Kootu curry
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A thick curry of black chickpeas, yam and raw banana with ground and roasted coconut, one of the richer vegetable dishes of the Onam sadya.
Region: KeralaOccasion: Onam and Vishu sadyaTime: 45 min + soakingServes: 6Vegan
Ingredients
- ½ cup black chickpeas, soaked overnight
- 1 cup elephant yam and 1 raw banana, cubed
- ½ tsp turmeric, 1 tsp chilli powder, ½ tsp pepper powder, salt
- ½ cup grated coconut and 1 tsp cumin, for grinding
- ½ cup grated coconut, for roasting
- 2 tbsp coconut oil, ½ tsp mustard seeds, 2 dried red chillies, curry leaves
- 1 tsp grated jaggery (optional)
Method
- Pressure-cook the chickpeas until soft.
- Cook the yam and banana with turmeric, chilli, pepper, salt and a little water until tender. Add the chickpeas.
- Grind the coconut and cumin to a coarse paste, add to the vegetables with the jaggery and cook until thick.
- Heat the oil, splutter the mustard, red chillies and curry leaves, then roast the remaining coconut in it until golden brown.
- Mix the roasted coconut into the curry and serve with rice.
History
Kootu means ‘mixture’; the dish combines pulses and vegetables, a typical way of making a nourishing curry from what the farm provides.
Significance
Kootu curry is a fixture of the Onam sadya, especially in central Kerala.