Pulippu kootu

Pulippu kootu is the main dish during festival days and marriages. It is very healthy as it has vitamins and proteins.

Ingredients:
White pumpkin or chow chow or Brinjal or avaraikai(broad beans) - 250 grams
Chick peas or Double beans - 50 grams (soak the previous night in water or 8 hrs)
Toor dal( thuvaram paruppu) - 1/2 cup
Channa dal- 5 tsp
Urud dal - 4 tsp
coriander seeds( dhaniya) - 2 tsp
Dry red chillies- 5 (Add 1 more if you prefer more spice)
Hing/Perungayam
Tamarind- lemon size ball (caters to 4 people)
Salt
Coconut 1/2 cup
Mustard
Curry leaves

Procedure:
1. Pressure cook the toor dal add 3 tsp channa dal, leave until 3 whistles.
2. Pressure cook chickpeas /double beans, leave until 2 whistles.
3. Cut the vegetables into big and add them to tamarind water and heat the tamarind water.
4. Fry channa dal, toor dal, coriander seeds, dry red chillies and perungayam until urud dal gets brown.
5. Grind the above contents along with coconut, add water as required
6. Add the mixture to the tamarind water and vegetables, add the chick peas and boil it until it gets a little thicker.
7.Add the steamed toor dal and heat the contents for 3 minutes.
8. Garnish with mustard and curry leaves.

Tips: You can make this without chick peas or double beans.

Poricha Kootu

Poricha kootu is one of the most favourite dishes in an Iyengar houesehold, and is very easy to cook. It is very tasty and goes along with rice or chappatis. Added to that, it is also very healthy and ofcourse, an easy way to make your children have the vegetables ;)









Ingredients:

1. Brinjal or Cabbage or Chow chow or spinach - 150 grams


2. Moong dal/payatham parupu - 1 cup


3. Urud dal/Ulutham paruppu - 4 tsp,


4. Dry chillies - 4


5. Hing/Perungayam


6. Mustard


7. Salt - as reqd.


8. Curry Leaves - one twig


9. Coriander - a little

Procedure:

1. Cut the vegetable into small pieces
2. Pressure cook moong dal with the cut vegetable and leave it for 2 whistles.
3. Fry urud dal, red chillies and perungayam in a tava until the urud dal is a golden brown and grind into a smooth paste (Coconut can be added when grinding if required, it adds to the taste of the kootu)
4. Mix the paste with moong dal, salt and the vegetables in a pan and boil.
5. Stir the contents until the mixture becomes thicker. If the mixture is not continuously stirred, it may be overburnt.
6. Garnish with mustard, coriander leaves and curry leaves.

Serve with rice/chappati. This kootu and thogayal go well together.