Kootanchoru is a very popular South Indian (Tirunelveli) dish which is very simple to make. Don’t get intimidated by its name or by the long list of ingredients, it is actually a very simple, wholesome one pot meal prepared with rice, dal, vegetables, greens and legumes. It is very delicious and nutritious. If you do not want to use rice, you can substitute with millets like kuthiraivali, saamai or quinoa or samba ravai (only water measurement changes). Today let us learn how to make Kootanchoru following this easy recipe with step wise pictures and video.
Kootanchoru
Prep Time : 20 mins
Cook Time : 25 mins
Serves: 2
Recipe Category: One pot meals
Recipe Cuisine: South Indian
Author:Padhu Sankar
Ingredients needed Rice – 3/4 cup
Tur Dal – 1/3 cup
Tamarind – small lemon sized ball
Turmeric powder – 1/4 tsp
Salt needed
Vegetables needed
Carrot -2 medium size
Beans -5
Potato – 1 medium size
Drumstick – 4 pieces
Broad beans -3-4
Raw Banana – 1/2 of a raw banana
Yellow pumpkin – 1/4 cup chopped
Brinjal – 1-2
Raw mango – 1/4 cup chopped
Fresh pigeon peas – 1/4 cup
Arai keerai – fistful
Drumstick leaves – fistful
For the masala paste
Grated coconut – 1/4 cup
Pearl onion -3-4
Garlic – 4 cloves
Red chillies -5-6
Cumin seeds – 1 tsp
For the seasoning
Oil – 2 tbsp
Mustard seeds – 1 tsp
Urad dal – 1 tsp
Hing – a generous pinch
Onion – 1 chopped
Curry leaves – a sprig
For Garnishing
Ghee – 1 tsp
Preparations
Clean and chop all the vegetables into medium sized pieces. If you do not have all the vegetables, it does not matter. Add also, you can add more or less of a vegetable (for eg – if you like pumpkin, you can add more than a small bit). You can add any fresh legumes of your choice. You can add peas or field beans instead of pigeon peas. It is up to you.
Clean the greens, chop it and keep it ready.
Soak tamarind in 1/2 cup of hot water for 20 minutes and extract thick juice. Discard the pulp.
Soak the dal in little hot water for 20 mins. This is optional. I do this always as dal gets cooked well in less time. (It also saves fuel).
Grind coconut, pearl onions, garlic, red chillies and cumin seeds to a fine paste adding very little water.
Method
Heat 2 tbsp of oil, add mustard seeds, urad dal, curry leaves and hing. When dal turns golden brown, add chopped onions.
Saute until onion turn transparent.
Add the ground paste and cook for a few minutes. Then add the tamarind extract and boil for 4-5 minutes. Keep this aside.
In a pressure cooker, add tur dal, a cup of water, carrot, beans, potato, drumstick, cluster beans, turmeric powder, little salt and cook without whistle on medium heat.
When the dal is half cooked, add raw banana (vazhakkai), pumpkin, brinjal, raw mango, pigeon peas, drumstick leaves, arai keerai, needed salt, tamarind + masala mix, washed rice and 3 cups of hot water. (these vegetables and greens gets cooked faster, that is the reason we are adding it after the dal is half cooked, otherwise these vegetable will become mushy). Check for salt by tasting the water. If it is slightly salty, it will be perfect once the rice is cooked.
Mix well and pressure cook for 2 whistles.
When the pressure subsides, open the cooker, add a tsp of ghee and mix well. Kootanchoru is ready.
Serve Kootanchoru with raita or appalam or chips or onion vadam. You can also fry 2-3 Vengaya vadagam and add to it.
Our Lunch that day
Kootanchoru
Onion tomato pachadi
Seasoned curd rice
Potato chips (not in the picture) -With Video
Note – I have written water measurement as 4 cups in the video. It is Total 4 cups of water. One cup for dal and 3 cups for rice. My apologies for the mistake. Kindly note that water measurement changes according to the quality of rice, so add accordingly.Do try this and share your feedback. I would love to hear from you, please feel free to share your feedback with photos to padhusblog@gmail.com
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View Comments (14)
I couldnt find When to add the rice.
Also final sauting with generous gingelly aka thil oil aka nallennai adding vadagam and curry leaves gives a good aroma and taste. Traditional kootanchoru has no ghee but only nallennai I believe.
Good try Padhus kitchen and thank u.
Yes, traditional kootanchoru they add only gingelly oil in the end. I love the flavor of ghee,so added in the end.Watch the video or check the recipe, I have added rice after the dal is half cooked.
Came out yummy. Made my dinner yummy and healthy.
Hi.. I am a fanatix of ur page.... Your recepies are so very nice that I check everyday.... Why don't u try for an app that will be little more user friendly than a blog
Simple and nice recipe
Hi exactly same recipe whch is prepared by mom. V r tirunelveli
This one here is authentic. Use gingelly oil for tempering and serve with ghee.
Traditionally, we make with ponni parboiled rice.
We temper with vengaya vadagam as well. Adds fantastic flavor. Try adding murugai keerai for a truly authentic touch.
can i skip garlic and make?
Yes, you can skip garlic.
My food sticks to the bottom while cooking in the pressure cooker. Do you have any idea why this is happening
Another variation - Try keeping a vessel inside the cooker and then cook or you can also coat oil inside the cooker (bottom alone) and cook on medium low so that food does not stick to the bottom of the cooker.
Feel easy to cook while watching this video....thank u.....
Hi Padhu: Thank you for posting this recipe. Is it possible to replace the rice in this recipe with a variety of millet? What needs to change in the cooking process to make for a tasty dish? Thanks, Dido.
You can substitute millet in any rice based dishes. Millets have to be soaked for 5-6 hours.