Chow Chow Kootu
A gentle lentil and vegetable stew made with chayote squash and moong dal, mildly spiced with coconut and cumin, a comforting everyday Tamil side dish.
- Prep
- 15 min
- Cook
- 25 min
- Total
- 40 min
- Servings
- 4
- Difficulty
- Easy
- Calories
- 140 kcal
Equipment
- •Pot
- •Blender
Nutrition
Per serving, approximate
- Calories
- 140 kcal
- fat
- 6 g
- carbs
- 16 g
- fibre
- 5 g
- protein
- 7 g
- calories
- 140 kcal
Instructions
- 1
Cook the moong dal with turmeric and water until soft.
- 2
In another pot, boil the diced chow chow with a little water and salt until just tender.
- 3
Grind the grated coconut, cumin seeds and green chillies into a rough, coarse paste.
- 4
Mix the cooked dal, cooked chow chow and coconut paste together in one pot.
- 5
Simmer everything for 5-6 minutes. Add a little water if needed to keep it semi-thick.
- 6
Heat coconut oil in a small pan. Fry the mustard seeds, urad dal and curry leaves until they crackle.
- 7
Pour this hot spiced oil over the kootu (vegetable lentil stew) and stir well.
- 8
Serve hot with rice or as a side dish with rasam (spiced soup).
Chef's tips
Do not overcook the chow chow before mixing, as it can turn watery. Use fresh grated coconut for the best flavour.
Ingredient substitutions
- chow chow → ash gourd or bottle gourd
Storage
Refrigerate up to 2 days.
Reheating
Reheat gently on the stovetop with a splash of water.
Common mistakes to avoid
- •Grinding the coconut paste until it is too smooth and watery.
- •Cooking the dal into a completely smooth puree with no texture.
Serving suggestions
Cooked Chow Chow Kootu?
Sign in to save this recipe to a collection. Bookmarking works without an account — it stays on this device.
Sign in for collectionsSimilar recipes
Dishes with the same spirit, spice level and course.
More from Tamil Nadu
Cooking that shares the same kitchen and pantry.
Recipes using similar ingredients
Use what you already bought for this recipe.
