Kootu Curry (Mixed vegetables in coconut)

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 Kootu curry is a mix of chick pea, yam and plantain in coarsely ground coconut.  The main flavoring of the dish is the fried coconut.   This dish is popular in North Kerala.  I learned this dish from a family friendthat  from Kannur.   Eating at her home made me realize with finality  that small changes in ingredients make huge difference.  I say that because she would serve a fish curry which is with a coconut gravy and I would expect it to be like something I have already tasted.  However, the minute I taste it I know I am wrong.  A little jeera or a little this or that I learned gives a totally different dimension.  Anyways, the crux of it is this dish may not sound very different from a sauted vegetable with coconut but once the vegetables are more of the starch protein variety and pepper and chili powder instead of green chilis come into play  you have a new experience.  Another of those dishes served in sadya it seems just apt to talk about it today.  

Ingredients:
Black Chana - 1/2 cup
Yam - 1 cup
Grated Coconut - 1/3 cup + 1Tbspn
Chili powder - 1 tspn
Turmeric - 1/2 tspn
Jeera - 1/2 tspn
Pepper - 4 - 5 pepper corns or about 1/4 tspn or as per taste
Salt - for taste

Method:
1. Soak chana overnight or atleast 6-7 hours
2. Pressure cook with a little salt till done
3. Cook yam with turmeric, chili powder and a little salt
4. Grind coconut coarsely with jeera and pepper corns
5. Mix cooked chana, yam and the ground coconut mixture and check for taste and salt.  Add pepper or salt if needed
6. Temper with 2 tspn of coconut oil, mustard, curry leaves, 1 broken red chili, curry leaves and 1 Tbspn of coconut
7. Mix well and serve with rice

Notes: You may add plantain to this dish.  There is also a version of green grams and pumpkin with the same coconut mixture which I will talk about in another post.

We talked a lot about Vishu and "Vishukkani" yesterday.Here is a picture of Vishukkani for you




Contributor: Sunitha & Namitha