Vegetable Kootu

Kootu
Ingriedients:
   1. Udad dal -1 tbsp
   2. Channa dal - 3/4th table spoon
   3. Dhania seeds - 1 1/2 table spoon
   4. Badgi red chillies-10nos
   5. Black pepper - 1tsp
   6. Cinnamon stick - 1inch
   7. Khus khus - 1tsp
   8. Dry coconut or fresh coconut - 1/4th of the whole.

   1. Oil- 2tsp
   2. Rai-1tsp
   3. Hing- A pinch
   4. Curry leaves- 7-8

    * Vegetables which suits kootu: Beans, Carrot, Potato, Green peas, Cabbage, Chapparadha avarekai (indian field beans)
    * Any of the above with potatoes or all.
    * You can also make Kootu with Palak, Dantina soppu or Padavalakai(Snake Gourd) but only with the single vegetable.

And lastly.....
   1. Tur Dal- 2 cups
   2. Salt to taste

Method:
   1. Cut the vegetables to a bite size pieces. Cook the vegetables and the Tur dal in a pressure cooker till.
   2. Roast each ingredient separately(SET-1), mix all and grind it, If you are using fresh coconut then powder rest of the masala separately and then grind coconut with little(how much you require at that time) of the masala with little water and keep it aside.
   3. Now remove the vegetable and dal from the cooker.
   4. Make a smooth paste of the dal.
   5. Boil the dal and the vegetables together. Add the ground paste to this.
   6. Take a small kadhai. Add little oil. Then add 2,3,4 from SET-2 in that order.
   7. Add this vogarane to the Kootu.
   8. Serve Hot

Palak Pakoda Recipe

Prep & Cooking: 20-30 mts

Serves – 5 persons

Ingredients:

3 cups packed chopped spinach leaves/palak/palakura

1 1/4 to 1 1/2 cups besan/chick pea flour/senaga pindi

2 1/2 tbsps rice flour

1/2 tsp red chili powder

1/2 tsp roasted cumin powder

2-3 finely chopped green chilies (adjust)

1 tsp ginger-garlic paste

10-12 mint leaves finely chopped

2 tbsps finely chopped fresh coriander leaves

2 tbsps hot oil

water as required

salt to taste

oil for deep frying

1 tsp ginger garlic paste

1 tsp red chilli pwd

1 tsp coriander pwd

1 1/2 cups water (use the water in which spinach was blanched)

salt to taste

garam masala pwd (make a pwd of 2 cloves, 1 cardamom and 1” cinnamon stick)

1/2 tbsp malai (top of milk)

1/2 tsp kasuri methi

1 tbsp oil

1 Heat oil in a heavy bottomed vessel, add cumin seeds and let them splutter. Add the onions and green chillis and sauté the onions till they turn transparent.
2 Add ginger garlic paste and fry further for 3-4 minutes. Add red chilli pwd and coriander pwd and combine well.
3 Add the spinach paste and let it cook for 4-5 mts. Add the fried potato cubes and combine. Cook on low heat for 7-8 mts.
4 Add the palak water and salt and cook on medium heat for 12-15 mts or till the potatoes are fork tender. Add malai, garam masala pwd and kasuri methi and combine.
5 Reduce flame, cover and cook for a mt. Turn off heat and serve hot with rotis or steamed rice.