Kootu curry is a popular and traditional side dish made as a part of Onam Sadya . Kootu means mingling or a combination, so as the name implies, it is a mixture of black chick peas and combination of vegetables like Malabar yam , plantain and winter melon . This is prepared in different ways in different part of Kerala and it is semi dry preparation. Some use chana dal instead of whole chana . for authentic taste use coconut oil .

Ingredients:

1 . Black chick peas ( chana ) – 1/2 cup .

2 . Malabar yam ( suran ) pieces – 1/2 cup .

3 . Plantain ( nendra kaya ) – 1 .

4 . Turmeric powder – 1/2 tsp .

5. Chilli powder – 1 tsp .

6 . Asafoetida – 1/2 tsp .

7 . Curry leaves few .

8. Jaggery powder – 1 – 2 tbsp.

9 . Salt to taste

For grinding :

! . Grated coconut – 3/4 cup .

2 . Cumin seeds – less then 1/4 tsp .

For masala powder :

1. Black gram dal – 1 tbsp .
2. Cumin seeds – 1/2 tsp .
3. Black pepper corns – 1/2 tsp .
4. Dried red chillies – 3 – 4 .
5. Curry leaves few .
6. Coconut oil little

For seasoning:

1 . Grated coconut – 1/2 – 3/4 cup .

2 . Cumin seeds – 1/2 tsp .

3 . Curry leaves few .

4 . Coconut 0il – 1tsp .

5 . Ghee – 1 tsp .

Method:

1. Soak black chick peas over night and pressure cook adding enough water and cook around 5 whistle then simmer the flame and cook 10 more minutes .
2. Grind together grated coconut and cumin seeds with little water and keep aside .
3. Heat little oil in frying pan add urad dal , cumin seeds , pepper corn red chillies and curry leaves . Then roast until urad dal turns golden brown in colour, switch off the flame keep aside to cool down . Now coarsely powder it and keep aside

4. Cook the vegetables with turmeric powder, chilli powder, pepper powder asafoetida and curry leaves with enough water.

5 .when vegetables are cooked well add cooked chick peas , salt and jaggery powder , mix it well .

6 . Add ground coconut paste and powdered masala to the vegetables and mix well.

7 . Adjust the salt and jaggery and cook until the raw smell of coconut masala is gone . Switch of the flame .

8 . Take slightly bigger frying pan , heat oil and add cumin seeds, curry leaves and grated coconut and roast until golden brown colour.

9 . Move the fried masala to the side of the pan add 1 tsp of ghee in the middle of the pan .

10 . Add the kootu curry and mix it well . And then switch of the pan and cover it with lid and allow it to stand for 10 – 12 minutes before serve .

11 . Serve with rice as side dish .