Vendakkai kootu Recipe – Lady’s Finger Kootu Recipe

My MIL tried this vendakkai kootu (Lady’s finger kootu) with tomato, coconut and moong dal after tasting in a hotel/ restaurant. Its procedure is very similar to our poricha kuzhambu. Last week when she was here, she made this kootu for me. We loved it very much. Its a simple and easy kootu recipe. We can serve it thick as a side dish for vatha kuzhambu/ sambar or make it slightly thin like kuzhambu, mix with plain rice adding ghee. Tastes good in either ways. Ok lets see how to make vendakkai kootu recipe with step by step pictures.

Vendakkai kootu recipe / Lady's finger kootu

Lady's finger kootu recipe / Vendakkai kootu recipe

Cuisine: South Indian

Category: Kootu recipes

Serves: Serves 3

Prep time: 10 Minutes

Cook time: 20 Minutes

Total time: 30 Minutes

Chitra Ganapathy

INGREDIENTS

1 cup 250ml Lady's finger - 20 nos. Moong dal - 2 tbsp Ripe tomato - 1 Sambar powder - 1 tsp Salt & water - as needed To grind Grated coconut - 1/4 cup Rice flour - 1 tsp Water - to grind To Temper Coconut oil - 1 tbsp Mustard seeds - 1/2 tsp Urad dal - 1 tsp Cumin seeds - 1/2 tsp Curry leaves - Few

HOW TO MAKE VENDAKKAI KOOTU

1. Wash and chop lady’s finger, tomato into cubes.
2. Grind coconut , rice flour to a smooth paste.
3. Pressure cook moong dal adding required water, turmeric and sambar powder.
4. Heat oil in a kadai, saute lady’s finger, tomato.
5. Add required water and cover cook till soft.
6. Add cooked moong dal, coconut paste and salt. Boil for few minutes.
7. Temper and add to kootu. Mix and adjust consistency. 
8. Serve hot with rice. Enjoy !

VENDAKKAI KOOTU RECIPE - STEP BY STEP PICTURES

Wash and chop lady’s finger and tomato into cubes. Set aside. Grind coconut + rice flour to a smooth paste. In a pressure cooker, take the moong dal, sambar powder, required water and turmeric powder. Pressure cook in low flame for 2 whistles. Open the cooker after the steam is released. Mash well and set aside. Heat oil in a kadai. Add chopped lady’s finger and saute till it shrinks without threads. Add tomato and saute well till its mushy. Add some water, cover cook till lady's finger is done.   Add the cooked moong dal, coconut paste and mix well. Add required water if the kootu is thick.  Boil for few minutes. Temper mustard seeds , curry leaves and add to kootu. Mix gently and serve with plain rice. Enjoy !

Note

You can use red chilli powder and coriander powder instead of sambar powder. For variations, you can use toor dal or chana dal instead of moong dal.

Try this yummy vendakkai kootu for rice and enjoy !

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Vazhaipoo Mor Kootu – Banana Flower Kootu For Rice

Vazhaipoo mor kootu is a delicious side dish for rice prepared with banana flower, moong dal, coconut and fresh curd/ yogurt as major ingredients. Usually I make vazhaipoo kootu in this method. For a change, I tried it with curd as suggested by my neighbor. Generally mor kootu is prepared with banana stem / vazhaithandu. But banana flower/ vazhapoo mor kootu is equally delicious. I loved to serve with vatha kuzhambu. Tastes yummy ! Friends, do try this easy vazhaipoo mor kootu in a pressure cooker. Its so easy, quick to prepare and tasty too !

Cooking is an art and when we cook it for others, don't forget to add a dollop of your love and passion for cooking in it. It is that secret ingredient which can help you get rave reviews from food lovers all over. Nowadays, many of us are turning our passion to profession and cooking is one such choice that offers a great platform to kickstart a profession that blends in your passion. But, when it comes to making cooking a profession, there is another secret ingredient you need to be aware of! You need to register and get your FSSAI food license before you do the chef's hat and start serving yummy delicacies to your customers. 

Vazhaipoo mor kootu / Banana flower buttermilk kootu

Vazhaipoo mor kootu / Banana flower buttermilk gravy for rice

Cuisine: South Indian

Category: Kootu recipes

Serves: 3

Prep time: 10 Minutes

Cook time: 20 Minutes

Total time: 30 Minutes

Chitra Ganapathy

INGREDIENTS

1 cup = 250ml Banana flower - 2 cups Moong dal - 2 tbsp Salt & water - as needed To grind Grated coconut - 1/4 cup Green chilli - 2 Fresh curd - 1/4 cup Cumin seeds - 1/2 tsp To Temper Coconut oil - 1 tbsp Mustard seeds - 1/2 tsp Curry leaves - Few

HOW TO MAKE VAZHAIPOO MOR KOOTU

1. Take the banana flower and clean it. Chop finely.
2. Heat oil in a pressure cooker. Splutter mustard seeds, curry leaves.
3. Add chopped banana flower, saute for a minute.
4. Add moong dal and required  salt. Mix well.
5. Grind the ingredients given under “to grind” to a smooth paste adding fresh curd.
6. Add to the cooker. Mix for a minute and add required water.
7. Pressure cook in low flame for one whistle. Switch off the flame.
8. Remove the lid after steam is released. Mix and serve hot with rice !

VAZHAIPOO MOR KOOTU RECIPE - STEP BY STEP PICTURES

Take the banana flower / vazhaipoo. Peel the skin and remove the flowers. Discard the black stamen and paper like kaalan. Keep the cleaned flower immersed in water or diluted buttermilk to avoid banana flower turning black.  In a pressure cooker, heat coconut oil. Splutter mustard seeds, urad dal and curry leaves. Add chopped banana flower and saute for a minute. Add moong dal and salt. Mix well. Grind coconut, cumin seeds and green chilli to a coarse paste. Add fresh curd and grind to a smooth paste. Add water while grinding if needed.   Add this paste to the cooker and mix well. Add required water and mix well. Close the cooker and keep the flame high. Wait till vapor comes off through the nozzle. Lower the flame completely and put the weight valve. Cook in very low flame for two whistles. Switch off the flame. Open the cooker lid after the steam is released. Mix well and Check for consistency. If kootu is too thick, add some water and bring to a boil. If the kootu is watery, boil for some time and make it thick as you like. Serve with vatha kuzhambu, kara kulambu etc. Enjoy !

Note

Adjust the quantity of green chilli as per your taste. Do not add sour curd. It spoils the taste of kootu. Instead of grinding curd, you can add thick buttermilk. Color of kootu was mildly on yellow side due to moong dal.

Try this easy, yummy banana flower mor kootu and enjoy with rice !

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Kovakkai Masala Kuzhambu Recipe –Tindora Gravy For Rice, Roti

Today’s Kovakkai masala kuzhambu / Tindora gravy for rice and roti is my long time pending recipe bookmarked from Nees kitchen. At last I tried it yesterday for our lunch. I made slight changes in the ingredients and prepared this gravy directly in my pressure cooker as I had less time to cook. So the job was done under 15 minutes. It was so easy to make and tasted great with nice peanut flavor. We all loved it with plain rice and ghee. You can enjoy with roti if you make the gravy slightly thick. The taste of this gravy reminds you Andhra style dondakaya masala. Ok friends, lets see how to make this easy and yummy kovakkai masala with step by step pictures.

Kovakkai masala recipe

Kovakkai masala recipe / Tindora gravy for rice, roti

Cuisine: South Indian

Category: Side dish

Serves: Serves 4

Prep time: 10 Minutes

Cook time: 10 Minutes

Total time: 20 Minutes

Chitra Ganapathy

INGREDIENTS

1 cup - 250ml Tindora / Kovakkai - 25 nos Ripe tomato - 2 Red chilli powder - 1/2 tsp Turmeric powder - 1/4 tsp Salt - as needed To roast and grind Coriander seeds - 1 tsp Sesame seeds - 2 tsp Cinnamon - 1 inch Cloves - 2 Cardamom - 1 Roasted peanuts - 1/3 cup ( I used with skin) Grated coconut - 1 tbsp (optional) To temper Gingely oil – 3 tbsp Mustard seeds – 1/2 tsp Urad dal – 1 tsp Chana dal – 1 tsp Cumin seeds – 1/2 tsp Curry leaves – Few Green chilli – 2 Big onion – 2 Ginger garlic paste – 1/2 tsp

HOW TO MAKE KOVAKKAI MASALA

1. Wash and slit kovakkai into . Set aside.
2. Heat oil in a kadai and roast all the ingredients given under “to roast and grind”.
3. Lastly add roasted peanuts and coconut. Mix well and switch off the flame.
4. Grind the masala to a smooth paste. In a pressure cooker heat oil.
5. Splutter mustard seeds, urad, chana dal and cumin seeds. Add green chilli.
6. Add the onion and saute well. Add the slit kovakkai and toss for a minute.
7. Add gg paste and saute well. Add turmeric powder and chilli powder.
8. Saute quickly without burning the masala. Add tomato , peanut masala and cook for a minute.
9. Lastly add 1 cup of water and pressure cook in low flame for one whistle.
10. Open the cooker after steam is released. Garnish with coriander leaves.
11. Serve hot with rice or roti.

KOVAKKAI MASALA RECIPE - STEP BY STEP PICTURES

Wash and slit the kovakkai / Ivy gourd into 4 parts till half the way.  Heat a kadai and dry roast the sesame seeds, dhania seeds, cloves, cinnamon and cardamom. Switch off the flame and add roasted peanuts, grated coconut. Grind to a smooth paste adding required water. Set aside. Heat oil in a cooker base and splutter mustard seeds, urad dal , chana dal and cumin seeds. Add onion and green chilli. Saute till onion become transparent. Add chopped kovakkai, saute for a minute. Add ginger garlic paste and saute for one minute. Add turmeric powder, chilli powder, salt & mix well. Do not burn any spices. Now add chopped tomato. Cook till mushy. Then add the ground peanut masala. Mix and cook for a minute. Now add required water. I used 1 cup of water. Mix well and check for taste. Pressure cook in low flame for one whistle (It takes 8 to 10 minutes). Switch off the flame and let the pressure subside. Open the cooker. You will see a layer of oil floating on top with a nice masala smell. Check the thickness of gravy. If its too watery, boil for a minute. If its too thick, add little water and mix well. Give one boil if needed. Garnish with coriander leaves. Enjoy mixing with plain rice adding few drops of ghee ! You can also try with roti / chapathi if you like.

Note

Use small size kovakkai for better looks. I used bigger ones. So my gravy was not so appealing. Cinnamon and coconut are optional. Its not mentioned in the original recipe. But I used it. Adjust the quantity of green chilli and chilli powder as per your taste.

Try this easy, yummy kovakkai masala kuzhambu recipe and enjoy !

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Heerekayi Palya Recipe – Karnataka Style Ridge Gourd Gravy For Roti, Rice

 

 Recently my neighbor from North Karnataka gave me some Jolada roti / Jowar roti , ridge gourd / Heerekai palya  (Kannada name )and brinjal / badanekayi chutney as side dish. I have tasted jolada roti oota in Kamat restaurant but this gravy and chutney recipes were new to me. It was so tasty and made me eat 3 rotis 😋. 

When I shared this picture in my Instagram feed, many of my friends and readers asked me to share the recipe of heerekayi palya. This afternoon I got the recipe from my neighbor and prepared it for our lunch. It came out so well. Its a very simple recipe with peanut and till seeds/ black sesame seeds masala as base for this gravy. Its very similar to Ennegai recipe prepared using brinjal which is the most popular side dish for Jolada roti. Some people call this heerekayi palya as stuffed ridge gourd palya / heerekayi ennagai palya in Kannada. But there is a small variation in this gravy. 

Friends, I bet no one could find that this gravy is prepared with ridge gourd. Its so flavorful and tastes great with jowar roti, rice and chapati. Do try it once. You will love it and start to make it often. Its so easy to prepare too ! Ok, lets see how to make North Karnataka style (Uttara Karnataka) heerekai palya recipe with step by step pictures.

Check out my other interesting Karnataka recipes.

Heerekai palya - North Karnataka style ridge gourd gravy

Heerekai palya - North Karnataka style ridge gourd gravy for jolada roti, rice and chapati.

Cuisine: Karnataka recipes

Category: side dish for jolada roti

Serves: Serves 4

Prep time: 10 Minutes

Cook time: 20 Minutes

Total time: 30 Minutes

Chitra Ganapathy

INGREDIENTS

1 cup = 250ml Ridge gourd - 1 (Long and big) Big onion - 1 (Big) Tomato - 1 (big) Salt & water - as needed To grind Roasted peanuts without skin - 1/4 cup Black till seeds powder or niger seeds powder -  1 tbsp (roasted sesame seeds powder) Green chilli - 3 (Use 2 for less spice) Coriander leaves - 2 tbsp Curry leaves - 10 Cumin seeds - 1/2 tsp Sambar powder - 1 tsp ( I used MTR sambar powder, refer notes) Turmeric powder = 1/4 tsp Coconut - 1 tbsp (optional) Cinnamon - 1 small piece Cloves - 1 To Temper Cooking oil - 3 tbsp Mustard seeds - 1 tsp Cumin seeds - 1/2 tsp Curry leaves - Few

HOW TO MAKE RIDGE GOURD GRAVY / HEEREKAYI PALYA

1. Wash and peel the ridges of ridge gourd & skin.
2. Chop into 2 inch size lengthy pieces. Set aside.
3. Grind all the ingredients given under “To grind” to a smooth paste adding water.
4. Heat oil in a kadai. Splutter mustard seeds, cumin seeds and curry leaves.
5. Saute onion, tomato and ridge gourd pieces till soft. Add the ground masala paste.
6. Saute till raw smell goes off. Add required water, cover and cook till ridge gourd is done.
7. Remove and serve hot with Jolada roti / Jowar roti, rice or chapathi !

HEEREKAI PALYA - STEP BY STEP PICTURES

Wash and peel the ridges and skin of ridge gourd. Do not remove the skin completely. But ridges should be removed and discarded. Chop the ridge gourd into 2 inch pieces in length. Wash and set aside. In a mixie jar take roasted peanuts (without skin), black sesame seeds powder(ellu podi, dry roast and powder it), green chilli, cumin seeds, coriander leaves, curry leaves, dry coconut, turmeric powder and sambar powder ( If you are not using Karnataka sambar powder, add 1 piece cinnamon and 1 clove along with usual sambar powder). Grind everything to a smooth paste adding required water. Set aside. Heat oil in a kadai and splutter mustard seeds, urad dal and curry leaves. Add onion and saute till transparent. Add tomato, required salt and saute till mushy. Add ridge gourd pieces and saute till it becomes soft. Add ground masala paste. Saute till its raw smell goes off. Now add the required water, check for taste. Cover and cook for sometime. Open the lid and mix once or twice in the middle. Cook till ridge gourd is cooked completely but not mushy. It should retain its shape.  Adjust the consistency of gravy by adding water. Switch off the flame and serve hot with jolada roti, rice and chapathi. Enjoy !

Note

Adjust the quantity of green chilli based on your taste. Sesame seeds powder and peanut forms the base for this gravy. So do not skip it. You can use snake gourd, lady’s finger instead of ridge gourd. This gravy thickens over time. So you can add more water if needed and adjust the salt.

Yummy, Karnataka style ridge gourd gravy is ready to relish with jowar roti, rice !

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Kalan Milagu Peratal / Mushroom Pepper Fry Recipe

I learnt this kalan milagu peratal also known as kalan milagu varuval in Tamil from my neighbor friend  who is from Chettinad. Mushroom pepper fry is served as a side dish for rice. Mushroom, onion and fennel seeds are the major ingredients in it. Recent days I have been trying varieties of mushroom recipes asking my friends, referring cookbooks. I am glad to learn this simple and yummy recipe. It came out well. Sendhil is not a fan of mushroom. But he liked this curry because of pepper flavor. Personally I liked it with sambar rice and rasam rice. Friends do try this easy mushroom pepper fry recipe / kalan milagu varuval and share your feedback with me.

Do check out my other mushroom recipes too !

Kalan milagu varuval / Mushroom pepper fry recipe

South Indian, Chettinad style mushroom pepper fry called as kalan milagu varuval in Tamil. Its a good side dish for rice.

Cuisine: Chettinad

Category: Side dish

Serves: Serves 2

Prep time: 10 Minutes

Cook time: 10 Minutes

Total time: 20 Minutes

Chitra Ganapathy

INGREDIENTS

Mushroom / Button mushroom - 15 Big onion - 1 (finely chopped) Garlic cloves - 5 (-do-) Pepper corns - 1 to 1.5 tsp Fennel seeds - 1/2 tsp Salt & water - as needed To Temper Cooking oil - 2 tbsp Mustard seeds - 1/2 tsp Cumin seeds - 1/4 tsp Curry leaves - Few

HOW TO MAKE MUSHROOM PEPPER FRY

1. Wash and clean mushroom. Slice it and set aside.
2. Heat oil in a kadai. Splutter mustard seeds, cumin seeds and curry leaves.
3. Saute onion, garlic till transparent. Add mushroom slices, salt and mix well.
4. Cover cook in low flame by tossing it whenever needed.
5. Coarsely crush the pepper + fennel seeds. Add to the cooked mushroom.
6. Mix well and cook for a minute. Switch off the flame. Serve with rice !

KALAN MILAGU PERATAL - STEP BY STEP PICTURES

Wash and clean the mushroom. Slice it and set aside. Slice onion thinly and keep aside. Heat oil in a kadai. Splutter mustard seeds, urad dal, cumin seeds and curry leaves. Add onion, garlic and saute till transparent. Add sliced mushroom, required salt and mix well. Cover the kadai with a lid. Cook in low flame till mushroom is cooked. Coarsely powder the fennel seeds and pepper corns together. After the mushroom is cooked, add this powder and mix gently. Let it cook in low flame for a minute.  Switch off the flame and serve this mushroom pepper fry with sambar rice or rasam rice.

Note

Adjust the quantity of pepper corns as per your spice level. For variations, you can skip fennel seeds. You can also saute one green chilli along with onion and adjust the quantity of pepper accordingly.

Try this easy mushroom pepper fry recipe and enjoy with rice ! I served it with thakkali kuzuhambu.

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Peerkangai Poriyal Recipe - Ridge Gourd Stir Fry Recipe

Ridge gourd stir fry ( peerkangai poriyal in Tamil) recipe is my recent try with this vegetable. Ridge gourd is called as beerakaya in Telugu, peerkangai in Tamil, torai in hindi, hirekayi in Kannada and peechinga in Malayalam. It is also known as Chinese okra and sponge gourd. 

As we all know ridge gourd is a healthy vegetable with lots of health benefits. It is rich in dietary fiber , vitamin-C, zinc, iron, riboflavin, magnesium, thiamine and traces of another minerals. It is low in saturated fat, cholesterol and calories. So its good for weight loss as well. As ridge gourd gets cooked easily, this stir fry can be prepared under 10 minutes. Its a very simple recipe. It is sure is a good addition to my ridge gourd recipes. 

Friends, lets try to include this healthy vegetable in our regular diet and reap its benefits. Even we can use its skin/ peel and make an yummy thogayal with it. I have shared peerkangai thol thogayal recipe too. Please check the link below. Now lets see peerkangai poriyal with step by step pictures.

Do check out my other ridge gourd recipes below

Ridge gourd skin chutney

Ridge gourd kuzhambu

Ridge gourd poricha kootu

Ridge gourd subzi for roti

Ridge gourd dal

Ridge gourd poriyal / peerkangai poriyal recipe

South Indian style ridge gourd stir fry / peerkangai poriyal recipe for rice

Cuisine: Tamil nadu

Category: side dish

Serves: 2

Prep time: 5 Minutes

Cook time: 10 Minutes

Total time: 15 Minutes

Chitra Ganapathy

INGREDIENTS

1 cup = 250ml Ridge gourd - 1 Big onion - 1 Sambar powder or green chilli - 1 tsp / 2 Turmeric powder – 1/4 tsp Sugar – a pinch Salt & water - as needed Grated coconut – 1/4 cup To Temper Cooking oil - 2 tbsp Mustard seeds - 1/2 tsp Urad dal - 1 tsp Chana dal - 2 tsp Cumin seeds – 1/2 tsp Curry leaves - few Asafetida / hing - a pinch

HOW TO MAKE RIDGE GOURD / PEERKANGAI PORIYAL

1. Wash and peel the skin of ridge gourd. Cut into small cubes.
2. Heat oil. Splutter mustard seeds, urad dal, cumin seeds, chana dal, curry leaves and hing.
3. Saute onion, curry leaves. Add ridge gourd pieces, salt, turmeric powder, sambar powder and sugar.
4. Mix well and saute in low flame. Cover and cook till ridge gourd becomes soft.
5. If needed sprinkle little water and cook it.

RIDGE GOURD STIR FRY - STEP BY STEP PICTURES

Wash and peel the skin of ridge gourd. Cut into small cubes. Chop onion. Heat oil. Splutter mustard seeds, urad dal, cumin seeds, chana dal, curry leaves, hing. Saute onion till transparent.  Add ridge gourd pieces, salt, turmeric powder, sambar powder and sugar. Mix well and saute in low flame.  Cover and cook in low to medium flame. Stir gently in regular intervals. Ridge gourd gets cooked by releasing water. So no need to add more water. If required you can sprinkle 1 to 2 tbsp of water. Ridge gourd shrinks in quantity once its cooked. Do not cook till mushy. Stay nearby and cook patiently. Switch off the flame once its cooked soft. Lastly add grated coconut and switch off the flame. Serve with sambar rice or you can mix this poriyal with rice adding few drops of ghee and enjoy !

Note

You can use slit green chilli instead of sambar powder. You can also use roasted peanut powder instead of grated coconut. Addition of sugar and turmeric powder helps to give bright green color to the poriyal.

Enjoy this yummy ridge gourd poriyal with sambar rice or vatha kuzhambu rice.

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