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Recipe: Divya's Kerala Kootu

May 24, 2023 13:31 IST

After avial, sambar and rasam, if there is another vegetarian dish my non-Malayali friends and neighbours relish with more compliments than complaints, it has to be Kootu.

It's a staple accompaniment to fancier meals served at weddings, temples, and on special occasions and festivals, including Onam and Vishu, at home.

But the recipe, like I always mention, is prepared differently in parts of Kerala and Tamil Nadu, with a slight variation in the ingredients and the consistency.

There is Kootu and Kootu Curry -- my parents always argue about the ingredients that go into it.

My Papa, who grew up in Palakkad, Kerala, insists that Kootu is thicker, prepared using raw banana, lentils, ash gourd and yam, while Kootu Curry, more popular in Kannur, Thalassery and parts of north Kerala includes steam cooked black gram/chana as well.

Irrespective of how you cook it, the basic ingredients and flavour remain the same which makes it such a rich addition to Kerala cuisine.

Presenting my Amma's version of Kootu, which I hope you will enjoy with steamed rice.

Kerala Kootu

IMAGE: Kerala Kootu is best enjoyed with steamed rice, but also goes well with rotis or crispy dosas.
Photograph: Divya Nair

Kootu

Serves: 3-4

Ingredients

For the tempering

Method

DIVYA NAIR