Friday, April 11, 2008

Radish Kootu

Kootus are essentially vegetable and lentil based dishes which are semi-solid, 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.(Source: Wiki)


I’ve made kootu with a couple of different vegetables depending on what I have available. Most members of the gourd family- bottle gourd, chayote (chow-chow) to name a couple- are excellent choices for a kootu.

This is a very simple and tasty kootu that I often make with radishes.


Ingredients:
10-12 radishes cut into small pieces
1 ½ cups cooked
toor dal/split pigeon peas (I pressure cook dal in large quantities and freeze in separate batches for later use.)
A pinch of turmeric powder
Salt to taste.


To be ground to a paste:
4 Tbsp coconut
1 tsp cumin seeds
5-6 red chillies

For seasoning:
1 Tbsp oil
½ tsp mustard seeds
½ tsp fenugreek/methi seeds
4-5 curry leaves
A pinch of asafoetida

Method:
Cook the radish pieces along with a few curry leaves, salt and turmeric powder in some water on medium heat till the pieces turn soft.

Add the ground paste of coconut, cumin and red chillies to this and continue cooking for another 3-4 minutes.

Now add the cooked toor dal, mix and allow the mixture to come to a boil. Continue cooking for 2-3 minutes on medium heat.

Heat oil in a pan and add the ingredients for the seasoning. Add to the kootu and mix.


Serve with steaming hot rice.

26 Burps:

AnuZi said...

TBC, That looks sooo yum! I like radishes and I am definitely adding this as a must try :o) have a fun weekend!

Seena said...

Very nice curry,TBC.Wondering u r from Kerala or TN? :)

Vaishali said...

Tbc, The kootu looks delicious. I have used daikon radish in sambars, but never before in kootus. This is a great idea, and I love the use of the little radishes.

Dhivya said...

mom used to make this but different way!urs sounds so yumm!!!must try

Cilantro said...

I have not tried with radish... will try definetly.

Unknown said...

Unlike me,J dislikes radishes and I always think of ways to add them in our menu. This is a very nice dish, thanks for sharing.
btw, thanks for the wishes :)

Finla said...

Looks delicious.
I have never made anything like this with radish.
Just ate them raw with Boursin chees

Sugarcraft India said...

The orange yoghurt bread looks too good ...Love this sambhar too..Just need a plate of hot rice eh!!

Pooja said...

Are wah ! this is such a wonderful idea to cook radish with. I liked it.
I am glad that you tried my "Ghaaroda recipe " and liked it . thanks for leaving a comment to let me know that.
Hugs to you :) .

Lisa Turner said...

What a great blend of flavours. Now that spring is finally here, I'll be cooking with more radish. I will for sure have to try this.

Kalai said...

Radish in kootu is new to me. Well, if you can use them in sambar, why not in kootu, right? Looks wonderful! :)

TBC said...

Anuzi: Thanks! :-)
They make a good thoran(stir-fry) too.


Seena- thanks:-)
Born in Kerala...brought up in Mumbai:-). I like to think of myself as a Mumbaikar. ;-)



Vaishali- You know, I've never used daikon radishes! I'll try these in a sambar next time.:-)



Dhivya- Do share your recipe when u get a chance. Mom's recipes are always the best!:-)




Cilantro- and I've not tried it with tomatillos. :-)




Cinnamon- thank you. :)




Happy Cook- ooh, now that's something I've never done. What's it like?


Swati- glad u like the orange bread.
This is a kootu...a little different from sambar but close.;-)



Pooja- yeah, I make a couple of different things with it.:-)

Thank YOU for the recipe, Pooja. I'm going to be making it again for sure.:-)




Lisa- it really was very tasty.:-)
Do let me know how you like it if you end up making it.


Kalai- that's what I'd say too except that I've never used it in a sambar. ;-)That's what I'm going to do the next time.:-)

Shah cooks said...

i am not fond of radish but the kootu looks good, so it is worth giving a try !!

Anonymous said...

I love radishes, but they are somewhat underused here. Generally we don't cook them but eat them raw in salads, or just peeled and sprinkled with salt.

I am going to try this, it sounds delicious!

Mandira said...

wow, that looks delicious :)

Anonymous said...

This looks really great.Have to try this out.

Rajitha said...

hey you!! the pic looks amazing and i am dying for a big bowl of that with unltd amount of white rice and beans thoran..pappdam too ;)

TBC said...

Mallugirl- Yes, it certainly is!:-)
BTW, I always liked your old template. :-)


Vegeyum- I did not start cooking with 'em until a couple of months ago. It's great in salads. I've added them in potato salads and they add a nice crunch.



Mandira- thanks.:-)




Homecooked- I hope you enjoy it as much as I do.:-)


Rajitha- well, well, well!
Have you come out of hibernation?;)

Cris said...

This looks wonderful because I have never had it cooked!

Madhavi said...

Hey, this is very new for me. looks great and very nice recipe!!! u do have great recipes...

Thanxx for droppin' by:))

TBC said...

Cris- This dish(Kootu) is very common in South India. It is usually served with some rice.


Madhavi- thank you for the sweet words. It is good to see you here.:-)

zlamushka said...

This is lovely! there is never too many receipes for red radish out there. They re always in season here, in Sweden and I ussually wat them raw in salads only.

Meg Wolff said...

I love radishes. Rice and vegetables ... Tamil meals seem very healthy & delicious. :-)

TBC said...

Zlamushka- I have used them raw in potato salads but that's about it. I lovethe pretty pink color!


Meg- it is very nice of you to stop by.Thank you.

You are one inspiring and courageous woman!

Laavanya said...

I just made this and it was yummy! Thanks! :)

TBC said...

Thanks so much for leting me know, Laavanya. I'm glad you tried it:D

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