One-Pot Meals:
I love quick and healthy one-pot meals loaded with lentils and vegetables. I like to pack them for my lunch and also to parties and potlucks sometimes. Be it kadamba sambar saadam or the bisibelebath or vaangi baath, I love them all. This kootanchoru is one such one-pot meal that I often make these days. Kootanchoru is a Tirunelveli( Popular City in the South Indian State of TamilNadu) specialty, and it is nothing but mixed vegetables and lentils and rice cooked with fresh ground coconut masala. This coconut paste and the coconut oil tempering makes the recipe so unique and yum.
Recipes with Millets:
For this recipe, I replaced rice with kodo millet or the varagu/varagu arisi. We did not find any difference in taste, and in-fact the millet and dal combo was really great. We got that soft and non-grainy texture, and we relished it with onion raita. You can serve this with raita or any dry curries or just with appalam. :-) Also, as always I made this in my Instant Pot, but you can easily make this in the pressure cooker as well. I have included the pressure cooker version as well in the recipe details. If you notice, I have included sambar podi in the ingredient list. Traditional recipes call for red chili powder instead of the sambar powder. But I included sambar powder as it adds extra flavor. But you can definitely replace sambar powder with 1 to 1.5 tsps of red chili powder for this measure. Before getting into the recipe, I just wanted to quickly recap what I shared yesterday and day-before-yesterday under the “Millet Special” theme. It is the Kambu Laddu and Barnyard Millet Neer Dosa. Please check it out if you have missed it.
Kootanchoru Recipe:
Now without any further delay, here is my version of Kodo Millet Kootanchoru that I prepared in the Instant Pot. Ingredients:
Kodo Millet – 1 cup Toor Dal – ½ cup Shallots – 6 Tomato – 1 Mixed Vegetables – 1 cup (I used ridgegourd, grated broccoli, broad beans, and peas) Salt – 1.5 tsp Tamarind Paste – ½ tsp Sambar Powder – 2 tsps Turmeric Powder – ¼ tsp Coconut Oil – 2 tsps Mustard Seeds – 1 tsp Hing – ¼ tsp Curry leaves – 5 Fenugreek Seeds – 1 tsp Water – 4 cups To Grind: Grated Coconut – ¼ cup Cumin Seeds – 1.5 tsp Red Chilies – 2 Shallot – 1 Water – 3 tbsps
Prep-Work:
Wash the millet and the toor dal and soak it for half an hour.
Meanwhile, chop the tomatoes, peel and chop the shallots and cut and set aside one cup of veggies of your choice. I used broad beans, ridgegourd, peas, and grated broccoli. Grind the coconut, one shallot, red chilies, and cumin seeds by adding 3 tbsps of water into a smooth paste.
Steps:
Instant Pot Method:
Set the IP in saute mode and add the coconut oil. And when the oil is hot add the mustard seeds, fenugreek seeds, hing and curry leaves. When the mustard seeds start to splutter, add the chopped shallots and saute until it turns translucent.
Now add the tomatoes and the mixed vegetable and stir well.
At this stage add the sambar powder, tamarind paste, salt, and turmeric powder. Mix well.
Then add the ground coconut masala and gently stir again. Let it cook for a couple of minutes and then add the kodo millet and the toor dal.
Now add the water and give it a stir.
Press the cancel button and close the IP lid with the vent in the sealed position. Pressure cook this at high-pressure mode for 15 minutes and let the pressure release naturally.
When the pressure is released, carefully open the pot and mix the kootanchoru.
That’s it. The Tirunelveli special kootanchoru is ready. Serve it hot with yogurt or raita or with any dry curry of your choice.
Pressure Cooker Method:
In a pressure cooker or pan, add the coconut oil. And when the oil is hot add the mustard seeds, fenugreek seeds, hing and curry leaves. When the mustard seeds start to splutter, add the chopped shallots and saute until it turns translucent. Now add the tomatoes and the mixed vegetable and stir well. At this stage add the sambar powder, tamarind paste, salt, and turmeric powder. Mix well. Then add the ground coconut masala and gently stir again. Let it cook for a couple of minutes and then add the kodo millet and the toor dal. Now add the water and give it a stir. Close the lid and pressure cook for up to 4 whistles and allow the pressure to release naturally. When the pressure is released, carefully open the pressure cooker lid and mix the kootanchoru.
Notes:
Adjust the salt and spice according to your preference. As I mentioned, you can include red chili powder instead of sambar powder. Also, instead of kodo millet, you can use rice or quinoa or other millet varieties. You can use regular oil for, but coconut oil adds flavor so I would recommend coconut oil. If required, add a dollop of ghee before serving.
Sending this recipe for the BM 94. Check out the Blogging Marathon page for the other Blogging Marathoners doing this BM#94
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📖 Recipe
