CUCUMBER KOOTU:
- Cucumbers are rich in two basic elements that needed for your healthy digestion WATER & FIBER.
- Cucumbers are keeps you hydrated, fights body heat both from inside and outside, it flushes out toxins,
- Supplies skin friendly minerals like magnesium, potassium etc.,
- It aids in weight loss.,
- Revives the eyes and it helps to cuts the cancer risk.
So many health benefits in this wonderful watery vegetable. We have it raw, by means of salad, pickle, with curd (so called raita), all-time favorite veggie in our home. My daughter’s favorite one, she loved this thoroughly. But having this cucumber raw is a sin for my hubby, he just hate salads. So I thought of including this wonderful veggie in any form to his diet. Why not kootu? Our well known classic dish. This is quiet delicious and healthy too.
Ingredients:
- Cucumber – 1 cup
- Pasiparuppu/moong dhal – ½ cup
- Small onion/shallot – 5 nos (halved)
- Tomato – 1 no
- Garlic – 3nos (crushed)
- Cumin seeds/ seeragam – 2tsp
- Asafetida – ¼ tsp
- Manjal podi/Turmeric powder – ½ tsp
- Grated coconut – 2tblsp
- Water – as req
- Salt – as req
For tempering:
- Gingelly oil – 2 tsp
- Kadugu/ mustard seeds – 1tsp
- Urad dhal/ ulundhu – 1tsp
- Dry red chilli – 3 nos
Procedure:
Step 1:
Chop the cucumbers roughly, wash and cut the onions and tomato.
In a pressure cooker add moong dhal, small onion, tomato, garlic, 1 tsp cumin seeds, asafetida, and turmeric powder along with the chopped cucumbers and pour some amount of water as required to your dhal and pressure cook it for about 2 whistles.
Step 2:
Place a kadai add a tsp of gingelly oil, once the oil get hot add mustard seeds and urad dhal and let it splutter, now add the broken red chilies saute for a while, add the tempering into the cucumber dhal mixture along with req amount of salt.
Step 3:
Meanwhile grind the coconut and cumin seeds finely and pour the mixture into the kootu and bring it to boil and turn off the flame. Serve hot with a scoop of white rice or chapathi.
