Appala kootu is a delicious accompaniment for South Indian lunch, perfect to go with tangy gravies or kuzhambu varieties.
Sometimes, even though we don’t have any vegetables in stock, we have to cook. I make vengaya sambar, mocha kottai kuzhambu or mor kuzhambu with vadai or paruppu urundai kuzhambu. But for side dish? Appala kootu will be a great idea as side. I did the same last week. I had no veggies in my fridge and made Sukku kuzhambu and appala kootu for our lunch.
Every 10 days once, I will feel like emptying the veggies completely in fridge and then buy the next batch. So this menu was perfect last week. Appala kootu is quite new to me until I heard it from Raji, have heard appala kuzhambu, but this was new to me. This can be perfect for spicy kuzhambu varieties. We loved it, as it had a different texture and flavour! Thank you so much for sharing the recipe Raji 🙂
Appala kootu recipe, appalam kootu
Ingredients
- Chana Dal – ½ cup
- appalam/ papad – 10 plain ulundhu appalam
- Sambar powder – 1 tsp
- Turmeric – few pinches
- Salt – As needed
- Coconut 2 tbsp grated
To Temper
- Oil – 1 tsp
- Mustard –½ tsp
- Urad dal – 1 tsp
- Curry leaves – 1 sprig
Instructions
- Soak Chana dal (kadala paruppu) for an hour (to ensure easy cooking) and pressure cook it along with sambar powder, turmeric and 1 cup water, for 3 whistles.
- Mean while break each appalam into 4 as shown in picture and deep fry it and set aside.
- Once the dal is cooked, add the fried appalams to it, add a little bit of salt (remeber appalam has salt in it) and bring to boil. Add water if needed. The appalams should get soft, so stir in between to make sure all the appalams get dipped in water. Say for 2-3 mintues.
- Lastly add the grated coconut and boil for 2 minutes in medium flame. Make sure its not burnt in the bottom. Adjust water if its too thick. Temper the items given under ‘To temper’ table and mix well.
Notes
- Dal should get cooked well, otherwise the kootu may not taste good. So make sure you soak the dal before cooking.
- Even over cooking the dal may kill the texture of the kootu. The dal should not get mashed. But it should be cooked until soft too.
- You can use ‘appala poo’ the small oblong ones we get too for this kootu recipe. No need to break the appalams if we use that.
- If you have the ‘vadagam’ that is meant for thaalipu, you can use it for tempering instead of mustard urad dal.
Method
- Soak Channa dal (kadala paruppu) for an hour (to ensure easy cooking) and pressure cook it along with sambar powder, turmeric and 1 cup water, for 3 whistles.
- Mean while break each appalam into 4 as shown in picture and deep fry it and set aside.
- Once the dal is cooked, add the fried appalams to it, add a little bit of salt (remeber appalam has salt in it) and bring to boil. Add water if needed. The appalams should get soft, so stir in between to make sure all the appalams get dipped in water. Say for 2-3 mintues.
- Lastly add the grated coconut and boil for 2 minutes in medium flame. Make sure its not burnt in the bottom. Adjust water if its too thick. Temper the items given under ‘To temper’ table and mix well.
Serve as a side for any spicy and tangy kuzhambu like kara kuzhambu, poondu kuzhambuor pepper kuzhambu. We had with Sukku kuzhambu😀
Looks so yummy.Even im also having similar kind of recipe lying in my draft.
Looks delicious. Picture for 2nd and 3rd step are swapped.
Nice side dish..looks perfect with rice..
Very interesting recipe and quite a simple one too. Pretty clicks
Searching for long time…Thank you
Thanks, changed now! 🙂
Hello! can this also be made with raw appalam (without frying)? Like what we make for appala kuzhambu…Thanks! I am falling in love with your site. I made something from your site today. I will comment on that recipe 😀
Looks delicious… Love this all time…
http://recipe-excavator.blogspot.com
This recipe is new for me,,,:) looks delicious,…
Delicious and interesting recipe, made your karakuzhambu recipe and it was a super hit at home 🙂
I have done appala puli kuzhambu..this one is new to me! Looks good Raji!
Simple & so interesting & yummy!!!
Prathima Rao
Prats Corner
new to me…lovely
interesting one!! will try 🙂
This recipe is new to me Raji!! Thanks so much for sharing 🙂
Appla kootu very new recipe…Had Appla kuzhambu also very recently and loved it..should try this one
we make thoran with appalam. it's a great fall-back for no-veg days like you mentioned. this is a great variation.
Delicious and simple kootu
New to me..looks very delicious…
i generally do the kuzhambu varieties 🙂 kootu is new to me !
Learnt something new today..Very interesting…Looks new variation of having dal
I am in love with your Appala Koota. Stunning clicks as usual!
I agree with u .. veg or no veg we will find a way to cook 🙂 looks great
very innovative and never tasted it too 🙂 nice clicks
Very beautiful and yummy…
Can't say I've tasted this before but I can imagine how delicious this must be…. hope to give it a try sometime.
The combination of this with the sukku kuzhambu sounds fabulous.
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Perfect! this is my paati's favourite… Was randomly looking at your poondu kozhumbu post yesterday and thought appala kootu would be a good side dish for that… was surprised to see this post from you yesterday… made it yesterday and it turned out to be awesome 🙂
I have never heard of such a kuzhambu with appalam.. sounds so different !! Need to really try this..Wonder how this tastes… but pics are so tempting !!!
Sindhu
Looks inviting and delicious. Super Clicks!
sounds simple and delicious 🙂
unga Innovations-ku ore alave Illa!!! great job!! looks fabulous!!
My mom makes a different version of this by adding, boiled potatoes, onion, tomatoes and garlic. You should try them. It gives some nice flavor and richness to the kootu with potatoes in it.. Otherwise, its the same method we follow too. I thought Appalam kootu was not known by many ppl and I always thought only my mom can make it 🙂
Happy cooking
Sure will try that version too, sounds really good 🙂 Thanks!
luv ur site…great recipes…..keep going..