KOOTANCHORU

Cuisine: Indian Category: Lunch Serves: Serves 6-7 Prep time: 20 Minutes Cook time: 30 Minutes Total time: 50 Minutes

INGREDIENTS

To chop

Carrot - 2 nos

Beans - 10 nos

Potato - 1 no (big)

Broad beans - 10 nos

Raw banana - 1/2 no

Raw mango - 1/2 no

Brinjal - 3 nos

Drumstick - 1 no

Drumstick leaves & arai keerai – a handful

To cook

Rice - 1.5cups

Toor dal - 1/2 cup

Water - 12 cups

Tamarind – Small lemon size( use big lemon size if u don’t add raw mangoes)

To grind

Paste -1

Red chillies – 12-14 nos

Paste-2

Small onions – 30-40 nos (3/4 cup)

Garlic cloves - 2 bulbs(small) or 1 bulb if big variety

Jeera- 1 tsp

To saute

Cooking oil - 1 tbsp

Small onions - 15 nos

Green chillies – 2 to 4 nos ( adjust)

Grated coconut – 1/2 cup

To temper

Gingely oil - 2 tbsp

Mustard seeds - 1 tsp

Urad dal – 1 tsp

Vadagam – 2-3 tbsp (OR)Small onions-20 nos(finely chopped)

Curry leaves – half handful

METHOD

Grind red chillies adding required water to make a smooth paste.This is paste-1.Set aside.

Kootanchoru step2

Wash and peel the small onions,garlic cloves and grind with jeera& water to make paste-2.

Kootanchoru step1

Soak tamarind in enough water.Take the extract using 1.5 cups of water and mix the paste-1 & paste-2,turmeric powder and salt.

Kootanchoru step3

Wash and chop all the vegetables of uniform size and keep the raw banana & potato cubes immersed in water till use.Chop drumstick,chop raw mango into big cubes as shown in the picture.

Kootanchoru step4

In a big vessel(preferably, eeya paanai or indalium vessel) take the mentioned quantity of water.When the water starts to boil,add toor dal,turmeric powder.Allow it to cook till the dal blossoms.It should be mashable.

Kootanchoru step5

After the dal is 3/4th cooked,add all the vegetables & keerai(greens) except raw mango pieces.It takes 10 minutes for all the vegetables to cook.Keep stirring whenever necessary.

After 10 minutes,wash and add the rice.Again boil for 10-15 minutes and check whether rice is done.Rice absorbs all the water and gets cooked.Add the required salt.

Kootanchoru step6

Check if the rice is cooked properly.Use back of the ladle to mix the rice to avoid it turning too mushy.In the mean time,heat 1tbsp oil in a kadai and saute onions,green chillies & add to rice.

Kootanchoru step7

Now add mango pieces.It takes 5 minutes & mango pieces will be half cooked.

Kootanchoru step8

Now add the tamarind extract mixture and allow it to boil for 5 minutes in medium flame.Keep stirring every now & then to avoid burnt bottom.

Remove the mango pieces alone after it is cooked yet firm in shape else mango will become mushy & mixed with the rice completely leaving the skin.It makes the rice tangy.

Kootanchoru step9

Use back of the ladle or fork like ladle to mix the rice.Lastly add grated coconut & mix well.

Kootanchoru step10

Finally, temper all the ingredients given under”to temper” and add to the rice.Rice looks mushy initially but its consistency will get adjusted after it cools down.

Kootanchoru step11

Just before serving,add the cooked raw mango pieces & mix well.

Give a standing time of minimum one-two hours because it takes this time for all the taste to blend well with the rice.

Serve with koozh vathal/Vadam..!! Tastes great !!

**Do not use ur hands at any cost while serving.Rice will be spoiled very soon.So always use a ladle.