Health for life

I cant imagine my life without dal based gravies,especially the kootu. Kootu served with rice topped with ghee and fried papads are my all time favourite. In case if i run out of veggies or if i have veggies abundantly,ill quickly make kootu with it. Few days back, i prepared this fabulous,comforting kootu with bottlegourd,mushroom and peanuts. Peanuts gives an excellent nuttiness to this usual kootu and both bottlegourd and mushroom works out wonder in kootu.Give a try friends, am sure this kootu will definitely satisfy your tastebuds.Sending this kootu to my event CWS-Peanuts and Vijis SYSW Series - Bottlegourd & Fenugreek Seeds.



1cup Bottlegourd pieces
1/2cup Mushroom
1/4cup Peanuts (raw)
1/2cup Channa dal
1/4cup Moongdal
1no Onion (chopped)
2nos Tomatoes (chopped)
1/4tsp Turmeric powder
2nos Green chillies (slit opened)
1/2tsp Garam masala powder
1tbsp Lemon juice
Few curry leaves
1tsp Mustard seeds+urad dal
2nos Dry red chillies
1/4tsp Asafoetida powder
Oil
Salt

To grind:
2tbsp Grated coconut
1tsp Cumin seeds

Grind the coconut and cumin seeds as fine paste and keep aside.

Take the washed channa dal, washed moongdal, chopped tomatoes, bottlegourd pieces, chopped mushrooms,raw peanuts with turmeric powder,enough water and salt in a pressure cooker.

Cook upto three whistles.

Once the whistle get released, add the coconut-cumin seed paste, garam masala powder and slit opened green chillies to the to the cooked veggies-dal..

Bring everything to boil(add water if needed).

Meanwhile heat enough oil, let splutters the mustard seeds, urad dal, dry red chillies and asafoetida powder.

Add the chopped onions and curry leaves, sauté until the onions turns slightly brown.

Add this onions and tempered spices to the cooking dal.

Finally add the lemon juice and put off the stove..

Enjoy with rotis & rice..

After potatoes, raw bananas are one of my favourite veggies, i never failed to get them from Indian groceries even sometimes its really very hard to get super fresh raw bananas. My last trip to Indian groceries was simply awesome, i brought back home super fresh  veggies especially raw bananas and immediately cooked one of my favourite kootu with this veggies. When the weather is too chilled and if you feel like having something comforting, this rawa banana kootu will definitely satsify your tastebuds.

This tangy gravy goes awesome with rice and fried papads, i can survive for many days with this fingerlicking gravy. They tastes even more better after a day and this gravy goes for lentils,raw banana and spices.This gravy is usually made either with toor dal or channa dal but my choice is channadal here. This kootu goes grated coconut while tempering which gives a wonderful flavour to this dish. Since this gravy will turn thick, you can serve them very well as side dish to curd rice. Sending this gravy to my own event CWS-Channadal.


1/4cup Channadal
2nos Raw banana (cubed)
1no Tamarind (gooseberry size)
1tsp Sambhar powder
1/4tsp Turmeric powder
Salt
Water
1/2tsp Mustard seeds
1/2tsp Urad dal
1/2tsp Channadal
1/4tsp Asafoetida powder
1tbsp Grated coconut
Few curry leaves

Pressure cook the channadal with enough water and keep aside.

Cook the cubed raw banana pieces with sambhar powde,turmeric powder and salt with enough water.

Meanwhile extract the tamarind juice from the tamarind piece.

Add this tamarind extract,cooked and mashed channa dal to the cooked raw banana pieces,cook everything in simmer until the gravy turns thick.

Lets splutters the mustard seeds,urad dal,channadal,hing,add the grated coconut and curry leaves,fry until they turns brown.

Add this tempered spiced to the kootu and bring it to boil.

Serve hot with rice or as side dish with curd rice.