Ezhukari Kootu/ Ezhukai Kootu

The last post for the Pongal season!

Ezhukari kootu or ezhukai (7 veggies) kootu as we call it. Ven pongal’s soul mate (trust me, they taste divine together). It is a typical Pongal dish, traditionally made with 7 (obviously) country veggies like field beans, broad beans, raw banana, sweet potato
 etc. I have made small changes to the veggies. This is a family recipe, learnt from my co sister Viji akka. Again, this is a super easy dish. You just have to make sweet pongal, ven pongal and this kootu on the pongal day and you can spend the rest of the day watching Pongal dhinam sirappu nigazhchigal (pongal day special programs). Oh, and don’t forget to grab your sugarcanes. This is a super healthy dish. You can make it on any other day and have it with some crispy dosa. My kids loved this combo so much that my twins, who usually fill their tummies with one dosa, asked for 3!  So make sure you try all the dishes this pongal and enjoy your day!  

Preparation time: 15 minutes| Cooking time: 15 to 20 minutes
Course: sides| Cuisine: South Indian

Ingredients:

Moong dal- ½ cup

Mixed vegetables- 2cups (field beans/ mochai, broad beans/avaraikai, carrot, beans, raw banana,    sweet potato/sakkarai valli kilangu, brinjal)

Onion-1

Tomato-1

Green chilies-2

Chili powder- ½ tsp

Coriander powder- 1 tsp

Turmeric- ¼ tsp

Salt- as needed

Oil- 2 tblsp

Mustard seeds- ¼ tsp

Urad dal- ¼ tsp

Curry leaves- a handful

Dry red chili- 2 (broken)

For grinding:

Coconut- ½ cup (grated)

Cumin seeds- ½ tsp

Method:

1.       Wash and cut and keep the veggies ready.

2.       Wash moong dal and add it to a pressure cooker. Along with it add all the veggies, onion, tomato and green chili. Add appropriate water and pressure cook for two whistles.

3.       Meanwhile, grind coconut and cumin seeds into a smooth paste.

4.       Once the pressure releases, add chili powder, coriander powder, turmeric and salt to the cooked veggies. Let it boil for a few minutes.

5.       Now add the ground coconut paste. And give it a boil. Switch off flame.

6.       In a small kadai, heat oil. Add mustard seeds, urad dal, dry red chili and curry leaves to it and let it splutter. Add this tempering to the kootu. Finally garnish the kootu with coriander leaves.

Notes:

·       Basically this kootu is made up of seven veggies. Hence the name.

·       Generally people use country veggies such as field beans, broad beans, sweet potato, brinjal, raw banana, yellow pumpkin, arbi, yam etc. But I have also used carrot and beans as my kids like it.

Step by step pictures

 add moong dal, mixed veggies, onion, tomato 

and green chilies to a pressure cooker

pressure cook for two whistles

 make a smooth paste of coconut and 

cumin seeds and keep ready

 add chili powder, coriander powder, salt

and turmeric powder to the cooked veggies

mix and give it a boil.

add the coconut paste and let it boil 

for a few minutes. switch off flame.

 heat oil in a kadai

add mustard seeds, urad dal, curry leaves

and dry red chilies to it.

switch off when it splutters.

 add the tempering to the kootu

garnish with coriander leaves