Kootu curry or kootu kari, a traditional dish from the Indian state of Kerala. A delicious thick curry made of veggies and legumes. This Kootukari is also part of the traditional Onam Sadya Feast.
Kerala Onam Sadya Dish | Kerala kootu curry | Kootukari recipe | Onam sadya menu | Easy Sides | Vegan Side dish | Curry with yam and plantain | Curry with yam and chickpeas | Vegetarian side dish | Vegetable and lentil Curry | How to make kootukari | Onam Kootu Curry recipe
Kerala Onam Sadya
Sadya means banquet in Malayalam. Sadya is typically served as a traditional feast for Onam, the state festival of Kerala and Vishu
I have an affinity for Sadya. The rich and detailed spread of all dish vegetarian. A variety of stews, sambar, rasam, dry curries, kheers, pickles and raita. One might wonder, how come there is so many vegetarian dishes on that banana leaf.
My dear friend Rafeeda of The big sweet tooth, has made a detailed post on Onam sadya for dummies, you can read about it here.
Here in Dubai, during sadya time, there will be so many restaurants hosting sadya menu for the weekend, to find a table during that time would be such a hard time. I know few friends who cook a storm during Onam.
The preparations start a day or two ahead. Fresh masala's are made, vegetables are chopped according to the dishes, pickles made the previous day. Such a wonderful process isn't? Just imagine the aroma and the memories created during these preparation, such a bliss.
Few Sadya Dishes
- Pineapple pulissery, a finger licking curry made of fresh pineapple and curd/buttermilk.
- Omakka Pachadi, curry made of raw papaya
- Aval payasam , kheer made of rice flakes, milk and jaggery
- Beets raita, yogurt condiment with beets
- Pazham varatti / Banana halwa, a fudge made of Kerala plantain.
- Sharkara Payasam, a sweet dish made with cracked Kerala matta rice and jaggery
The Dish : Kootukari
This kootu curry is something which I would prefer for my lunch with steaming hot rice, My hubby loved with both rice and roti, whereas both my kiddos preferred the curry with rice.
If you keep the veggies and the chana ready, it just takes 20 minutes to make this curry. Such a quick and breezy curry make during the morning rush hour.
The vegetables used for making this kootu kari may differ in each house hold. Some of them use ash gourd and yellow pumpkin too. But most common vegetables are Raw banana and Yam along with black chickpeas.
Ingredients
- Vegetables : I have used yam and raw plantain along with brown chickpeas to make this kerala kootukari. You can also use ashgourd and yellow pumpkin to make this hearty dish.
- Spices : This delish curry uses freshly ground masala as spice. A mix of coconut, green chilies , cumin seeds and ginger is used to the spice the curry.
- Tempering : An inviting tempering of mustard seeds, crunchy urad dal and curry leaves along with fresh coconut roasted in aromatic coconut oil.
Kootu curry | Kootu Kari | Onam Sadya recipe
Ingredients
- 170 grams yam/elephant foot/Chena
- 130 grams raw banana/ raw plantain 2 raw bananas
- 100 grams black chickpeas soaked overnight
- 2 pinches of turmeric
- salt to taste
To grind
- ¾ cup coconut
- 2 green chilies
- 1 teaspoon cumin seeds
- ½ teaspoon ginger
Tempering
- 1-2 tablespoon coconut oil
- ½ teaspoon mustard seeds
- ½ teaspoon urad dal
- 4-5 curry leaves torn
- 2-3 tablespoon fresh coconut
Instructions
- Wash and soak black chickpeas in water for at least 8 hours or overnight. Peel and chop yam and raw banana into cubes.
- In a heavy bottom vessel take the chopped yam and raw banana, add enough water for the veggies to immerse, add turmeric and let it cook in a simmer flame.
- While the veggies are cooking, take the chickpeas in a pressure cooker add salt and turmeric powder and cook for 4-5 whistles or until done.
- Once done, let the pressure fall on its own, drain the water and add the chickpeas to the veggies cooking.
- Take all the ingredients given under grind in a mixer, add ¼ cup of water and grind it to a smooth paste.
- By this time the veggies must be almost done. Add this freshly made masala paste into the veggies. Add salt and mix well.
- Let this simmer and get to the point where all the liquid gets almost absorbed. Take it off the stove.
Let us add tadka
- Heat a pan with coconut oil, splutter mustard seeds, add urad dal and sauté until it turns golden brown , add curry leaves and the fresh coconut to it.
- Sauté until the coconut gets nicely toasted and golden brown. Add this hot tadka to the kootu curry and serve to warm with hot rice.
Nutrition
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