Vellari araichuvita kootu, a south-indian style dal with yellow cucumber with moong and masoor dal with freshly ground masala. Kootu makes a delicious accompaniment with rice and roti.
Araichuvita Kootu
Vellari kootu, a simple kootu, with freshly made masala. I usually make kootu with my kootu powder, like this Keerai Kootu. But there are times I run out of my stash or we want a different taste for our kootu.
For such times, this is my go to recipe. Simple spices and some fresh coconut, you have a finger-licking side for your rice. You can serve this kootu, with roti too. Both my kiddos like the flavor, the fresh masala brings to this dish. Do try this recipe and let me know how you like it.
The Ingredients
- The vegetables, for today’s kootu i have used malabar vellari/Indian yellow cucumber, the same kootu can be done with other vegetables like cabbage, ashgourd, chayote or even Spinach.
- Dal, I have used a combination of moong and masoor dal in my kootu recipe today. You can use a combination or just one dal.
- Spices, I have used freshly ground masala, using cumin, coriander, black pepper and fresh coconut. You can also use my Kootu podi instead of the spices here.
- Tempering, the most important part of Indian cooking, mustard seeds, cumin seeds and red chilies along with curry leaves is used.
Step by Step Instructions for Araichuvita Kootu
Please check recipe card below for exact measurements of each ingredient used and also for the detailed instructions
- Wash and prepare the vegetables. Peel the yellow cucumber or malabar vellari, remove the seeds from the center. Chop the vegetable into cubes.
- Grind the ingredients given under 'To Grind' in a mixer with little water.
- Heat a pressure cooker with oil, add chilies, tomatoes, and chopped cucumber to it and saute. Add washed lentils to this.
- Add the freshly ground coconut masala to this, mix well add salt and turmeric water and enough water.
- Pressure cook for 4-5 whistles. Let the pressure fall on its own. Once ready, open the cooker, mix well. Add a tempering of mustard seeds, cumin , chili and urad dal. Serve hot with rice or roti.
If you have tried this recipe and like it, give it a star rating or let me know in the comments below. You could also share it with me on Instagram using #icampinmmykitchen and tagging me @priyasrinivasan.
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More Kootu Recipes
Recipe
Vellari Araichuvita kootu | Yellow Cucumber Kootu with fresh masala
Equipment
Ingredients
Ingredients
- 180 grams of malabar vellari chopped into cubes, approximately 1 cup
- 1 medium sized tomato chopped
- ¼ cup of masoor dal
- ¼ cup moong dal
- 2 teaspoon coconut oil/any cooking oil
- 2 nos red chilies
- ¼ teaspoon turmeric powder
- ¾ teaspoon salt or to taste
To grind to a paste
- 1 teaspoon cumin seeds
- 1 teaspoon black peppercorns
- 2 teaspoon coriander seeds
- 1 green chilli
- ⅓ cup fresly grated coconut
Tempering
- 1 teaspoon oil
- ¼ teaspoon mustard seeds
- ¼ teaspoon cumin seeds
- 1 red chili optional
- 1 teaspoon urad dal
Instructions
- Prepare your vegetables first. I usually use a medium sized malabar vellari for 2-3 days, I divided it into 3 and use it for 3 times/days. The above measurement will get you roughly a cup of chopped vellari cubes. Wash and chop the tomatoes.
- Wash the lentils in water, drain and keep aside. Take the ingredients given under grind to paste in a mixer jar and add 2-3 tablespoon of water and grind it to a fine paste.
- In a pressure cooker, heat oil, when it is hot, splutter mustard seeds, add the red chilies, immediately add the chopped vellari cubes and tomatoes to this and saute for a minute.
- Next add the drained dal to this and saute for a minute. Next add the ground paste to this, i add ¼ cup of water to the mixer jar and add that water too to the pressure cooker. Mix it all together well.
- Add 1&¼ cup of water to this and mix. Add salt and turmeric powder. Mix well.
- When this mixture begins to boil, close the lid of the pressure cooker and let this cook for 4-5 whistles. Once done, take it off the stove and let the pressure drop on its own.
- Open the pressure cooker and mix all the contents together. The usual consistency of the kootu is thick, if you prefer a thinner consistency add ¼ cup of water but not more than that. When served on a plate, the kootu should remain in its place and not run.
- In a small tadka pan, heat oil, splutter mustard seeds, crackle cumin, add curry leaves and urad dal to this, let the dal turn golden brown, pour this sizzling tadka over the kootu .
- Serve this delicious kootu with steaming hot rice or roti. This kootu makes an excellent lunch box recipe.
Video
Disclaimer
I m not a Doctor or a Nutritionist The Nutrition information provided above comes from the plugin and is only an estimate.
Serve this delicious araichuvita kootu with rice or soft phulkas. My hubby loves kootu with roti's for lunch. Serve it with steaming hot rice and a generous drizzle of ghee.
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MySpicyKitchen
Agree with you about blogging. BM keeps the blog active. Kootu is such a nice side dish for roti.
Kalyani
This poricha kootu is such a delight. My Pati used to make it and your post makes me very nostalgic . I haven’t made this in years and will re-start making it now !
rajani
I agree with you 100% about BM! I would have long ago stopped blogging otherwise. Coming to the kootu, it’s very similar to my take with the exception of pepper in the ground mixture.
vaishali sabnani
Kudos to Valli for putting in that effort , definitely we owe her a lot !
The kootu look healthy with a combination of daal and sabzi.
Harini R
Very flavorful combination of spices in this kootu.
Srivalli
Thank you for the kind words Priya, without you guys there is no group. I am glad I get to challenge myself each month with tough themes. This kootu looks so sinful and must have tasted so good.
Gayathri Kumar
So true Priya. I now blog only for BM and it keeps life interesting with Valli's new themes. This kootu with fresh masala paste looks fabulous.
Pavani
This Kootu looks absolutely irresistible, thanks for sharing such a great recipe.
Narmadha
I recently joined this group and it is so helpful in learning lot of new things from fellow bloggers like you. Freshly grounded masala always adds unique flavor and taste to dish.
Ruchi's Veg Kitchen
Kottu looks super delicious .. loved the combo of flavourful ingredients.. Freshly grounded spice mix definitely lifts the taste to new level .. Lovely share
My Culinary Journey
The kootu looks so yummy. I have never heard about this dish. A simple kootu, with freshly made masala sounds good.
Keep blogging...
Indfused
Love this Kootu and its combination of flavors. I especially like dishes with fresh ground aromatic masala. Would love to try this soon.
Mayuri Patel
I've seen malabar vellari being sold by the sabjiwala who comes home but have not really known how to use. Now I have a simple, easy and yet tasty recipe to follow to use the interesting cucumber. Would love to serve this kootu with hot rotis.
Anshu
Never heard of such dish before; looks quite delicious and interesting. I am sure it must have tasted amazing. Thanks for sharing such new recipes.
Motions and Emotions
Never tried this dish.. but it looks great and a perfect pairing with rice... ground masala must have given a great flavour to the dish
Jagruti's Cooking Odyssey
My mum used to add similar vegetable/fruit in daal, and I used to love it. With freshly ground masala this daal is delicious and wholesome.
Sasmita
This kottu looks so delicious !! Freshly grounded spice mix definitely takes the taste of the dish to new level. Would love to try sometime 🙂
jayashree
This kootu looks delicious. Just a doubt Priya, Vellari is big cucumber, isnt it? It must be tasting amazing with hot steamed rice. About the Blogging Marathon, you guys, have come a long way. Congrats.
Lathiya
I love sambar and especially this arachuvitta sambar. It looks delicious.
Jennifer Brooks
The food seems delicious. If you want an IG perfect shot, you could visit Shokuji Sushi Restaurant. Their dishes are really good with pictures and the tastes are all yummy.