Koottu curry is a Kerala dish used in breakfast as well as lunch. This spicy and thick curry goes well with rice and chapathi. Koottu curry itself means side dish. Here is the recipe:
Ingredients
¾ cup brown/white chickpeas (soaked for 7 -8 hours)
1 tsp chilli powder
1 plantain (neither raw nor ripe; peeled and cut into small cubes)
250 gm yam (peeled and cut into small cubes)
2 green chillies (halved)
¾ tbsp crushed jaggery
Salt as required
1 coconut (grated)
½ tsp cumin
¼ tsp turmeric powder
2 ½ tbsp coconut oil
½ tsp mustard seeds
3 dried chillies (chopped)
Some curry leaves
1 ½ tsp black pepper powder
¼ tsp cumin powder
Preparation
Pressure cook the soaked brown chickpeas with some water, up to 5-6 whistles
Turn off the flame and allow the pressure cooker to cool down a bit
Now open it and add the yam, green chillies, salt and jaggery
Cook until the pressure cooker gives off one more whistle
Lightly grind the grated coconut with some cumin, turmeric powder and some water as well
Add the coconut mixture and curry leaves into the ingredients in the pressure cooker. Mix well
Take it off the heat after the curry has boiled well
Heat coconut oil in a pan and add the rest of the grated coconut, dried chillies and some curry leaves
Roast until the coconut turns light golden in colour
Add this into the koottu curry
Sprinkle the cumin powder and black pepper powder
Mix everything well together and close the vessel with a lid to retain the fragrance of the dish
The koottu curry has the right consistency when the chickpeas are well covered in the gravy.