Bitter Gourd Kootu- Another Method

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. Take the water and tamarind in a lead coated vessel. Extract the juice. Add the salt and jaggery to the tamarind extract.

2. Cut the bitter gourd into round pieces and add to the tamarind extract and cook very well. Cool it, take out the bitter gourd pieces and wash with fresh water and keep it ready.

3. Take ghee in a pan and add the washed bitter gourd pieces and fry till they become brown in colour. Take care not to over-fry.

4. Again mix water and tamarind. Add to a lead coated vessel and take the extract of tamarind. Remove the fibres and seed, if any.

5. Fry black gram, red chilli, pepper and grated coconut these individually either in ghee or in oil and grind them into a nice paste sprinkling some water. Add this paste to the tamarind extract and boil.

6. When it boils once, add the bitter gourd pieces to it and continue to cook. Add salt to the kootu and allow the kootu to thicken. Mix asafoetida with little water and add to kootu.

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