Kootu is a vegetable lentil dish that comes together in a semi solid taste, that is less runny than the regular curries, and not as dry as the fries and dries. All of them will have a variation of lentiland vegetables in them. This dish uses cabbage and channa dhal.
What I used: Serves 4 as a side dish for rice/chapathi
2 tsp dhanya/cilantro seeds
½ tsp pepper seeds
½ tsp jeera/cumin
2-4 red chilies (depending on how spicy you want)
2 tsp fresh/dry coconut
1 cup channa dhal
3 cups chopped/shredded cabbage
2 tsp oil
A sprig of curry leaves
¼ tsp mustard seeds
1 small onion chopped
1 small tomato chopped½ tsp grated fresh ginger
Pinch of hing/asafoetida
Soak the dhal in ample water for 15-30 minutes. Cook it until it is nearly done, but has not gotten soft. Set aside.
Dry roast the cilantro, pepper, cumin and red chilies until you can smell the aroma, add in the coconut and set aside to cool. Grind it to a fine paste with some water.
In a saucepan, add oil and heat it on medium-high. When it shimmers, add the curry leaves and mustard. When the splattering subsides, add in the grated ginger and onions. Roast for a minute, add in the tomatoes and cook until soft. Add the ground masala paste and let it boil for a few minutes. Add the cooked dhal and cabbage into it and cook covered on low heat for about 7-10 minutes until the dhal is soft enough to eat. Sprinkle a little hing and serve hot with rice or chapathis. Enjoy!