White Pumpkin Kootu-Ash Gourd Kootu

This is a typical South Indian (Tamil Brahmin) recipe. I prepare ash gourd ( poosanikai) kootu in many ways, today I am sharing the one I prepare using tamarind called poosanikai puli kootu. This is very common in my home and goes well as a side dish with rice and chapati. It is easy on the digestive system and requires just 1-2 tsp of oil. It is  great for those looking to reduce weight. Ash gourd also known as winter melon is very low in calories and is used to treat obesity. So what are you waiting for- try this simple and delicious poosanikai kootu and enjoy it with rice or roti.

Ashgourd Kootu-Poosanikai Puli Kootu

 Prep Time : 10 mins

 Cook Time : 20 mins 
 Serves: 4
 Recipe Category: Side Dish-Kootu
 Recipe Cuisine: Tamil Brahmin
 Author:Padhu Sankar

   Ingredients needed

   Ash Gourd (white pumpkin) - 2 cups chopped
   Tur dal - 1/4 cup
   Tamarind - small gooseberry sized ball
   Brown or white Chick peas (channa/garbanzo beans) - 1/4 cup
   Turmeric powder - a pinch
   Salt as required

   Roast and grind

   Bengal gram/kadalai paruppu - 1 tbsp
   Coriander seeds/ malli -1 tbsp
   Dried Red chilli -3
   Raw rice - 1 tsp
   Grated Coconut - 2 tbsp

  For the seasoning

   Oil -1 tsp
   Mustard seeds - 1 tsp
   Hing/asafoetida - a pinch
   Curry leaves - a sprig

Preparation

Wash, peel the skin and chop pumpkin into cubes. Cook it in a little water until soft.

Soak tamarind in 1/2 cup of water and extract its juic and discard the pulp.

Pressure cook tur dal with a pinch of turmeric powder. Mash it and keep it aside.

If using dried chick peas, soak it overnight and pressure cook with a little salt and keep it aside. (I usually keep chickpeas in a small cup/vessel along with tur dal and pressure cook to save time.)

Heat 1/2 tsp of oil and roast bengal gram, coriander seeds, red chilli and raw rice until dal turns golden brown. Then add grated coconut and saute for a few more minutes. Remove from heat and leave it to cool. Then grind it to a fine paste and keep it aside.

Method

Heat oil, add mustard seeds, hing and curry leaves. When mustard seeds splutters, add the cooked pumpkin pieces.

Add tamarind water, salt and a pinch of turmeric powder.

Boil for sometime till the raw smell of the tamarind goes, then add the ground paste, cooked tur dal and cooked chick peas.

Simmer and cook for a 4-5 minutes or until it thickens slightly. Check for salt. Garnish with coriander leaves and serve hot with rice or chapati.

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Check out more Poriyal-Kootu Varieties

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