chow chow kootu/chayote kootu

Chow chow kootu recipe – a delicious South Indian style recipe of chayote and yellow moong lentils with coconut and spices. This is a quick and healthy side dish that is easy to make. Chow chow or chayote is a pear shaped squash, light green in color and also called as vegetable pear. It is widely used in South Indian cooking that is to be served with rice. It also goes well with chapathi. The coconut and spices give a nice taste to this dish.

Ingredients

• 1 1/2 cups chopped chayote squash / chow chow

• 1/3 cup yellow moong dal / split yellow mung bean / pasi paruppu

• 1/4 tsp turmeric powder

• Salt to taste

To grind

• 4 tbsp fresh grated coconut / thengai

• 1/2 tsp cumin seeds / jeera

• 1-2 dry red chilies

For tempering

• 1/2 tsp mustard seeds

• 1/2 tsp split urad dal / black gram (without skin)

• A few curry leaves1 tsp oil

• Wash and peel the skin of chow chows. Cut it into two halves lengthwise and discard the seed. Chop the peeled chow chow into small cubes.

• Add chopped chow chow, moong dal and turmeric powder in pressure cooker.

• Pressure cook with 3/4 cup water for 2-3 whistles and remove from heat.Once pressure has released by itself, remove the cooker lid and lightly mash the dal.

• Meanwhile grind grated coconut along with cumin seeds and dry red chillies into a fine paste by adding little water.

• For tempering, heat oil in a kadai / thick bottomed pan and add mustard seeds.When mustard seeds splutter, add urad dal and curry leaves.

• Once dal turns golden brown, add the cooked moong dal-chow chow.Then add the ground coconut paste along with salt.

• Add 1/2 cup water. Mix well and let this simmer on low flame for around 4-5 minutes, stirring occasionally, and remove from heat.

• Chow chow kootu is now ready to be served.

Note:

This dish goes well with rasam,curd rice .It also a great comination of dosa and chapathi also.