Puli Kootu

Puli kootu is a delicious, yummy gravy, made of steamed vegetables in a blend of tamarind pulp, coconut and spices. It is served hot with rice and papad.

Ingredients : (serves 3-4)

White pumpkin: 300-350g
Mixed chopped vegetables (mainly brinjals,cluster beans & other optional ones like beans,yam,carrot,flat beans): 1.5 cup
Mochakottai/lima beans: 100g

Tamarind juice (medium consistency): 1.5 tumbler

Turmeric : 1/4 tsp

Salt : 1.5 tsp (or) as per taste

Rasam powder : 1/4 to 1/2 tsp

Tuwar dal : 50 g

Oil : 1 tbsp

Dhaniya seeds : 1 1/4 tsp

Urad dal : 1 tsp

Red chillies :5-6

solid asafoetida : tamarind seed size

Jeera : 1/4 tsp

Mustard : 1/4 to 1/2 tsp

Coconut : 3 tbsp
Green chillies : 2-3

Curry leaves : few
Fresh coriander leaves : few for garnish
Note : If lima bean is not available, you can add black chana or lobia.
You can dry saute chana or lobia till they heat up well and then pressure cook it for 5-6 whistles. Else soak them in water for 5-6 hours and pressure cook it for 3-4 whistle.
Add it before adding tuwar dal in step 6.

Method :

1. Chop the white pumpkin into big pieces. Also chop the other vegetables into little big pieces else they may tend to get mashed. Pressure cook tuwar dal and keep it aside.

2. Take 1 tumbler water in a thick bootom vessel and heat on medium flame.

3. Add all the chopped vegetables,lima beans and slit green chillies into it and let it boil for 10 min. (Add some salt so that vegetables cook well).

4. Now add tamarind juice. Add salt, turmeric, rasam powder. Let it boil for 5-7 min.

5. Meanwhile, take oil in a pan, add solid asafoetida, dhaniya seeds, urad dal, red chillies. Stir well for a min, then add jeera and switch off the flame. Add coconut and grind this mixture.

6. Now add tuwar dal to the boiling kootu. Mix well and let it boil for 2-3 min.

7. Now add the ground mixture and let it boil for 3-5 min. Stir often.

8. Now switch off the flame.

9. In another pan, heat little oil and add mustard. Let it crackle. Switch off flame, add curry leaves and add this tadka to the kootu. Garnish with fresh coriander leaves.

Yummy Puli Kootu is ready !!!!!!!