Koottu

Kootu (கூட்டு) is a Tamil dish, made of vegetable and lentils and are semi-solid in consistency, i.e., less aqueous than sambhar, but more so than dry curries. Rice and kootu is a common and simple Tamil meal. In Tamil cuisine kootus are considered substitutes for both curries and sambhar.

All kootus by default have some vegetables and lentils, but many variations of kootu exist:

* Puli Kootu: Puli is the Tamil word for tamarind and puli kootu refers to a kootu made with tamarind. Vegetables such as kathirikai and poosani kai are used for this kootu, and are cooked in tamarind water. Toor dhal is cooked separately. Fried urid dhal, gram dhal, dhaniya (coriander seeds) and fresh coconut are ground to form a thick paste. The cooked dhal and the paste are added to the tamarind water in which the vegetables cooked and then heated to get the Puli kootu.

* Poricha Kootu: A kootu made with urid dhal and pepper is called poricha kootu. Fried urid dhal, pepper and fresh coconut are ground together. The moong dhal is cooked separately and the cut vegetables are cooked separately. Then, the ground paste, cooked vegetable and moong dhal are mixed together and heated. Vegetables such as beans and snake guard are used for preparing this kootu.

* Araichivita Kootu: A kootu which has a ground (freshly powdered) masala in it; the word "araichivita" in Tamil literally translates to 'the one which has been ground and poured'. The ground paste is a mixture of fried urid dhal, gram dhal, coconut, dhaniya (coriander seeds) and coconut. The chopped vegetables and the toor dhal are cooked separately. Then, the ground paste, cooked vegetable and dhal are heated together.

Many other regional variations exist.

ee also

Molagoottal

External links

* [http://www.indusladies.com/forums/ask-chitvish/554-tips-tips-tips-6.html#post3327 Tips on Kootus]
* [http://www.top-indian-recipes.com/blog/guest-recipe-appalam-papad-kootu/ Appalam or Papad Kootu]
* [http://www.indusladies.com/forums/ask-chitvish/570-shakambari-vegetables-unlimited-16.html#post111338 Cluster Beans Poricha Kootu]