Mixed Vegetable Kootu

288

Ingredients:
1 cup red gram dal
a very small piece each of ash gourd, pumpkin, snake gourd and vegetable marrow
6-8 each of french beans, cluster beans and broad beans
2 each small brinjals and drumsticks
1/2 each (small) potato, sweet potato and raw banana
1/2 cup shelled mochakottai (field beans) or peas
4 sprigs curry leaves
1 tsp turmeric powder
a small ball of tamarind
salt to taste

Fry to a dark brown colour and grind to paste
3 tbsp coriander seeds
2 tbsp bengal gram dal
5-6 red chillies
4-6 tbsp grated coconut
few pepper corns (optional)

Seasoning
1 tbsp gingely oil
1 tsp mustard seeds
1/2 tsp fenugreek seeds
2 red chillies, broken into 2-3 pieces
2 green chillies, slit
2 sprigs curry leaves
1-2 tbsp chopped coriander

Method:
1. Boil dal with 1/2 tsp turmeric powder, set aside.
2. Take out thick extract of tamarind, set aside.
3. Wash, peel and cut vegetables into small pieces. Boil some water in a large vessel, add curry leaves, salt and turmeric powder. Add vegetables one at a time as different vegetables get tender at different levels of cooking time. First add the potatoes, sweet potatoes and drumsticks, when half done, add the different gourds one at a time, then the beans and lastly the banana and brinjals.
4. When all the vegetables have become tender, add tamarind extract, boil for 3-5 minutes.
5. Now add cooked dal (mash it a bit), the ground masala (mixed with some water) and simmer all of it for a while, remove from fire.
6. Season in oil the ingredients given in that order except coriander leaves. When green chillies have become soft, add the seasonings to kootu, add chopped coriander, mix all of it.