Pongal Kootu

Happy Pongal!! This is a must have item in the menu on Pongal day.

Ingredients

• Mixed Vegetables cut into cubes- (Ash guard, Pumpkin, Carrot, Beans, Avaraikkai, Potato, Raw Banana, Chayote, Sweet potato, Green peas, Lima beans, Yam)
• Toor Dal (cooked) - 1/2 cup
• Tamarind Paste - 1 tbsp
• Salt - 1 tbsp (Adjust to taste)
• Turmeric - 1/2 tsp
• Gingelly Oil (Any cooking oil will do) - 1 tbsp
• Mustard seeds - 1 tsp
• Sambar Powder - 2 tsp
• A spring of Curry leaves

To Grind

• Urad dal - 1 tbsp
• Daniya - 2 tbsp
• Channa dal - 1 tbsp
• Red Chillies - 6
• Asafoetida - 1/2 tsp
• Grated Coconut - 1/2 cup

Method

1. Cook all the vegetables with turmeric and a little water in the pressure cooker for 1 whistle.
2. Dry roast all the ingredients to grind and grind them with water.
3. Take a deep bottomed pan and add the oil and mustard seeds till they crackle.
4. Add the vegetables and the ground mixture, toor dal, sambar powder, salt and tamarind and boil the Kootu for a few minutes till the flavor seeps into the veggies.
5. Garnish with curry leaves and serve hot with rice or Pongal.