Bitter Gourd Kootu

Kootu is a lentil and vegetable dish, particularly in Tamil and Kerala cuisines. The etymology for kootu is derived from the Tamil word “kootu” which means “add” i.e. vegetable added with lentils form the dish, which is semi-solid in consistency. Like the curd or moru based dishes, kootu are also side dishes, similar to dhal fry, pachadi and curry, sometimes devoid of the tangy or sourness of tamarind or curds. Kootu is a tasty side dish as well as a very healthy food.

The dish is noted for its nutty and complex flavors and textures, owing to the liberal addition of lentils and coconuts. It is typically less watery than sambhar, but more so than dry stir-fries. All kootus by default have some vegetables and lentils, but many variations of kootu exist.

? Poricha Kootu: A kootu made with urad dhal and pepper is called poricha (means “fried” in Tamil) kootu. Fried urad dhal, pepper, few red chilies, some cumin and fresh coconut are ground together. Moong dhal and the cut vegetables are cooked separately. Then, the ground paste, cooked vegetables and moong dhal are mixed and heated. Vegetables such as beans and snake gourd are common ingredients in this kootu.

? Araichivita Kootu: A kootu which has a powdered (freshly ground) masala in it; the word araichivita in Tamil literally translates to “the one which has been ground and poured.” The ground paste is a mixture of fried urad dal, cumin seeds and coconut.

? Araichivita Sambar: The chopped vegetables and toor dhal are cooked separately. Then, the ground paste, cooked vegetables and dal are heated together to which a ground paste of coconut, Bengal gram, coriander, red chilies, a few pepper corns, a piece of cinnamon is added. The dish is completed with a seasoning of mustard.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Koottu

1. Cut the bitter gourd as round pieces and take in a lead coated vessel.Take the juice from lemon and add to the cut bitter gourd.

2. Add the salt to the bitter gourd and gently mix with a soft hand for 24 minutes. Marinate for 15 minutes and squeeze the juice. By doing this the bitterness will be reduced.

3. Take water in a lead coated vessel that can hold 1 ½ padi of water and add the bitter gourd into it and boil to cook.

4. Fry chilli, pepper, black gram, grated coconut and cleaned sesame seed one by one using a little ghee or oil and grind them into a nice paste adding a little water.

5. Take water and tamarind in a lead coated vessel and blend nicely, take the extract and add to the cooked bitter gourd. When the it is nicely cooked add the ground masala and mix.

6. Add the powdered salt to the kootu and allow it to thicken. Saute curry leaves and add.

7. Season using ghee,red chilly,mustard and black gram follow the 22 nd (seasoning recipe)
recipe and add to the kootu.

8. Optional: Cook ? padi of pigeon pea and add to the kootu when the vegetable/tuber is nicely cooked and before adding masala. While adding the curry leaves a handful of groundnut fried either in oil or ghee can also be added.

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