YAM KOOTU

Yields : 6 servings

Ingredients:

Yam: 1 cup(cut into cubes)
Tuvar dal: 3/4 cup
Turmeric powder: 1/4 tspn
Tamarind: Lemon sized
Groundnut: 2 tbsp
Mustard seeds: 1/2 tsp
Udad dal: 1 tsp
Chana dal: 1tsp
Curry leaves: 8-10 nos.
Kootu powder: 3 tbsp
Fresh coconut: 2 tbsp
Salt: as required
Oil: 1 tbsp

Preparation:

1. Soak tamarind in hot water, extract tamarind water and discard the pulp
2. Pressure cook tuvar dal with the turmeric powder. (3-4 whistles).
3. Grind kootu powder, fresh coconut into a paste by adding little water. Keep aside.
4. Take a pan, prepare tempering by adding oil, mustard seeds, udad dal, chana dal, groundnut and curry leaves.
5. Once tempering is ready, add the chopped yam a little water and cook till yam becomes little soft. Alternatively to save time you can pressure cook the yam and add it to the tempering.
6. Add tamarind pulp, salt and the ground paste. Bring it to boil (7-8 min.).
7. Mash the boiled tuvar dal and add it to the above mixture. Cook for 5 minutes.
8. Serve hot kootu with steamed rice, add a little ghee to the kootu rice for an extra rich flavour.
9. Kootu can be served with rotis and chapatis too.

Notes:

• Kootu can be prepared with other vegetables such as french beans, Indian flat beans (avarekai), cluster beans, chow chow, kohlrabi and bitter gourd too. The method of preparation remains the same.
• The vegetables in Kootu are chopped pretty small size cubes, approximately 1 sq cm, this is so that the veggies blend with the gravy.
• The consistency of Kootu is much thicker than that of sambar.
• There is a practice to use some kind of whole pulse like garbanzo beans/chickpeas, kala chana, green peas or even groundnut along with veggies. Groundnut and fresh peas works out to be the easiest since it does not require overnight soaking. All other pulses needs overnight soaking and needs to be pressure cooked.