This recipe is one of the many recipes I learnt from my mother-in-law and I make it every now and then. Kootu is a tamil word which means mixed vegetables with lentils and coconut gravy. However, there are exceptions with certain vegetables like raw tomato, snake gourd, white pumpkin, radish, turnip etc which can be made in kootu form without adding other vegetables. This recipe can be made with radish also and doesn’t require grinding ingredients into paste. This dish can be served with both rice or roti which is an added bonus. Enjoy!!!
Tomato Kootu [Raw Tomato Gravy]
Ingredients
- Green Tomato /Raw Tomato (unripe) — 6 to7
- Onion — 1
- Red Chillies –2
- Mustard Seeds — 1 tsp
- Channa Dal — 2 tsp
- Urad Dal — 1 tsp
- Coriander Powder — 2 Tbsp
- Asafoetida — 1/2 tsp
- Curry Leaves — few sprigs
- Coconut Shredded — 3 Tbsp
- Rasam Powder — 1.5 Tbsp
- Oil — 1 Tbsp + 2 Tbsp (divided)
- Turmeric Powder — 1 tsp
- Cooked Toor Dal — 1/2 cup (optional)
- Salt — as needed
- Coriander Leaves — 2 Tbsp (finely chopped)
Instructions
- Wash and cut tomato into medium sized cubes. Set aside.
- In a wide pan heat 1 Tbsp oil and add mustard seeds. Let it splutter. Now add red chillies, channa dal, urad dal, asafoetida, curry leaves and fry for a minute until the dals turn slightly brown. Now add coriander powder and reduce the flame. Add few drops of oil more, if needed so that the powder doesn’t burn. Now add shredded coconut. and fry till the coconut is slightly brown. Remove the dals and coconut mixture in a bowl or plate and set aside.
- In a wide pan or cooking vessel add remaining oil and add chopped onions and fry till they turn translucent. Add chopped tomatoes, salt, rasam powder, and turmeric and mix well. Close the lid and let the tomato cook until they turn soft but still can retain some of its shape.
- Now add dal+coconut mixture that was set aside earlier and cooked dal (if using) and mix well. Adjust salt to taste. Garnish with chopped coriander leaves. Serve hot with roti or rice. Enjoy!!!