Kootu Podi

My mom makes her own podi/powder for kootu and she stores it for 6 months. It is so handy if you have kootu podi ready at home and the curry is made very easy. I always follow what my mom does. So I use the below ingredients to make this podi.

All I used is:

Coriander - 1/2 cup

 Idly rice -3 tablespoon

Cumin - 1/4 cup

Black Pepper balls - 2 tablespoon

Fennel seeds - 2 tablespoon

Cinnamon - 1/2 inch

Cloves- 5 nos

Poppy seeds - 1 tablespoon

Chana dal - 3 tablespoon

Urad dal - 1 tablespoon

Minute made podi: 

Dry roast all the above ingredients in medium flame until they turn golden brown. Leave the mixture for a while to cool down. Then blend them into fine powder.

Muttaikos/Cabbage Kootu

Kootu is made of any vegetable combined with lentils and grated coconut. It is always made in a semi solid consistency. It is best served with rice. To make the day's lunch more special, you can always serve it with appalam (papad/ papadum). All the members of my family enjoy kootu with appalam. Whenever my mom prepares this kootu, she makes it with valakkai poriyal, few appalam and rasam along with curd and pickle. I love kootu that she cooks. Today, I have used cabbage and chana dal to make this kootu.

All you need is:

Cabbage - 1 small

Onion - 2 large

Tomato - 1 big

Brinjal (optional) - 3 medium

Tamarind juice - 1/2 cup

Chana dal - 1/2 cup

Grated coconut - 2/3 cup

Kootu podi - 2 tsp

Chilli powder - 1 tsp

Turmeric powder - a pinch

Castor oil - 5 drops

Salt - to taste

Water 

Also for tempering:

Oil - 3 tablespoons

Mustard seeds - 1 tsp

Chana dal - 1/2 tablespoons

Urad dal -1 tsp

Cumin seeds - 1/2 tsp

Asafoetida - a pinch

Vengaya vadagam (optional) - a little
Curry leaves

Method:

Take some washed chana dal in a cooker. Pour 1 cup water, castor oil and turmeric powder. Allow 2 whistles and add chopped onion, tomato, brinjal, salt, chilli powder, kootu powder and turmeric and mix them well. Now add chopped cabbage, grated coconut, tamarind juice and some water to your consistency level. Again close he cooker and let 1 whistle this time. 

Pour some oil in a hot pan. Add some mustard seeds, chana dal, urad dal, cumin seeds, vengaya vadagam and asafoetida. When the mustard splutters, pour the mixture from the cooker into the pan. Serve with chapati and rice.