Thiruvathirai Kootu Recipe | Thiruvathirai Thalagam Kuzhambu with step by step pics and lots of tips. It is a special naivedhyam dish made on the day of Thiruvathirai festival and it is also called as 7 Kari Kootu as it is prepared with 7 vegetables in odd numbers. This Kuzhambu is also made during the Pongal Festival too, so called Pongal kuzhambu or Pongal Kootu too. Usually, country veggies (Nattu Kaigari) is used in this dish and you can add vegetables as per wish, but yellow pumpkin is a must. As we all know Thiruvathirai festival falls on the Tamil month of Margazhi and is one of the important festivals for Lord Shiva. The festival is also a commemoration of Shiva’s Nakshatra (Birthday Star) Ardra, thus the festival is popularly known as Ardra Darshan or Arudra Darshanam. It is mostly prepared as a side dish with Thiruvathirai Kali and Adai, which are sweeter versions. I have been missing these divine recipes for the past 2 years perfectly, yet to post the Kali and Adai, hope I will do it soon.
Check out my other Kootu Recipes like
1. Mixed Vegetables Kootu / Kadhamba Kootu
2. Okra / Vendakkai Kootu
3. Kerala Kootu Curry
4. Pumpkin Kootu / Erissery
5. Spinach / Keerai Kootu
6. Pongal Puli Curry

Thiruvathirai Thalagam Recipe

Thiruvathirai Kootu Recipe | Thiruvathirai Thalagam Kuzhambu
Ingredients
1 Cup = 250 ML, 1 tsp = 5 ML
- 2 Tomato
- 1 Small Piece Pumpkin / Parangikkai
- ¼ Piece Raw Banana / Vazhakkai
- ¼ Piece Sweet potato
- 10 Broad Beans / Avarakkai
- 1 Arbi / Sepankizhangu
- 2 Brinjal
- ¼ Cup Mochai / Lima Beans
- ½ tsp Turmeric Powder
- 2 tbsp Moong Dal
- Salt As Required
To Grind
- ¼ Cup Grated Coconut
- 1 tsp Jeera
- 2 to 3 Green Chilli
- 1 tsp Rice Flour Optional
To Temper
- 3 tsp Oil
- 1 tsp Mustard Seeds
- ½ tsp Jeera
- 1 Sprig Curry Leaves
Instructions
- Peel the skin of raw banana, sweet potato and arbi. Chop the tomatoes, all the remaining veggies into medium-sized pieces. Then rinse the moong dal well and pressure cook it for 3 to 4 whistles with 1/2 cup of water.
- To a mixer, add the grated coconut, jeera, green chilli and grind it to a smooth paste by adding little water. In a pan, roll boil water and add a 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 ground 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. This addition of rice flour gives thickness to the dish, but give a boil and then switch off.
- Heat oil in a small pan and temper with all the ingredients listed in the table 'To Temper'. Pour the tempered ingredients over the kootu and mix everything well.Try this Thiruvathirai Kootu Recipe for this coming Arudhra Darshan festival.
Notes
Tips for Thiruvathirai Thalagam Kuzhambu
- Use only country vegetables for this Thiruvathirai Kootu Recipe.
- Other country veggies like yam, cluster beans, chayote, snake gourd, white pumpkin, bitter gourd etc can also be used.
- If using dry mochai soak and pressure cook separately. I used fresh mochai, so didn't do that step.
- Use only very little quantity in each veggie, as it yields a lot after cooking.
- Don't skip pumpkin, as it lends nice taste and colour to the Thiruvathirai Thalagam Kuzhambu.
- If you need the dish a bit sweeter, add the sweet potato and pumpkin little extra.
- Use little old /aged yam, else it gives an itchy sensation.
- Instead of green chilli, even red chilli can be used in grinding.
- Tempering can be done with coconut oil, which adds a nice aroma.
- Also, do the seasoning/tempering at last only, which helps to retain the aroma for a long time.
- Use curry leaves and jeera generously for tempering as it lends nice flavour.
- Don't skip jeera for grinding and tempering, which helps to relieve from the gastric effects.

Thiruvathirai Thalagam Kuzhambu Recipe
Method for Thiruvathirai Kootu Recipe
1. Peel the skin of raw banana, sweet potato and arbi. Chop the tomatoes, all the remaining veggies into medium-sized pieces. Then rinse the moong dal well and pressure cook it for 3 to 4 whistles with 1/2 cup of water.
2. To a mixer, add the grated coconut, jeera, green chilli and grind it to a smooth paste by adding little water. In a pan, roll boil water and add a 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 ground 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. This addition of rice flour gives thickness to the dish, but give a boil and then switch off.
5. Heat oil in a small pan and temper with all the ingredients listed in the table ‘To Temper‘. Pour the tempered ingredients over the kootu and mix everything well.
Try this Thiruvathirai Kootu Recipe for this coming Arudhra Darshan festival.

Thiruvathirai Kootu Recipe
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