Vegetable Kootu
Vegetable kootu is a hearty and delicious side dish made with moong dal and mixed vegetables. Great to serve with both rice and roti.
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Ingredients
- ½ cup Moong dal, rinsed and drained
- 2 cups Water, divided use, plus more if needed
- 3 cups Mixed Vegetables*
- ½ teaspoon Turmeric
- To taste Salt
Spice Paste:
- 1 teaspoon Oil
- 1 teaspoon Cumin seeds
- ½ teaspoon Peppercorns
- 2 Dry red chilies
- ½ teaspoon Asafoetida/ Hing
- 2 tablespoons Fresh or dry unsweetened grated coconut*
For Tempering:
- 1 tablespoon Ghee
- 1 teaspoon Mustard seeds
- ½ teaspoon Cumin seeds
- 1 teaspoon Urad dal
- 1 Dry red Chili, broken
- 8 ~ 10 Curry leaves
Instructions
Cook Dal:
- Combine moong dal and water in an Instant pot or a pressure cooker. Cook on high pressure for 6~8 minutes (or for 2~3 whistles). Set aside and let the pressure release naturally. Open the lid and whisk the dal to make it creamy.½ cup Moong dal, rinsed and drained, 2 cups Water, divided use, plus more if needed
Make Spice Paste:
- Heat oil in a medium size pan; add cumin seeds, peppercorns, dry red chilies and hing. Cook until seeds start to splutter. Mix in the coconut and let the mixture cool slightly. Then blend to a fine paste, adding little water.1 teaspoon Oil, 1 teaspoon Cumin seeds, ½ teaspoon Peppercorns, 2 Dry red chilies, ½ teaspoon Asafoetida/ Hing, 2 tablespoons Fresh or dry unsweetened grated coconut*
Make Vegetable Kootu:
- In a same pan used to make the spice paste, combine the mixed vegetables and remaining ½cup of water along turmeric and salt. Bring the mixture to a boil, lower the heat and simmer until the veggies are tender.3 cups Mixed Vegetables*, ½ teaspoon Turmeric, To taste Salt
- Add the cooked dal to the pan and mix well. Stir in 2~3 tablespoons of water if the dal looks too thick. Add the spice paste and cook till the top is frothy and flavors have a chance to mingle.
Make tempering:
- Heat ghee in a small saucepan; add mustard & cumin seeds, urad dal, dry red chili and hing. Cook till the seeds start to splutter, add curry leaves and cook for a few seconds. Pour the tempering into the dal and mix well. Serve hot with rice or roti.1 tablespoon Ghee, 1 teaspoon Mustard seeds, ½ teaspoon Cumin seeds, 1 teaspoon Urad dal, 1 Dry red Chili, broken, 8 ~ 10 Curry leaves
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Notes
- I love using split moong dal because it cooks quickly. But feel free to use toor dal or masoor dal (red lentils). Just make sure that you have about 3 cups of chopped veggies.
- You can either use frozen mix vegetables or fresh, chopped veggies. My favorite are potato, zucchini, cauliflower, bell peppers etc.
- I always have frozen grated coconut on hand to use in recipes.
- If using dry unsweetened dry coconut, then soak it in warm water for 15 minutes, then drain and use in the recipe.
- Make spice paste up to 3 days in advance and store in an airtight container until ready to use.
- You can pressure cook the vegetables along with the dal to make this a one pot dish.
- If you make the recipe with toor dal, add 2 teaspoons tamarind paste for a tangy and delicious twist.
- Store leftover kootu in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 3 days.
Nutrition
Calories: 239kcal | Carbohydrates: 37g | Protein: 12g | Fat: 6g | Saturated Fat: 3g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 1g | Monounsaturated Fat: 2g | Trans Fat: 0.01g | Cholesterol: 10mg | Sodium: 75mg | Potassium: 365mg | Fiber: 9g | Sugar: 1g | Vitamin A: 7244IU | Vitamin C: 71mg | Calcium: 68mg | Iron: 3mg
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