too thick.Then add some chopped cilantro.

5. Yummy and Flavorful Snake gourd kottu ready. Serve hot with plain rice and any desired stir fries or fryums.

Served with

Pavakkai Kara kulambu

Poondu kulambu

Notes
Usually the kootu has to be little bit watery.Because my son does not like to be the way it is..I made it like this. Instead of adding whole pepper powder you can grind the Coconut with pepper powder and use. It will give different taste

You can also use chana dal alone to make this kootu.With the same recipe, instead of snake gourd you can also use chow chow, mixed veg’s like carrot, beans or any desired veg’s.

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Technorati Tags: Pudalangai kootu,Snake gourd recipes,Pudalangai recipes,Indian Food recipes,South indian food recipes,Side dish for rice recipes,Side dish for vathal kulambu recipes.

Drumstick leaves Tomato Kootu

Drumstick leaves are very small and green in colour.The leaves have many benefits. They are effective in developing body cells. It’s a simple and healthy recipe. Do not cook the keerai over high flame as it lead to loss nutrients. I have added small onions; it gives very nice taste to this dish. Rich in vitamin A, C and calcium. It is extremely useful during pregnancy period for calcium deficiency. It will increases lactation after delivery.

Prep time: 15 mins |Cook time: 20 mins| serves: 3 persons

Cuisine: South Indian (Side Dish)

Ingredients Drumstick leaves   -2 cups Tomato -3 no’s Small Onion  -1/2 cup Toor dal -1/2 cup Green chilli -2 no’s Red chilli powder -1 tsp Grated coconut -1 tbsp. Turmeric powder -1/4 tsp Salt –to taste Seasonings Oil -2 tsp Mustard seeds -1/2 tsp Fennel seeds(Sombu) -!/4 tsp Dry red chilli -2 no’s

 

Method

1. Boil toor dal along with the turmeric powder in the pressure cooker for 2 whistles. Make sure that the toor dal does not get mushy. Separate the water from the toor dal and reserve for the further use.

2. Chop the onions, tomatoes and green chillies separately and keep aside. Separate the drum stick leaves from the stalk.Heat oil in the pressure cooker, do the listed seasonings, followed by the onions, green chillies. Stir for 30 seconds till the onions turns tranculent.Now add the drumstick leaves and tomatoes. Keep stirring for 2 minutes and add the spice powders with little salt.

3. When the raw smell leaves the pan, add the toor dal water .Close the pressure cooker with the lid and cook till 1 whistle. After the steam releases, add the tor dal, grated coconut and boil till the bubbles pops up.

4. Tasty Drumstick leaves tomato kootu is ready. Serve it with steaming rice or as a side dish for any spicy kulambu.

Notes

Crushed garlic can be added while sautéing which gives a nice smell.

Technorati Tags: Side Dish varieties,Kootu varieties,South Indian recipes,Indian food recipes,Tamil Nadu recipes,Lunch rewcipes,Packing recipes

 

Manathakkali Keerai Paruppu Kootu

This kootu recipe is very easy to make & very healthy too. You can make this kootu with any type of greens. Today I have used manathakkali keerai for making this recipe. All on earth know the value of eating greens and want to consume it in some form or the other. It is rather difficult to give the greens to young children. Manathakkali keerai is good to bring down the mouth ulcer. When we chew the fresh manathakkali leaves it will reduce the ulcer in mouth which is due to heat or ulcer in stomach. So think about it.

Check out the other kootu varities if you are interested.

Prep time: 10 mins|Cook time: 20 mins|Serves: 3 persons

Ingredients Manathakkali leaves -2 cups Toor dal -1 cup Garlic pods -2 no’s Turmeric powder -1/4 tsp Sambar powder -1 ¼ tsp Salt –to taste Water -1 or 1 ½ cups (just to immerse the greens) Crushed black pepper -1/4 tsp For grinding Cumin seeds -1 tbsp. Grated coconut -2 tbsp. Seasonings Oil -1 tsp Thalikkum vadagam -1 tbsp Hing –1/2 tsp

Method
1. Wash the greens 4-5 times & chop them .Meanwhile pressure cook the toor dal for 3whistles.

2. Boil water with turmeric, sambar powder and salt. When water boils add manathakkali keerai and cook till the greens are tender/cooked. It will take only few mins to cook.

3. Grind the coconut, jeera into a fine paste adding very little water. Do not add too much water.

4. When the keerai gets cooked, add the ground paste & the cooked toor dal. Mix them well & let it boil for another 5more mins. Sprinkle some crushed pepper powder.Switch off the flame.

5. Temper the ingredients that are listed under "to temper" table.

6. Serve hot with Poondu kuzhambu

7. Keerai kootu can be taken with rice/chapatti/roti.

Notes

1.       Chop the keerai finely. The keerai will get cooked very fast if you have chopped them finely. Tempering with coconut oil is purely optional. If you feel the kootu is watery then mix 1 tsp of rice flour with little water. Add them last & cook them for 2more mins.

2.      While cooking greens don't cover the vessel with lid because greens colour will become dark. Immediately transfer to serving bowl to avoid further cooking.

Health benefits

• The leaves are effective in the treatment of digestive disorders and stomach disorders like flatulence,colitis and peptic ulcers.An infusion  of the plant is useful in dysentery and other stomach ailments.
• The fruits or the berries of the plant is beneficial in treating asthma and also yields beneficial results in fevers. It is useful in the treatment of dropsy. It increases the secretion and discharge of urine.
• The plant is good in healing chronic skin diseases such as acne and eczema.
• Manathakkali kootu will bring down the body heat and is healthy with low fat,high protein,iron calcium,fiber etc.

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Technorati Tags: Keerai recipes,Green leafs recipes,Night black shade recipes,Manathakkali keerai recipes,Dal recipes,Paruppu varieties,Kootu varieties,Lunch meal recipes,Coconut recipes