Koottus are served with plain rice, in Tamilnadu . This is an exclusive Tamilian cuisine , which is made from all the locally available vegetables . The presence of jaggery, in thick tamarind sauce makes , for a delicious marriage of tanginess or sourness with subtle sweetness of jaggery.
This Koottu, can be made with Cluster beans , Brinjals , Chow chow , Sabre beans , French beans etc.
Ingredients
- Plantain ( Vazhakkai) 1 cup ( chopped medium size )
- Tamarind lemon size ( soaked in 2 cups of water )
- Jaggery 20 grams
- Turmeric Powder 1/2 teaspoon
- Salt 1 1/2 teaspoons
- Saambaar Powder 2 teaspoons
- Coconut 1 cup ( grated )
- Oil 5 teaspoons ( preferably sesame )
- Mustard 1 teaspoon
- Urad dal 2teaspoons
- Bengal gram dal ( Chana dal ) 2 teaspoons
- Asafoetida ( Hing) 1/4 teaspoon
- Curry leaves few
- Rice flour 2 teaspoons ( optional)
Method
- Cook the chopped Plantains , adding turmeric powder and salt, to a firm texture, not mushy .
- Extract juice, from tamarind and add to the cooked vegetables, along with sambaar powder and curry leaves .
- When it boils , add jaggery powder and asafoetida .
- Cook in low heat, for four to five minutes . Add rice flour, mixed in half a cup of water , and stir . Cook for two minutes, till all mixes well .
- Heat oil, in saute pan and add mustard . Add urad dal , chana dal and coconut, when the mustard splutters .
- When the coconut becomes reddish , add to the tamarind sauce and remove from fire .
- Serve hot with rice .