Chayote Kootu-Chow Chow Kootu recipe-Chayote kootu recipe

This is a very simple Kootu recipe which is very common in my house .I love all types of kootu as it does not require much oil and is easy on the digestive system .This can be had as a side dish for rice or chapati or it can even be had by mixing it with rice topped with a tsp of ghee. All you need for this is some papads or any simple salads or pickles to go with it.You can use either moong dal or tur dal or a mix of both for this recipe. Now let us learn to make this simple Chayote Kootu/chow chow kootu following this easy recipe.

Chow Chow Kootu-Chayote Kootu

 Prep Time : 10 mins

 Cook Time : 15 mins 
 Serves: 2
 Recipe Category: Side Dish
 Recipe Cuisine: South Indian

   Ingredients needed

   Chayote/chow chow - 2 cups chopped
   Moong dal (split yellow ones) or tur dal - 1/4 cup or a mix of both dals
   Fresh peas - 1/4 cup (optional)
   Sambar powder - 1 tsp
   Turmeric powder - a pinch
   Salt to taste

   Ingredients for Grinding (no need to fry)

   Coconut grated - 3 tbsp
   Fried gram (chutney kadalai/pottukadalai) - 2 tsp
   Cumin seeds/jeera -1 tsp
   Red chilli -1

   For the seasoning

   Oil-1 tsp
   Mustard seeds -1 tsp
   Urad dal (split urad dal) - 1 tsp
   Hing/asafoetida - a pinch
   Curry leaves - little

Preparation

Peel the skin, remove the soft seed inside and chop the chayote into small cubes.

Grind coconut, jeera, red chilli and fried gram with little water to a smooth paste. Keep it aside.

Soak dal for 15 minutes to reduce cooking time and to save energy. If using tur dal alone, you have to pressure cook tur dal separately as it will take a longer time to get cooked.You do not have to pressure cook dal separately if you are using a mix of moong dal + tur dal or just moong dal alone.

Easier Method of preparing kootu

Take a pressure pan or small cooker, add the chopped chayote, soaked dal, sambar powder, turmeric powder, fresh peas, salt needed and pressure cook for 3 whistles.

Once the pressure subsides, open the cooker, add the ground coconut paste, 1/4 cup of water and bring it to boil. Switch off the flame.

Heat a tsp of oil, add mustard seeds, when it splutters, add urad dal, hing and curry leaves. When dal turns golden brown, pour the seasoning over the kootu.

Garnish with coriander leaves and serve hot with rice or roti.

Another method 

Cook chayote in water adding sambar powder, turmeric powder and salt needed until soft. Keep it aside.

Pressure cook tur dal until soft. (only if you use tur dal alone, otherwise you can add it along with the chow chow and cook chow chow and dal together)

Now add the dal mixture (if you have used tur dal), ground coconut paste to the cooked chayote and bring it to boil.

Add the seasoning to the kootu, garnish with coriander leaves and serve hot. Enjoy!

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Meet you all again with more interesting recipes, until then it is bye from Padhu of Padhuskitchen.