Koottukari

Another authentic Kerala delicacy which is often served in the traditional sadya. An Onam or a Vishu sadya or a marriage sadya is practically incomplete without koottukari. As with most of the other dishes, koottukari too has small variations as you travel from district to district and family to family. In my family, my mom usually adds broken Bengal gram to make this whereas in many parts people use whole brown gram commonly known as black chana or kadala. However, I like the kadala version more.

It’s often sweetened a bit with little jaggery and crushed black pepper is added to it for an added spicy effect. You may make any variation to suit your palate.

Ingredients:

• Split Bengal gram 1/2 cup
• Yam 100 gm
• Raw plantain 100 gm
• Ash gourd 100 gm
• Red pumpkin 100 gm
• Salt to taste
• Turmeric powder 1/2 tsp
• Red chilli powder 1 tsp
• Coconut small  1/2
• Dry red chilli 1-2
• Mustard seeds 1/2 tsp
• Curry leaves 2 sprigs
• Oil 1 tbsp
• Pepper powder 1 tsp
• Jaggery 1 small piece

Method:

• Wash and peel the vegetables. Cut them into small 1 cm cubes.
• Wash and soak the split Bengal gram in water for 1 hour.
• Cook the gram with salt and turmeric powder till it is just cooked. It should not mash.
• Cook all the vegetables with salt, turmeric powder and chilli powder till they are soft.
• Mix the cooked gram and vegetables and remove from fire.
• Grate half of a small coconut. Take out half of this grated coconut and grind it into a fine paste.
• Mix the ground coconut paste to the vegetables and stir gently. Add some grated jaggery to it or add a teaspoon or two of jaggery syrup.
• Boil this for a minute or 2. Add freshly crushed pepper or pepper powder to it.

• Heat oil in a small frying pan and add the mustard seeds.
• When they crackle, add the curry leaves and the remaining grated coconut.
• Fry it on low flame till the coconut is uniformly brown.

• Add this to the cooked vegetable-coconut mixture.
• Serve it warm with steamed rice along with sambar.

Notes:

• Mostly in Northern parts of Kerala, split gram is replaced with whole brown Bengal gram.
• If you do not like sweetness in your side dish, you can simply omit the jaggery.