Why this recipe works
Kootu is gentle, balanced nourishment: a vegetable cooked with moong or chana dal for plant protein and fibre, then bound in a mild paste of coconut and cumin. Combining dal and vegetables in one dish means protein, fibre and vitamins together, and the light spicing makes it soothing and easy to digest.
Ingredients
Method
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1
Cook the dal and the vegetable together with turmeric until soft.
Why together: simmering dal and vegetable in one pot gives a balanced dish, protein and fibre from the dal, vitamins from the veg, in every spoonful.
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2
Grind the coconut, cumin and green chilli to a mild paste and stir it in.
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3
Simmer briefly so the flavours meld.
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4
Finish with a mustard-and-curry-leaf tadka.
An honest word
Kootu is gentle, wholesome everyday food: a vegetable and a dal together, lightly spiced, with just a little coconut and oil. There is nothing to caveat beyond keeping the coconut and oil in proportion, which is easy. It is exactly the sort of quiet, balanced home cooking, protein, fibre and vegetables in one soft dish, that adds up to good health.