Surakkai Pachai paruppu kootu/ Bottlegourd Kootu

Dals are usually part of our daily meal. In that way I keep adding some or the other vegetable to the dals and make them into kootu, so as to sneak some veggies into my kid's meal. So comes the simple and healthy bottle gourd kootu. This kootu is seasoned with grated coconut and ginger fried in little bit of ghee, which makes it really appetizing and rich in flavors.

Bottle gourd - 1 no. medium sized (chopped)
Pachai paruppu/Moong dal - 1/2Cup
Onion - 1 medium sized (chopped)
Tomato - 1 medium sized (chopped)
Garlic pearls - 3nos.
Tumeric powder - a pinch
Mustard seeds - 1/2 TspJeera/Cumin seeds - 1/2 Tsp
Grated Coconut - 2tbsp
Dry red chillies - 2nos.
Hing/ Perungayam - 1tbsp
Grated Ginger - 1/2 Tsp
Oil/ Ghee - 1 Tsp
Curry leaf - 3 nos.Salt - to taste

Soak pachai paruppu in warm water for about 15minutes. Add onions, tomatoes, garlic, bottle gourd, tumeric to the dal and pressure cook for 4 whistles or until the dal turns mushy. Heat oil in a pan, add mustard seeds, jeera, curry leaf, hing, red chilly, ginger, coconut and fry until the coconut turns golden brown. Finally add this to the cooked dal and adjust for salt. Yummy kootu is ready to be enjoyed with rice or chapathi. 

This kootu can also be made with toor dal or bengal gram dal. This dal goes to MLLA 32 event by Susan guest hosted by Sandhya and to Healing food-ginger and garlic event by Siri guest hosted by Sara's Corner.