A space for recipes

APPALA KOOTU

This is traditional Tamil Nadu recipe, which I love. It tastes delicious with just rasam and may be any fried item for side dish. Made with channa dhal and vegetables like eggplants, cabbage etc, it covers all food groups in itself with some rice. My mother used to crumble some fried pappads at the end. I used to love the soaked pappad taste. Here goes the recipe of my mom.

INGREDIENTS:
Channa dhal, 1 cup.
Any vegetable like eggplant or cabbage, chopped, 1 cup. (I have used cabbage here).
Onion, small, 1.
Green chilies, 2.
Garlic, (optional), 2 cloves.
Turmeric powder, 1 teaspoon.
Curry leaves for seasoning.
Salt as per taste.
Asafetida, 1 pinch.
Cumin seeds, 1 teaspoon.
Grated coconut, 2 tablespoon.
Papads, fried or microwaved, 3-5.

PREPARATION:
Cook the channa dhal in pressure cooker for 4 whistles and keep aside. Chop the onion and cabbage into small pieces. Slit the green chilies into two. Heat a pan with some oil. When the oil turns hot, put the cumin seeds and curry leaves and let them fry for a minute. Add the chopped onions, cabbage, and chilies and sauté them for a minute. Crush the garlic coarsely and add to the pan and sauté for another 2 minutes. When the cabbage and onion is well cooked, add the channa dhal, turmeric powder, salt, asafetida, 1 cup of water and cook closed in medium flame for 6-10 minutes until the dhal turns to a thick consistency. Turn off the stove. Crush fried pappads and mix well. Serve with hot rice and rasam.