Yezhu Kari Koottu - 7 vegetable gravy

Yezhu Kari Koottu

It has been scientifically proven that cooking multiple ingredients together collectively, provides more nutrition to our body than cooking any one ingredient at a time. Cooking multiple vegetables, or a variety of lentils, or using different cereals together is recommended by all nutritionists. The super markets are flooded with items like multi grain bread, multi grain breakfast cereal, and recently in India there are even multi cereal flours available for preparing rotis and chapattis.

YEZHU KARI KOOTTU is a traditional dish prepared by using seven types of vegetables and lentil since times unknown. The commonly used vegetables for this koottu are ash gourd, pumpkin, brinjal, yam, potato, snake gourd, chow chow, cluster beans, flat beans (avare kai), field beans, french beans, carrot and so on. The list is endless.

When a variety of vegetables are united in harmony, their nutrients complement and enhance each others value and fortify the body to withstand the attack of unknown terror striking viruses, which try to destabilize our body.

Salutations to our Mother Earth, for producing numerous vegetables of different species and different classifications, which when united, and utilized wisely will nurture and protect us from any viral assault.

INGREDIENTS:

Tur dal (red gram) – ½ cup

Turmeric powder – ¼ tsp

Diced vegetables – 2 cups (Ash gourd, Brinjal, Potato, French Beans, Carrot)

Capsicum - 1

Tomato - 1

Ground nuts – 2 tbsps

Salt – 1.5 tsps

Note: These are the vegetables I used in the preparation of the koottu in the picture. Substituting field beans for ground nuts is usually favoured. You can combine any or every vegetable of your choice and you need not restrict to just Yezhu (7) kari (vegetable).

SPICE FOR GRINDING:
Coriander seeds – 1 tbsp

Bengal gram dal – 1 tbsp

Red chillies – 8

Asafoetida – 1 pinch

Split black gram dal – ½ tsp

Fresh coconut gratings – 2 tbsps

Mustard seeds – ¼ tsp

Cooking oil – 2 tsps

Curry leaves – a few.

METHOD:

1. Pressure cook dal with turmeric powder adding 2 cups of water.

2. Heat ½ tsp of oil and add the coriander seeds, bengal gram dal, black gram dal and the red chillies and roast till it turns golden in colour.

3. Add the asafoetida and fry for a minute more.

4. Now add the fresh coconut gratings, and fry for two more minutes and turn off the flame.

5. When the roasted spice is cool enough, grind it to a paste adding water little by little.

6. Cook all the diced vegetables in just enough water.

7. Heat one tsp of oil and add mustard seeds and curry leaves.

8. Add the cut capsicum and sauté for 2 minutes and add it to the cooking vegetables.

9. when all the vegetables are done, add the cooked dal and salt, and bring it to a boil.

10. Now add the spice paste and chopped tomato and allow it to boil for two to three minutes.

11. When the pleasant aroma of Yezhu kari koottu emanates, switch off the flame.

and relish it with rice or chapaties and enjoy the wholesome nourishment.

The terror strikes in Bombay, left everybody dead or devastated. The human mind is interesting. Even as we see the media and politics play out, we all know that we the citizens need to assume responsibility, and we do something about it. Yet, we are in a helpless state, and lack any direction on what exactly can be done. Some folks started signing signature campaigns. Some lit candles. Few Facebook communities wore white on Monday. Somebody even came up with the idea of collecting a rupee each to rebuild Taj! (Oh, for heavens sake!!! How does that even remotely address anything!!??). For some reason, we felt automatically propelled to cook this dish. Perhaps for all the symbolism it provides... Perhaps because we don't know what else we can do...Perhaps because food touches us more than anything else at a primal level.

Symbolic actions cannot wipe terrorism away or bring security. At best they are only symbols.

Still….