(Chow chow is chayote squash, also called Bangalore katrikai in Chennai Christophine in french Hayato uri in japanese). You can use this vegetable to make koottu, thogayal(chutney), curry, adding it in sambar)
Ingredients
Chow chow 1 cup
Coconut 1 cup
Chana dhal half cup
Red chil 2
Jeera(cumin seeds). 1 tsp
Mustard seeds. 1 tsp
Urad dhal 2 tsp
Oil 2 tsp
Curry leaves few
Salt to Taste
Method
Grind the coconut, red chili, jeera in a blender by adding half cup of water.
Remove the skin of the chow chow and cut them into cubes.
Boil them in 2 cups of water, add the chana dhal, turmeric and salt.
When the vegetable is cooked, add the ground coconut paste.
Heat a pan with oil. Add mustard seeds, urad dhal and curry leaves.
When dhal becomes red, add to the koottu. Remove this dish in to a serving bowl.
Chinese Winter Melon koottu /Don Qua/பூசணிக்காய் கூட்டு.
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Koottu is always nutritious. We get the goodness of vegetables and the lentils that is also filling. You can have just koottu alone if you are dieting and avoiding rice.
Kottu can be made in different styles. Soaked and cooked beans and different kinds of lentils can be added to any single or a combination of vegetables. Make sure to add koottu in your diet.
The winter melon we get here can be compared to the poosani/ash gourd from India. This one is longer and smaller in circumference. Taste is almost the same.It gets cooked within a few minutes.
Steps:
Cook 1/4 cup of moong lentils or a mix of moong and gram lentils . Add needed salt and mix.
In a wide pan, add 1/2 cup of water. Depending on how the melon is, you may need a bit more water. Add turmeric powder, 1/2 tsp sambar powder, asafoetida, torn curry leaves, cracked pepper , 1/2 tsp cumin, 1 tsp oil and salt. Bring to boil and add 4 cups of cubed winter melon pieces. Mix well. Cover and cook for a few minutes. Check to turn and add more water if needed.
Make a paste of coconut and green chilli. You can add a tsp of almond powder. But not a must.
When the melon is cooked, add the cooked and salted lentil and the coconut paste. Mix well and adjust water consistency. If you want to mix with rice and eat, it can be a bit diluted. For a side dish, thicker koottu is good.
Bring it to boil. Turn off the stove. Add a pinch of dry roasted fenugreek powder.
Do a tempering of mustard seeds, urad lentils , asafoetida and curry leaves. Coconut oil gives a good aroma.
Enjoy the koottu.
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Chinese Winter Melon koottu /Don Qua/பூசணிக்காய் கூட்டு.
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Koottu is
கூட்டு
Koottu is a very basic and traditional South Indian dish that is ingenious. Koottu means 'mix' or 'mixture' in Tamil. It is basically made with watery and/or country vegetables typically used in South India along with cooked toor dhal (pigeon pea), moong dhal (yellow lentil) or red lentils. There are several varieties. Coconut is grinded and added along with spices like black pepper, red/green chillies,cumin, coriander seeds with or without Tamarind or Yougurt. I will be posting several varieties with vegetables normally available in North America. Koottu has protein,good carbs with fibre (vegetables) and the much celebrated coconut. I try my own twists to make it more healthy. Indian ancestors knew what was good for us. Try eating healthy ethnic food wherever you are in the world whenever possible.
Poricha Koottu is a spicy South Indian koottu. In Tamil, Poricha means “Fried”. In this dish, several ingredients are fried and added. Hence the name Poricha Koottu.
You can use vegetables like snake gourd, bottle gourd, chayote squash, ash gourd or…
