TOGARI KALU KOOTTU
Winter brings with it all types of Peas and Beans in abundance in their fresh green pods . Togari Kalu or fresh Pigeon Peas stay in the market for a short duration unlike Green Peas and Field Beans. Since they come and go in a flash we enjoy them in as many recipes as possible in that short span of time. Numerous shades of green, yellow, brown, purple and some of them even spotted, shimmer like precious gems as they are peeled out of their pods ! They taste good in Masala dishes as well as in simple South Indian dishes. Here is a simple and mild Togari Kalu Koottu with other vegetables included for added nutrition as well as aesthetic pleasure.
INGREDIENTS
Fresh Pigeon Peas/ Togari Kalu - 2 cups
Chopped Vegetables - 1 cup
( I used one chow chow, 2 carrots and a fistful of beans )
Green gram dal - 1/4 cup
Turmeric powder - 1 pinch
Salt - 1 1/4 tsp
FOR ROASTING AND GRINDING
Sesame oil - 1/4 tsp
Black gram dal - 2 tsps
Asafoetida - 1 pinch
Fresh grated coconut - 2 tbsps
FOR SEASONING
Sesame oil - 1 tsp
Mustard seeds - 1/4 tsp
Black gram dal - 1 tsp
Red chilly (broken) - 1
Curry leaves - a few
METHOD
1. Combine all the chopped vegetables with Togari Kalu and arrange them on one side of a pressure cooker vessel.
2. Take washed green gram dal in a cup, add one cup of water and turmeric powder to it, and place it along side the vegetables.
3. You can cook rice along with this by first placing the rice vessel in the pressure cooker, and then placing the vegetables and dal vessel on top of it.
4. Set the cooker on the stove.
5. In the meantime heat oil in a pan and roast Black gram dal, red chillies, cumin seeds and asafoetida till they emanate a very pleasant aroma.
6. Cool the roasted ingredients and grind them into a fine powder.
7. Add coconut gratings and blend the spice powder into a smooth paste adding water.
8. When the pressure subsides remove the cooked dal and vegetables into a thick bottomed vessel.
9. Add salt and the spice paste, stir and bring it to a boil till all the ingredients blend well. If the Koottu is too thick add some water to get the required consistency .
10. Heat oil and prepare seasoning with mustard seeds, Black gram dal, broken red chilly and curry leaves. Pour the crisp golden brown seasoning on top of the Togari Kalu Koottu.
Enjoy the Togari Kaalu Koottu with steaming hot rice. Koottu goes well with Poories and Chapaties as well.
Winter brings with it all types of Peas and Beans in abundance in their fresh green pods . Togari Kalu or fresh Pigeon Peas stay in the market for a short duration unlike Green Peas and Field Beans. Since they come and go in a flash we enjoy them in as many recipes as possible in that short span of time. Numerous shades of green, yellow, brown, purple and some of them even spotted, shimmer like precious gems as they are peeled out of their pods ! They taste good in Masala dishes as well as in simple South Indian dishes. Here is a simple and mild Togari Kalu Koottu with other vegetables included for added nutrition as well as aesthetic pleasure.
Chopped Vegetables - 1 cup
( I used one chow chow, 2 carrots and a fistful of beans )
Green gram dal - 1/4 cup
Turmeric powder - 1 pinch
Salt - 1 1/4 tsp
FOR ROASTING AND GRINDING
Sesame oil - 1/4 tsp
Black gram dal - 2 tsps
Red chillies - 5 ( Using Byadagi Chillies lends a bright colour to the Koottu)
Cumin seeds - 1 tspAsafoetida - 1 pinch
Fresh grated coconut - 2 tbsps
FOR SEASONING
Sesame oil - 1 tsp
Mustard seeds - 1/4 tsp
Black gram dal - 1 tsp
Red chilly (broken) - 1
Curry leaves - a few
METHOD
1. Combine all the chopped vegetables with Togari Kalu and arrange them on one side of a pressure cooker vessel.
2. Take washed green gram dal in a cup, add one cup of water and turmeric powder to it, and place it along side the vegetables.
4. Set the cooker on the stove.
5. In the meantime heat oil in a pan and roast Black gram dal, red chillies, cumin seeds and asafoetida till they emanate a very pleasant aroma.
6. Cool the roasted ingredients and grind them into a fine powder.
7. Add coconut gratings and blend the spice powder into a smooth paste adding water.
8. When the pressure subsides remove the cooked dal and vegetables into a thick bottomed vessel.
9. Add salt and the spice paste, stir and bring it to a boil till all the ingredients blend well. If the Koottu is too thick add some water to get the required consistency .
Comments
-ARam