Kootu is a tamil word which means ‘add’ i.e. vegetable added with lentils and cooked together. It is semi-solid in consistency, less aqueous than sambar but more so than dry curries.

Some cook the vegetable and lentil separately and then mix it. But I prefer to pressure cook both together as it saves time and cooks much faster.

Chow chow ( chayote ) kootu is something that I make regularly at home. My son is very fond of this dish 🙂

Ingredients

Moong dal ( Pasi paruppu) – 3/4th cup

Chopped chow chow ( chayote)-  21/2 cups

Turmeric powder – 1/2 tsp

Salt to taste

Oil – 2 tsps

Mustard- 1 tsp

Split urad dal – 1 tsp

Curry leaves – few

Hing- a pinch

To grind to a paste

Coconut- 1/2 cup

Jeera – 2 tsps

Red chillies- 4

Method

Wash the moong dal well. Add 2 cups of water, chopped chow chow, turmeric powder and salt to taste.

Pressure cook for 3 whistles.

Grind coconut, red chilies and jeera to a smooth paste.

Add this paste to the cooked moong dal and chow chow mixture. Mix well. Check for the seasonings and let it simmer for few minutes.

Heat oil in a pan. Add mustard. When it starts spluttering, add split urad dal, hing and curry leaves. Sauté for few seconds and pour the tempering over the gravy. Mix well and serve hot with rice or roti:)