Simple and comforting Chow Chow Poricha Kootu recipe with detailed step-wise pictures. Easy side dish of Chayote Kootu/Curry for hot rice or roti with simple kitchen staples.

Today I am sharing a very simple Kootu recipe using Chow Chow – also known as Chayote or Bangalore Kathirikai (in Tamil). Kootu is a name given in Tamil cuisine for all curries based on vegetables and lentils – it is thicker and can be served as a side dish for Kara Kuzhambu/Vathal Kuzhambu or just with plain white rice or rotis. The recipe I am sharing today is Chow Chow Poricha Kootu – a kootu what with fresh ground South Indian spices and coconut. It is rich, flavorful and really delicious. It uses very simple ingredients – chow chow and moong dal. You could use chana dal or even toor dal, but I like the creaminess of the moong dal/split yellow lentils. Chow Chow or Chayote, like any vegetable is very healthy with a lot of health benefits – it is a good source of anti-oxidants, helping with inflammation and it also has vitamins, especially B6 and K. Minerals like potassium, manganese, zinc are also found in this vegetable, making it really healthy to include in everyday cooking.

The spices used in this Chow Chow Poricha Kootu recipe are really simple – black peppercorns, cumin seeds, urad dal, dried red chillies are roasted in a drop of oil until fragrant and are then ground into a paste with fresh coconut. This gives the kootu are really nice flavor and also elevates this simple dish. With the addition of this roasted spice paste, the quantity of the kootu also increases easily – so it can be made for large crowds. While it is entirely possible to make this without coconut, it adds richness to an otherwise simple dish. It goes really well with hot rice as well as rotis. The kootu is on the thicker side and thickens quite a bit on cooling down too. You can make this same recipe using any gourd vegetable or even mixed vegetables. Check out other side dishes for rice!

How to make Chow Chow Poricha Kootu | Chayote Kootu –

📖 Recipe

Detailed step-wise picture recipe of making Chow Chow Poricha Kootu | Chayote Kootu –

Wash and drain the moong dal, add it to the chopped chayote/chow chow.

Add sufficient water and pressure cook for 2 whistles on medium flame.

Let the pressure drop naturally. Both the dal and chow chow should be soft.

Meanwhile in a heavy bottomed pan, dry roast all the ingredients (except coconut) under ‘To Roast and Grind’ on low flame.

When the spices are golden brown and fragrant, remove from heat. Let them cool down.

Add it to the blender with fresh chopped coconut.

Blend into a smooth paste by adding water as needed.

To the cooked dal and vegetable, add ¼ cup of water as needed, mix it well and add turmeric powder. Place it on low heat.

Add salt as needed along with the ground paste.

Mix well and cook on low flame until it begins to slowly boil.

In a small pan, temper mustard seeds, cumin seeds, asafoeitda and finally add fresh curry leaves. Add the tempering to the kootu and also add roughly torn coriander leaves (with stalks). Remove from heat.