Pongal Kootu Recipe | 7 Kari Kootu

Pongal Kootu Recipe is mainly prepared on the day of Pongal / Makar Sankranti as a sidedish for Chakkara Pongal, Ven Pongal and Paal Pongal. This is also called as 7 kari kootu as it is prepared with 7 vegetables in odd numbers. Usually country veggies (Nattu Kaigari) is used in this dish and you can add vegetables as per wish, but yellow pumpkin is a must. It can also be called as pongal kuzhambu or Thiruvathirai Kootu too. This post was in my draft for a year and l couldn’t find the final picture, so cooked again and clicked with the final picture only.

Checkout my other Kuzhambu / Gravy Recipes
1. Drumstick Sambar
2. Curry Leaves Kuzhambu
3. Vathal Kuzhambu
4. Butter Milk Kuzhambu
5. Garlic Kuzhambu

Pongal Kootu Recipe

Pongal Kootu Recipe | 7 Kari Kootu

Priya Santhamohan

Pongal Kootu Recipe is prepared on Pongal / Makar Sankranti. This is also called as 7 kari kootu as it is prepared with 7 vegetables in odd numbers.

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Prep Time 10 mins

Cook Time 30 mins

Total Time 40 mins

Course Lunch, Side Dish

Cuisine South Indian

Servings 4 People

Calories

Ingredients

  

• 5 Shallots / Small Onions Optional
• 2 Tomato
• 1 Small Piece Pumpkin / Parangikkai
• 1/4 Piece Raw Banana / Vazhakkai
• 1/4 Piece Sweet potato
• 10 Broad Beans / Avarakkai
• 1 Arbi / Sepankizhangu
• 2 Brinjal
• 1/4 Cup Mochai  / Lima Beans
• 1/2 tsp Turmeric Powder
• 2 tbsp Moong Dal
• Salt As Required

To Grind

• 1/4 Cup Grated Coconut
• 1 tsp Jeera
• 2 to 3 Green Chilli
• 1 tsp Rice Flour (Optional) Link for Homemade Rice flour

To Temper

• 3 tsp Oil
• 1 tsp Mustard Seeds
• 1/2 tsp Jeera
• 1 Sprig Curry Leaves

Instructions

 

• Peel the skin of raw banana, sweet potato and arbi. Clean and chop tomato, all the veggies into medium sized pieces ( as preparing for festival, I skipped shallots ). Then rinse moong dal well and pressure cook it for 3 to 4 whistles with 1/2 cup of water.
• To a mixer, add grated coconut, jeera, green chilli and grind it to a smooth paste by adding little water. In a pan, roll boil water and add little salt.
  
• Then add turmeric powder and the chopped veggies. Boil it for 7 to 8 minutes in medium flame, till the veggies turn soft but not mushy.
  
• If there is excess water drain a little and now add the grinded coconut paste and cooked moong dal. Cook covered for 3 to 4 minutes in low flame, until the raw smell leaves and the kootu thickens. If you want to add rice flour, mix it with little water and pour at this stage. Addition of rice flour gives thickness to the dish, but give a boil and then switch off.
• To a small tadka pan, heat oil and temper with all the ingredients listed in the table 'To Temper'. Pour the tempered ingredients over the kootu and mix everything well.

  Serve this 7 kari kootu with Rava Pongal.

Notes

Tips for 7 Kari Kootu

1. Use only country vegetables for this 7 kari kootu recipe.
2. Other country veggies like yam, cluster beans, chayote, snake gourd, white pumpkin, bitter gourd etc can also be used.
3. If using dry mochai soak and pressure cook separately. I used fresh mochai, so didn't do that step.
4. Use only very little quantity in each veggie, as it yields a lot after cooking.
5. If preparing for festival, skip the onions and bitter gourd.
6. Don't skip pumpkin, as it lends nice taste and colour to the pongal kootu recipe.
7. If you need the dish a bit sweeter, add sweet potato and pumpkin little extra.
8. Use little old /aged yam, else it gives a itchy sensation.
9. Instead of green chilli, even red chilli can be used in grinding.
10. Tempering can be done with coconut oil, which adds nice aroma.
11. Use curry leaves and jeera generously for tempering as it lends nice flavour.
12. Don't skip jeera for grinding and tempering, which helps to relieve from the gastric effects.

Keyword 7 Kari Kootu, Pongal Kootu Recipe

7 Kari Kootu Recipe

Method for Pongal Kootu Recipe

1. Peel the skin of raw banana, sweet potato and arbi. Clean and chop tomato, all the veggies into medium sized pieces (as preparing for festival, I skipped shallots). Then rinse moong dal well and pressure cook it for 3 to 4 whistles with 1/2 cup of water.

2. To a mixer, add grated coconut, jeera, green chilli and grind it to a smooth paste by adding little water. In a pan, roll boil water and add little salt.

3. Then add turmeric powder and the chopped veggies. Boil it for 7 to 8 minutes in medium flame, till the veggies turn soft but not mushy.

4. If there is excess water drain a little and now add the grinded coconut paste and cooked moong dal. Cook covered for 3 to 4 minutes in low flame, until the raw smell leaves and the kootu thickens. If you want to add rice flour, mix it with little water and pour at this stage. Addition of rice flour gives thickness to the dish, but give a boil and then switch off.

5. To a small tadka pan, heat oil and temper with all the ingredients listed in the table ‘To Temper‘. Pour the tempered ingredients over the kootu and mix everything well.

Serve this 7 kari kootu with Rava Pongal.

7 Kari Kootu Recipe