Chow chow carrot kootu is the perfect comfort food when I am craving for some. This delicious kootu made with chayote squash and carrot and a coconut based masala is very quick to make.
Cold winter days are making me crave for more comfort foods. This is one of the foods that I love to eat on a lazy day with Sandham and paruppu (Rice and lentils) and a dollop of freshly made ghee.

I made this Chow Chow Carrot Kootu, but again, it is one of those recipes that can take any vegetable that you have on hand. I chose these two vegetables, because those are the only ones I had in my refrigerator.
That reminds me, I have to go vegetable shopping soon. But before that, here’s the recipe.
Ingredients to make Chow Chow Carrot Kootu– Serves 4
- Chow–chow/ Chayote squash/Bangalore kathirikkai – 2 (chopped into small cubes)
- Carrot – 3 (chopped into small cubes)
- Payatham paruppu (green gram dhal) – ⅓rd of a cup
- Coconut – ¼th cup (grated)
- Green chilies – 2 or 3
- Cumin seeds – 1 tsp
- Raw rice – 1 tsp
- Turmeric powder – ½ tsp
- Salt – to taste
- Sugar – 1 teaspoon (optional)
To season –
- Mustard seeds – 1 tsp
- Urad dal/ black gram dhal – 1 tsp
- Dry red chilies – 2
- Asafetida – ½ tsp
- Curry leaves – a few
- Oil (preferably coconut oil) – 1 tsp
Procedure to make Chow Chow Carrot Kootu –
- Chop the vegetables and place them in a pot with the payatham paruppu and add enough water to cover them. Add turmeric powder and cook it until tender.
- Now add the salt and let it cook for 5 more minutes. Add the salt only after the vegetables and dhal has cooked. If you add the salt before, it takes longer to cook.
- Meanwhile, grind together coconut, cumin seeds, green chilies, and rice into a smooth paste, adding a little water.
- Once the vegetable and dhal are cooked, add the ground paste and let it come to a boil. Simmer for about 10 more minutes till the kootu has reached the desired consistency.
- Seasoning - Heat oil in a small pan and add all the ingredients listed under the seasoning. Add this to the Simmering kootu and mix well.
- Serve chow-chow carrot kootu hot with rice. Also goes well with chapatti or dosai.
Expert tips -
- Any vegetable can be added to the kootu.
- Do not add too much water when cooking the vegetable. Just add enough water to cover the vegetables, otherwise, the kootu might be runny.
- The rice in the ground mixture is to thicken the kootu. If you forget to add it, you could dissolve a teaspoon of rice flour in about a tablespoon of water and add it to the kootu when it is simmering at the end.
Curry That Pairs With This Kootu
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Recipe
Chow Chow Carrot Kootu | Chayote Squash And Carrot Stew
Equipment
- Pressure Cooker
Ingredients
- 2 Chow – chow/ Chayote squash/Bangalore kathirikkai Chopped into small cubes
- 3 Carrot Chopped into small cubes
- ⅓rd cup Payatham paruppu Green gram dhal
- ¼th cup Coconut Grated
- 2 Green chilies
- 1 teaspoon Cumin seeds
- 1 teaspoon Raw rice
- ½ teaspoon Turmeric powder
- to taste Salt
- 1 teaspoon Sugar Optional
TO SEASON –
- 1 teaspoon Mustard seeds
- 1 teaspoon Urad dal/ black gram dhal
- 2 Dry red chilies
- ½ teaspoon Asafetida
- few Curry leaves
- 1 teaspoon Oil Preferably coconut oil
Instructions
- Chop the vegetables and place them in a pot with the payatham paruppu and add enough water to cover them. Add turmeric powder and cook it until tender.
- Now add the salt and let it cook for 5 more minutes. Add the salt only after the vegetables and dhal has cooked. If you add the salt before, it takes longer to cook.
- Meanwhile, grind together coconut, cumin seeds, green chilies, and rice into a smooth paste adding little water.
- Once the vegetable and dhal are cooked, add the ground paste and let it come to a boil. Simmer for about 10 more minutes till the kootu has reached the desired consistency.
- Seasoning - Heat oil in a small pan and add all the ingredients listed under the seasoning. Add this to the Simmering kootu and mix well.
- Serve chow-chow carrot kootu hot with rice. Also goes well with chapatti or dosai.
Notes
- Any vegetable can be added to the kootu.
- Do not add too much water when cooking the vegetable. Just add enough water to cover the vegetables, otherwise, the kootu might be too watery in consistency.
- The rice in the ground mixture is to thicken the kootu. If you forget to add it, you could dissolve a teaspoon of rice flour in about a tablespoon of water and add it to the kootu when it is simmering at the end.
Jaleela says
Looks Delicious ,
DivyaGCP says
Delicious and comforting kootu..
Nivedhanams Sowmya says
So healthy and homey!! i love the eat hot kootu rice with ghee - so yummy and comforting!!
Sowmya
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priya satheesh says
yummy yummy!!! Love to taste this with hot rice!
Aruna Manikandan says
healthy and delicious kootu 🙂
gayathri says
My favorite chow-chow kootu...I love to eat with ghee...