During pongal I really missed the fresh mochai as I never go to little India to buy vegetables sake. When I went to Chennai, I told my MIL, so when I was packing, she went and bought me the fresh mochai and my co-sis peeled and gave for me to carry here. Just a serving enough to make a kootu. Vj is big fan of this mochai and in my in-laws family, everyone have the habit of peeling the skin off before eating. It tastes different, soft without that skin, but I never had patience to do that. But Vj does it patiently for each mochai. I have seen my MIL doing the same. I wanted to try kari with this combo, but I k now Vj likes kootu better, so made it. Sure will post kari also soon. This combo is a winner, how ever you cook, comes out delicious.
Brinjal mochai kootu recipe
Recipe Cuisine: Indian | Recipe Category: Lunch
Prep Time: 15 mins | Cook time: 20 mins | Serves: 2
Prep Time: 15 mins | Cook time: 20 mins | Serves: 2
Ingredients
Brinjal, small variety – 6-8
Mochai, fresh (peeled) – 1/2 cup
Moong dal, paasi paruppu – 1/4 cup
Sambar powder – 1 tsp
Turmeric – 1/8 tsp
Shallots (Small onion) – 3
Salt – As needed
Mochai, fresh (peeled) – 1/2 cup
Moong dal, paasi paruppu – 1/4 cup
Sambar powder – 1 tsp
Turmeric – 1/8 tsp
Shallots (Small onion) – 3
Salt – As needed
To grind
Grated coconut – 1/2 cup
Jeera (cummin seeds) – 1 tsp
Jeera (cummin seeds) – 1 tsp
To temper
Oil – 2 tsp
Mustard – 3/4 tsp
Urad dal – 2 tsp
Curry leaves – 1 sprig
Mustard – 3/4 tsp
Urad dal – 2 tsp
Curry leaves – 1 sprig
Method
- Pressure cook moong dal for two whisles with 3/4 cup water. Boil fresh mochai in a cup of water. Mean while chop brinjal finely and keep immersed in water.
- Once the mochai is half done, add salt, turmeric, sambar powder, chopped brinjal, finely chopped onion and enough water, just to immerse the brinjals. Once brinjal is done, grind coconut with jeera and little water and add it to the cooked brinjal, along with cooked moong dal.
- Mix well, give a boil and temper with the items given under ‘To temper’ table. Mix well.
Notes
- I think you can use dried mochai too, but soak overnight and pressure cook before using it in this recipe.
- Onion can be ground along coconut and added.
- Instead of sambar powder, you can also add green chillies or red chillies ground along with the coconut.
Serve with any kuzhambu. Best with poondu kuzhambu, kara kuzhambu but we had with cluster beans sambar, which I will post next.
ramya murali
February 11, 2015 at 1:25 pmNice recipe!!! and super presentation!!! where u get this box? is it Piththalai box?
Nivedhanams Sowmya
February 11, 2015 at 2:38 pmoh I am loving that dabba!!! looks so good!! and this homey kootu is really tempting..
Raks anand
February 12, 2015 at 12:12 amYes, I got it at a shop in nachiar koil, but I hope its available in Ponny stores or Rathna stores at Pondy bazar.
Selvarani Ganesan
February 12, 2015 at 3:17 amI love this kootu very much,it reminds me amma's recipe…
Alexandra Higgins
February 12, 2015 at 11:48 amThis kootu looks so delicious. Great pics. I have never tasted it. But I can't wait to try it. Thanks for sharing the recipe.
Domestic cleaners Mayfair
Monicka
February 12, 2015 at 3:22 pmhi u r blog is just awesome, i have tried few recipe from ur blog. it turned out well. i hv uploaded my recipes in http://www.aromacooking.com u can chk it out
Sony
February 13, 2015 at 6:13 amVery nicely put together! Have no idea though what mochai is!!!! Is it some kind of papdi or lilva subzi?
Durga Karthik.
February 16, 2015 at 8:24 amNew to me.Pls. Change the t to r in the title Kathirikaai.
Unknown
July 7, 2017 at 11:40 pmRed chilly or Green Chilly not used at all? Even for grinding?
Raks anand
July 8, 2017 at 12:10 amThe sambar powder we are adding is enough 🙂