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Ezhukari kootu

Abhipriya Raghav
Ezhukari kootu (or 7-kari kootu) is a traditional dish prepared with 7 different vegetables on pongal festival day.
Prep Time 30 minutes
Cook Time 40 minutes
Total Time 1 hour 10 minutes
Course Festive Dish, Main Course
Cuisine Indian
Servings 4 servings

Ingredients
  

For the spice mix

  • 2-3 red chillies, or as per taste
  • 2 tbsp coriander seeds
  • 1/2 tsp whole pepper corns
  • 1 tsp cumin seeds
  • 1/4 tsp fenugreek seeds
  • 1 tsp chana dal
  • 1/4 tsp split urad dal

For coconut paste

  • 2-3 green chillies, or as per taste
  • 1/2 cup grated coconut
  • 1/2 tsp fennel seeds

For the kootu

  • 400 grams mixed vegetables (brinjal, lima beans, broad beans, sweet potato, yam, pumpkin, ash gourd) equally cut into small cubes
  • 1/2 cup dal (toor dal and moong dal), refer notes
  • ground coconut paste
  • ground spice powder
  • 1/8+1/4 tsp turmeric powder
  • 3 tbsp tamrind water
  • salt, as per taste
  • water,as required

To temper

  • 3 tbsp coconut oil
  • 1/2 tsp mustard
  • few sprigs of curry leaves
  • 1/8 tsp hing

Instructions
 

To prepare the spice powder

  • Gather all the ingredients required to prepare the spice powder
  • Dry roast all the ingredients in a pan. Cool down completely and grind into a fine powder and set aside.

To prepare the coconut paste

  • Gather all the ingredients required for the coconut paste
  • Add it to a mixer grinder with little water and grind to a smooth paste and set aside.

To prepare the kootu

  • Soak a small sized tamrind ball in 3 tbsp of water for 15 minutes. Then squeeze the tamrind and take the water alone to make the kootu.
  • Cut the vegetables, make the spice powder and the coconut paste for the kootu.
  • Wash the dal in water and add it to a pressure cooker along with 1/8 tsp turmeric powder and enough water, to cook the dal. Let it cook with the lid on for 5-6 whistles.
  • Let the pressure release naturally. Once cooked, whisk the dal a few times to break it and set aside.
  • In the same pressure cooker add some water (refer notes), 1/4 tsp turmeric powder, salt as required and the cut vegetables. Cook it for 4-5 minutes on a high flame with the lid on. (the lid need not be locked)
  • When the vegetables are cooked, reduce the flame and add the cooked dal and stir well.
  • Add the ground coconut paste to it and stir well.
  • Add the tamrind water to the pressure cooker and mix well. Let it cook in a medium flame for 5-7 minutes.
  • Now, add the spice powder and stir well. Cook for 1 more minute and switch off the stove.

To temper the kootu

  • In a tadka pan, add coconut oil and let it heat up.
  • Meanwhile, take the required ingredients for the tadka.
  • When the oil is hot, add the mustard seeds, the curry leaves and hing to it. The tadka ingredients will start popping.
  • Immediately pour the tempering on the kootu and mix it well.
  • Serve with hot white rice or ven pongal.

Notes

  • Do not burn the spices while dry roasting it. 
  • The amount of red chilli for the spice powder can be added according to your level of spiciness.
  • For the coconut paste, the amount of green chilli can be added as per your liking.
  • Th ratio of toor dal and moong dal taken is 3:1, i.e., for 25 grams of moong dal, i took 75 grams of toor dal. The ratio can be changed according to your liking but the total quantity of dal should be 1/2 cup only.
  • You can take any 7 vegetables of your choice.
  • I took almost equal quantity of each vegetable, but, you can take as per your liking.
  • If you want the kootu to be sweet, then increase the quantity of pumpkin and sweet potato and decrease the quantity of the rest of the vegetables.
  • Make sure that the total quantity of vegetables taken is 400 grams approximately.
  • The water to cook the dal should be only an inch or 2 higher than the dal. Do not add more water.
  • While cooking the vegetables, do not add more water. Add little water as even the vegetables will let out some water when it gets cooked.
  • If there is any leftover spice powder, then you can add it to your everyday sambar too.
  • I've used coconut oil to temper because it gives a nice flavor. You can use any oil you want.
Keyword 7 kari kootu, ezhukari kootu, pongal, vegetables