Koottu curry or koottukari is a traditional Kerala curry and an important dish in a sadya(feast). Koottu means combination and as the name implies, it is a combination of different vegetables like ashgourd, yam, raw banana/plantain and lentils like chickpeas or split bengal gram. Like most of the Kerala dishes, this dish is also loaded with coconut and what makes the koottu extra special is the addition of roasted coconut at the end which adds a unique flavor and lovely aroma.
The preparation of this koottu varies from region to region and mostly is made with yam, raw banana/plantain and brown chickpeas. Today I'm sharing a typical Brahmin style koottukari with ashgourd, yam and kadalai paruppu/chana dal. Koottu curry is my favorite dish among sadya recipes. I couldn't get fresh yam here, so I have used frozen yam. The frozen yam actually made my job easy and saved time too. If you are planning a onam sadya this time or even a mini sadya, try this easy and delicious koottu curry.
KOOTTUKARI RECIPE
{ Brahmin style coconut based curry with yam, ashgourd and bengal gram }Serves 4
Ingredients:
1 cup ashgourd / elavan, peeled and cut into small cubes
½ cup yam / chenai, peeled and cut into small cubes
¼ cup chana dal / kadalai paruppu
¼ tsp turmeric powder
1 tsp grated jaggery
Salt to taste
Few curry leaves
To roast:
¼ cup grated coconut
2-3 dry red chillies
To grind:
½ cup grated coconut
½ tsp cumin seeds / jeera
To temper:
2 tsp coconut oil
1 tsp mustard seeds
1 tsp split urad dal
1-2 dry red chillies
Few curry leaves
Method:
1. Pressure cook the chana dal and yam with half of the turmeric powder, salt and water enough to cover them for 3 whistles.
2. In a pan, roast ¼ cup coconut until they turn light brown in color. Transfer to a plate. Then roast the red chillies until they are crisp.
3. Grind the ½ cup coconut, cumin seeds along with 2 tbsp of the roasted coconut and red chillies to a smooth paste adding water as required.
4. In a kadai, add ashgourd, remaining turmeric powder, jaggery, salt and enough water to cover them and cook until the ashgourd becomes soft.
5. Then add the cooked chana dal and yam. Mix well. Add the ground coconut paste, curry leaves, adjust salt if required and cook for 3-4 minutes.
6. In a small pan, heat coconut oil and add mustard seeds. When it splutters, add urad dal, red chillies and curry leaves.
7. Pour this over the koottu and add the remaining roasted coconut. Mix well.
Notes and Tips
- You can also use frozen yam if fresh yam is not available.
- If using frozen yam, soak the chana dal for 30 minutes and cook the dal, ashgourd and yam together in kadai with enough water, turmeric powder, jaggery and salt.
