Chow chow kootu (Chayote Kootu) recipe – a delicious South Indian style chayote and yellow moong dal with coconut and spices. This is a quick and healthy side dish that is easy to make.
Chow chow or chayote squash is a pear shaped squash, light green in color and also called as vegetable pear. It is widely used in South Indian cooking and is also called as bangalore kathirikai or seemai kathirikai in Tamil.
For lunch, I usually make this kootu or a simple chow chow poriyal to serve with rice. Its such a comforting meal and healthy too.
Chow chow kootu is very easy to make. Moong dal and chow chow are first cooked together. Grated coconut and spices are ground and then combined with the dal-vegetable combination. The tempering is done with just little oil and after simmering for a few minutes to a slightly thick consistency, chayote kootu is ready!
You can serve this kootu with steamed rice. It goes well with chapathis also. The coconut and spices give a nice taste to this dish.
Here are a few other kootu recipes that you will love
Yellow moong dal is a rich source of proteins and is high in dietary fiber. It is one of those dals that gets cooked vey fast.
Chayote too are very nutritious. They are a great source of vitamin C and are a good source of dietary fiber. Also they are low in calories. Lets move on to the recipe for easy chow chow kootu.
How to make Chow Chow Kootu (Chayote Kootu) Step by Step
- Peel chow chow and chop into small cubes. Rinse moong dal in water. Take moong dal and chopped chow chow in pressure cooker.
- Add turmeric powder and pressure cook with 3/4 cup water for 2-3 whistles and remove from heat. When pressure has released by itself, remove the cooker lid and lightly mash the dal.
- Meanwhile grind grated coconut along with cumin seeds and dry red chillies into a fine paste by adding little water.
- Heat oil in a pan and add mustard seeds. Once they splutter, add urad dal and curry leaves.
- When dal turns golden brown, add the cooked moong dal-chow chow.
- Then add the ground coconut paste along with salt.
- Add 1/2 cup water and simmer on low flame for 4-5 minutes or until gravy has reached desired consistency. Remove from heat.
- Chayote kootu is ready to be served.
Chayote Kootu | Chow Chow Kootu Recipe
Ingredients
- 1 1/2 cups chopped chayote squash (chow chow)
- 1/3 cup yellow moong dal ((split yellow mung bean) or (pasi paruppu))
- 1/4 tsp turmeric powder
- 4 tbsp fresh grated coconut (thengai)
- 1/2 tsp cumin seeds (jeera)
- 1 or 2 dry red chillies
- 1/2 tsp mustard seeds
- 1/2 tsp split urad dal (black gram (without skin))
- A few curry leaves
- 1 tsp oil
- Salt to taste
Instructions
- Wash and peel the skin of chow chows. Cut it into two halves lengthwise and discard the seed. Chop the peeled chow chow into small cubes. Rinse moong dal with water 4-5 times. Take rinsed moong dal and chopped chow chow in pressure cooker.
- Add turmeric powder. Pressure cook with 3/4 cup water for 2-3 whistles and remove from heat. Once pressure has released by itself, remove the cooker lid and lightly mash the dal.
- Meanwhile grind grated coconut along with cumin seeds and dry red chillies into a fine paste by adding little water.
- For tempering, heat oil in a kadai or thick bottomed pan and add mustard seeds. When mustard seeds splutter, add urad dal and curry leaves.
- Once dal turns golden brown, add the cooked moong dal-chow chow.
- Then add the ground coconut paste along with salt.
- Add 1/2 cup water. Mix well and let this simmer on low flame for around 4-5 minutes, stirring occasionally, and remove from heat.
- Chow chow kootu is now ready to be served.
Notes
- Add red chillies according to spice level preferred.
- Instead of pressure cooking you can alternatively cook the dal and chow chow with required quantity of water in a pan till dal turns soft.
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