Venthayakeerai-Koottu

#VenthayakeeraiKoottu #FenugreekLeafLentil : #Koottu is a gravy prepared using any vegetable or green leafy vegetable, lentil and coconut paste. It is served as a side dish for lunch. Generally green leafy vegetables are more suitable for koottu.
Commonly green gram is used in the preparation of koottu. But toor dhal can also be used. Lentil has to be pressure cooked separately. Coconut paste is made using a blender adding a few black pepper corns, little cumin seeds, rice flour along with coconut scraping. Greens are washed well in water two or three times and then cooked in water adding Sambar Powder , turmeric powder & salt. Once greens are done then cooked dhal and coconut paste are finally added to it. It is allowed to simmer for 3 to 5 minutes. Served after tempering with onion vadagam.

Ingredients :
1 cup	Venthayakeerai chopped
1/3 cup	Green gram
3/4 Tsp	Sambar Powder [ adjust ]
1 pinch	Turmeric powder
1/2 Tsp	Salt [ adjust ]
To grind :
4 Tsp	Coconut scraping
2 or 3	Black pepper [ optional ]
1/4 Tsp	Cumin
1/4 Tsp	Rice flour
To Temper :
1/2 Tsp	Vengaya vadavam
1/2 Tsp	Oil

Method :
Wash green gram dhal and put in a pressure pan or pressure cooker.
Add a pinch of turmeric powder and 1/2 cup of water. Close the lid with weight on.
Keep the cooker on high flame and allow 3 whistles.
Then reduce the flame to SIM and cook for 3 minutes.

Using a blender grind coconut, cumin seeds, black pepper and the rice flour into a fine paste.
Keep aside.

Open the cooker once pressure has subsided.
Transfer into a bowl and keep aside.

Heat a vessel or kadai with half a cup of water.
Add Sambar Powder, turmeric powder, salt and mix well.
Then add finely chopped venthaya keerai.
Close and cook till greens become soft.
Then add cooked green gram and coconut paste.
Mix well and allow to simmer for five minutes or until all blend together.

Transfer into a serving bowl.
Heat a kadai with oil and fry the Vengaya vadavam.
Pour over the prepared koottu.

A very good side dish for sambar or rasam rice.
It can also be mixed with hot white rice and relished with onion vathal.




Other lentil recipes you might like to try

Vazhaipoo Koottu

noolkhol leaf lentil

vegetable pulillacurry

venthayakeerai thakkali koottu

venthayakeerai dhal

For other tasty dishes

Recipe Index

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Lunch Recipes Index

Venthaya Keerai Thakkali Koottu

#VenthayakeeraiThakkaliKoottu #FenugreekleavesTomatoLentil : #Venthayakeerai - #Fenugreekleaves are slightly bitter in taste. So some people does not like to have them in their menu. But if done properly tastes too good to avoid!!

Ingredients :
Cooked green gram dhal                : 2 tblsp
Tender venthaya keerai bunch        : 5

Tomato                                         : 3 small ( chopped nicely )
Onion chopped                              : 1 tblsp
Garlic cloves                                : 2 chopped nicely
Sambar Powder                             : 1 tsp
Turmeric Powder                          : a pinch
salt                                               : 3/4 tsp

To Grind :
Coconut scrap                               : 2 tblsp
Cumin seeds                                  : 1/2 tsp
Rice flour                                      : 1/4 tsp

To Temper :
Mustard seeds                                : 1/2 tsp
Urad Dhal                                       : 1 tsp
Oil                                                  : 1/2 tsp

Method :
Grind the ingredients given with little water into a fine paste and keep aside.
Take chopped tomato, onion, garlic and 1/2 cup of water in a vessel.

Keep on a stove with medium flame and close with a lid. Cook till tomato becomes soft.
Here I am cooking on a induction stove.
Keep temperature setting at 500 and when start boiling reduce to 120 temperature setting.

Now add cooked dhal and allow to simmer for a minute.
Then add ground coconut paste.
Allow to simmer for three minutes.

Now add chopped venthaya keerai and cook for 2 minutes.
Do not overcook venthaya keerai.

Temper mustard seeds and urad dhal.
When urad dhal turns to golden color transfer onto the koottu.
Now ready to serve.

Mix with white rice and enjoy with any kara curry or pickle.







Other lentil recipes you might like to try

vazhaipoo koottu

noolkhol leaf lentil

vegetable pulillacurry

venthayakeerai chappathy

venthayakeerai dhal

For other tasty dishes

Recipe Index

Ideas for breakfast and dinner

Tiffin Varieties

For Lunch Dishes

Lunch Recipes Index

Venthaya Keerai Koottu

#VenthayaKeeraiKoottu #FenugreekLeavesLentil : Many people avoid using #VenthayaKeerai - #fenugreekleaves - #methy because of its bitterness. But if done properly the bitterness would not be felt and tastes very good  There are two ways of cultivating venthaya keerai. In Tamil Nadu the keerai is plucked as young saplings with first two leaves. The whole plant is just 3 to 4 cm long and the whole sapling is edible. We only have to wash and remove the root for cooking.
The other way of cultivation is to grow the plant with branches and harvesting for consumption. In North India the dried leaves of fenugreek, called kasuri methy is widely used. Here only the leaves are edible. I have used the tender fenugreek saplings for this recipe.

Ingredients :
Venthaya keerai                          : a handful

Picture shows tender saplings of fenugreek leaves.
This is one pack of keerai untied. Took 10 such packs.

Green gram dhal                         : 1/4 cup
Salt                                           : 1/4 tsp ( adjust )
Turmeric powder                        : a pinch
Onion chopped nicely                  : 1 small size
Tomato chopped                          : 1 small size
Green chilly                                : 1 or 2 [ adjust ]
Oil                                             : 1 tsp
Mustard seeds                            : 1/4 tsp
Urad dhal                                   : 1/2 tsp
coriander leaves and curry leaves to garnish.

To grind :
Coconut scrap                     : 3 tsp
Cumin seeds                        : 1/2 tsp
Green chilly                         : 1 ( adjust )
Black pepper                       : 4

Method :
Grind the ingredients given using a mixer grinder adding little water into a fine paste and keep aside.

Remove only the roots of the tender saplings.
Wash two or three times to remove mud from saplings.

Pressure cook dhal with a pinch of turmeric powder and 1/2 cup of water ( 3 whistles and 5 minutes at SIM ).

Heat a kadai on stove with a tsp of oil .
Splutter mustard seeds and then add urad dhal.
When urad dhal turns to golden color add split green chilly and curry leaves.
Saute for a few seconds and then add onion.
Saute for a minute and then add tomato.

Now add cooked dhal and 1/2 cup of water.

Now cut venthaya keerai into small pieces and add into kadai.

Also add the ground masala and adjust salt.

Wash the mixer jar with little water and add that water also.
Let it simmer for 3 minutes.
Do not over cook. Transfer into a serving bowl.
Garnish with coriander leaves.

Mix this koottu ( dhal ) with hot white rice and enjoy with any curry of your choice.
Once you relished this koottu definitely ask for one more serving!!






Other lentil recipes you might like to try

vazhaipoo koottu

noolkhol leaf lentil

vegetable pulillacurry

venthayakeerai thakkali koottu

venthayakeerai dhal

For other tasty dishes

Recipe Index

Ideas for breakfast and dinner

Tiffin Varieties

For Lunch Dishes

Lunch Recipes Index