Zucchini kootu recipe, with coconut in south Indian style

Zucchini Kootu with step by step pictures. Cooked with moong dal, coconut in South Indian style makes an amazing accompaniment for rice as a part of your meal.

Zucchini is a vegetable that we got to know only few years back after we liked it in pizza as topping also loved it in quesadillas. Since Aj too liked the veggie, I started buying. Most of the time 10 days once I make zucchini fritters for his dinner. It is one of those healthy inner he eats and I too make happily without any guilt. Occasionally we make quesadillas and pizza too, using up the vegetable.

Now after being in Instagram for few years, I see zucchini kootu is also a thing. I see it in my feed and thought of trying it out. I was telling Aj about my lunch plan and he thought I was joking. When I finished cooking and clicking, he was like, ‘so you weren’t joking then?’ Both ate without any fuss. Now this can also appear in my lunch menu once in a while. We had with potato kara curry and was perfect for the side.

Zucchini is called also by the names courgette, marrow depending on the region. Last week Vj got some organic zucchini which looked different from the usual ones we buy regularly. Planned to make kootu with that but I got the regular zucchini too so did not want to take risk.

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Zucchini Kootu recipe, South Indian

Zucchini Kootu with step by step pictures. Cooked with moong dal, coconut in South Indian style makes an amazing accompaniment for rice as a part of your meal.

Course Side Dish

Cuisine Indian, South Indian

Prep Time 10 minutes

Cook Time 30 minutes

Servings 4

Cup measurements

Ingredients

• 1 zucchini
• ⅓ cup moong dal pasi paruppu
• 1 Tomato
• 1 & ½ tsp sambar powder
• ¼ tsp turmeric
• Salt as needed
• 1 tsp coconut oil for garnish optional

To grind

• ½ cup coconut grated loosely packed
• ½ tsp cumin seeds
• 2 shallots
• ½ tsp rice flour

To temper

• 2 tsp oil
• ½ tsp mustard
• 1 tsp urad dal
• 1 sprig curry leaves

Instructions

• Wash and pressure cook moong dal with 1 cup water for 4-5 whisltes.
• Cut off the head and slice off the bottom of the zucchini. Cut into two. Divide into halves lengthwise. Cut into strips and chop it to bite size pieces.
• Boil with chopped tomato, sambar powder, turmeric and salt.
• Zucchini will turn translucent as it gets cooked. It takes under 4 minutes to get cooked.
• Meanwhile grind coconut with little water, rice flour to a paste. Add shallots, cumin seeds and grind coarsely.
• Add cooked dal, ground coconut to the zucchini. mix well.
• Bring to boil and switch off the flame. Keep stirring as the dal might get burnt at bottom.
• Heat a kadai with oil, splutter mustard, add urad dal and roast it until golden. Add curry leaves and give it a quick stir.
• Add it to the kootu and drizzle with coconut oil.

Notes

• Do not over cook zucchini, let the skin have that crunch.
• You can skip coconut and make it to a tangy dal. Add 2 chopped tomatoes for this version. 

Zucchini kootu method:

1. Wash and pressure cook moong dal with 1 cup water for 4-5 whisltes.
2. Cut off the head and slice off the bottom of the zucchini. Cut into two. Divide into halves lengthwise. Cut into strips and chop it to bite size pieces.
3. Boil with chopped tomato, sambar powder, turmeric and salt.
4. Zucchini will turn translucent as it gets cooked. It takes under 4 minutes to get cooked.
5. Meanwhile grind coconut with little water, rice flour to a paste. Add shallots, cumin seeds and grind coarsely.
6. Add cooked dal, ground coconut to the zucchini. mix well.
7. Bring to boil and switch off the flame. Keep stirring as the dal might get burnt at bottom.
8. Heat a kadai with oil, splutter mustard, add urad dal and roast it until golden. Add curry leaves and give it a quick stir. Add it to the kootu and drizzle with coconut oil.

Serve as accompaniment for rice. We mixed with hot rice, ghee and had potato curry as side.