Fried Erissery

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. Clean and slice ripe banana as before. Add the coconut oil to a pan and heat it up. When hot, add the ripe banana slices and fry them. Break them a little.

2. Now add enough pure water so that the cut pieces of ripe banana gets immersed and the water level should be ½ inch above the banana. Mix turmeric powder, pepper, red chilli and salt and grind them into a fine paste.

3. Add the paste to the ripe banana and mix well. Keep it on the fire and bring to boil. Mash the banana with a spoon and make a paste out of it when it is completely cooked and before the water has not drained fully.

4. Grate the coconut and divide it into three equal portions. Mix cumin seeds with one portion and grind nicely. Add little water, mix well and add to Erissery.

5. When it starts boiling, take it out of the fire. Now take a vessel to hold the whole of Erissery, add the rest of the two parts of coconut shreds and keep on fire.

6. Mix grated coconut slowly till it becomes dry. Add the coconut oil to the grated coconut that is getting fried. When the oil heats up, add mustard seeds, black gram to the hot oil and when the mustard splutters, add the Erissery to it and mix well.

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