Chayote Spinach Kootu with Kootu Podi
 
Prep time
Cook time
Total time
 
Author:
Recipe type: Entree,lunch
Cuisine: Indian
Serves: 4-6
Ingredients
Lentils and Vegetables for kootu
  • ½ cup moong daal(split yellow small daal)
  • ½ cup channa daal
  • Chayote - 2 or cabbage- 2 cups or Bottle gourd - 1 chopped
  • Rainbow chard/ spinach/ Milagu keera or any green you prefer
  • 2- 3 tbsp kootu podi
Tempering
  • 1 tbsp vegetable oil
  • 1 tsp cumin seeds
  • ½ tbsp mustard seeds
  • 10 curry leaves
  • little cilantro
kootu Podi (1 cup of kootu podi)
  • Coriander-Dhaniya seeds - ½ cup or 5 tablespoons
  • Channa daal/bengal gram dal/kadala paruppu - ⅓ cup or 3 tbsp
  • Urad daal - 2 tbsp
  • Tuvar daal - 2 tbsp
  • Pepper - 1 tbsp
  • Cumin seeds or Jeera - 2 tbsp
  • Rice - 3 tbsp
  • roasted gram(kalla) - 1 tbsp
  • Fenugreek - 1 tbsp
  • Asafoetida - ½ tsp
  • turmeric powder - ½ tsp
  • Curry Leaves - 15
  • Red chillies - 20
Instructions
Lentils and Vegetables for the kootu
  1. In a large pot, add the moong daal and roast it for about 5 minutes on low heat. Don't let it burn or get too much color.
  2. Add the channa daal to it. Wash both well and add about 5 cups of water and let it cook for about 10 minutes. Check if the moong daal is cooked, when it is about 80% cooked, add the veggies to it and cover and cook for another 6-8 minutes or until the veggies have cooked. Now add the greens, stir and cook for another minute.
  3. Sprinkle 2-3 tbsp or more of the kootu podi. Mix well, simmer for 5 minutes until it thickens.
Tempering.
  1. In a small pan, add oil, cumin and mustard seeds. Let it pop. Add the curry leaves and cilantro. Pour it in the kootu and cover it immediately.
  2. Serve with hot plain rice.
Kootu Podi
Kootu Podi
  1. In a roasted large flat bottomed pan, add the coriander seeds and everything except the red chillies. Roast in on low heat until the rice and other spices are slightly brown and toasty. DO NOT BURN IT. Add the red chilies in the end and toss for a minutes and turn off the heat. Let it cool completely and grind it to a fine powder. Let the powder cool on a plate and then bottle it. This stays good in a cool dark place for months. The more you store it, it will lose the flavor, so try using it in a month or two.
Recipe by Food Fashion Party at https://www.foodfashionparty.com/2020/08/05/chayote-kootu/