Chow Chow Poricha Kootu - Chayote Squash stew
On days when I want to make traditional dishes but do not want to spend too much time in the kitchen, I opt for kootu. This Chow Chow Poricha kootu is one such comfort food for me, which pairs well with rice and is so easy to make.
Comfort food is my next post for my third day of the blogging marathon under the theme of cooking from a cookbook. After a busy week, I always look forward to that day, when I can make a comfort meal and just relish it. Kootu is comfort food for me.
I love it with rice and paruppu (dal). I also like kootu for the reason that it is a very good way of getting vegetables into a kid's meals. My kids love to eat sambhar rice over the rasam. Instead of making sambhar, I make kootu on certain days loaded with a vegetable or a combination of vegetables.
Most of my South Indian recipes are passed on to me by my mother and some are from Meenakshi Ammal's cookbook. This recipe though is from a cookbook written by the famous author Mallika Badrinath. The book is called Classic Lunch Recipe (South Indian Vegetarian).
I like this cookbook because she has separated the recipes based on the region. There are Kerala, Tamilnadu, Karnataka, Chettinadu, Mangalore, and Andhra Pradesh recipes in this book. This recipe is a Tamilnadu recipe and was delicious.
Preparation time - 10 mins
Cooking time - 40 mins
Difficulty level - easy
Ingredients to make Chow Chow Poricha Kootu - (serves 4)
- Chow Chow (chayote squash) - 2
- Kadalai Paruppu/Bengal gram dhal - ½ cup
- Salt - to taste
- Sugar - 1 teaspoon (optional)
Grind together
- Red chilies - 4
- Cumin seeds - 1 tsp
- Ullutham paruppu/black gram dhal - 2 tsp
- Oil - 1 tsp
- Coconut - ¼ cup (grated)
For Seasoning
- Oil - 1 tsp
- Mustard seeds - 1 tsp
- Ullutham paruppu - 1 tsp
- Red chilies - 1
- Asafetida - ¼ tsp
- Curry leaves - few
Procedure to make Chow Chow Poricha Kootu
- Fry red chilies, cumin seeds, and ullutham paruppu listed under grind together in oil until golden brown. Now add the grated coconut and grind it into a smooth mixture. There is no need to fry the coconut.
- Scrape the outer skin on chow chow and cut it into small cubes. Cook it along with kadalai paruppu in enough water until the paruppu becomes soft to the touch and the chow chow is cooked.
- Now add the ground paste and salt and cook until the kootu thickens to the required consistency.
- Heat oil and add the seasonings. Mix the seasoning with the kootu and serve hot with rice.
- This kootu can also be made with other vegetables such as white pumpkin, snake gourd, radish, etc.
More Side Dishes
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Recipe
Chow Chow Poricha Kootu - Chayote Squash Stew
Equipment
- Stove
Ingredients
- 2 chayote squash chayote squash - 2
- ½ cup Kadalai Paruppu/Bengal gram dhal
- Salt
- 1 teaspoon Sugar optional
- Grind together
- 4 Red chilies
- 1 teaspoon Cumin seeds
- 2 teaspoon Ullutham paruppu/black gram dhal
- 1 teaspoon Oil
- ¼ cup Coconut grated
- 1 teaspoon Oil
- 1 teaspoon Mustard seeds
- 1 teaspoon Ullutham paruppu
- 1 Red chilies
- ¼ teaspoon Asafetida
- Curry leaves
Instructions
- Fry red chilies, cumin seeds and ullutham paruppu listed under grind together in oil until golden brown. Now add the grated coconut and grind it into a smooth mixture. There is no need to fry the coconut.
- Scrape the outer skin on chow chow and cut ii into small cubes. Cook it along with kadalai paruppu in enough water until the paruppu becomes soft to touch and the chow chow is cooked.
- Now add the ground paste and salt and cook until the kootu thickens to required consistency.
- Heat oil and add the seasonings. Mix the seasoning with the kootu and serve hot with rice.
- This kootu can also be made with other vegetables such as white pumpkin, snake gourd, radish etc.
delicious dish.. looks perfect..
Healthy kootu dear...loved it
Awesome recipe
This is one of my faves too. Looks just perfect 🙂
kootu with thuvaiyal is a lovely combo. Loved your kootu
Kootu looks perfect. Poricha kootu is easy to prepare and has unique flavors. I usually prepare with moong dhal
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very tempting dish. do visit me too.
I too make kootu very often, A bowl full of them will make you feel full n healthy too!!! i mis chow-chow here, they are priced very high.sometimes 20dhs/piece!!! 🙁
One of the best vegetables for a kootu..love it!
Awesome recipe
I follow the same recipe at home ! Btw, those pieces of chow chow look more like pushanikai (ashgourd) to me 🙂 we make this most during the season. But substitute with other veggies like snake gourd / avarekai with the same process !
Kootu never used to be favorite while growing up, but now a days I have developed a taste for it. This one looks very good!
I usually add coconut to kootu. Making a paste out of coconut is new to me. Must try it. Kootu looks very nice...
Awesome presentation. I love both chayote and kootu and so love your entry.:)
I have recently developed my taste for kootu..my son in law made some with pumpkin..and I loved it, must give him this recipe too!!
Kootu looks comforting and delicious. Mallika Badrinath has a wonderful collection of books.
This is the first recipe I tried from here book, it tastes awesome.
my fav kootu tastes awesome when mixed with hot rice and ghee too.
Wowwww... looks super tempting and delicious.. lovely clicks too 🙂
delicious kootu:)my mom made this in school days.but i hesitate to have that because in that age colour is the only matter.but now i learnt this one and love to cook like this only:)
This is another interesting side dish...looks good..:)
One of my fav too!!!! super comforting food!!
Sowmya
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Never tried kootu this way.Nice one.
Vendakai Pachadi
I have never used chow chow. This looks similar to bottle gourd texture wise. 🙂 Should give it a try.
Kootu, very flavourful and wonderful bowl, love to have with a some rice,papads and pickles.
I have this book and have tried out this recipe too. Delicious, isn't it?
Wow ! Super kootu...
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