Choraka Kootu Curry / Bottle Gourd and Moong Dal Curry / Lauki Curry

This has been the longest silence in my blogging history. We were busy shifting, settling down etc. So I had kept aside blogging for a while. Because I love blogging when there is no hurry. I just sit down(which happens rarely these days, as I keep running after Jordan) , relax without any interruptions and complete a post at one go. I have been waiting for that time and it made me take a break of 3 months :).

Now the big question came, what to post? So I decided to go with basic and simple kootu curry that could be made for everyday meals. This kootu curry is super yumm and easy to make. If included in a meal, it does make it a finger licking one.

This kootu is definitely a good option for us these days as we are still settling down and struggling to cook home made meals. Try it for your meals and let me know if you liked it.

Ingredients

1. 1/2 cup of split/yellow moong dal
2. 1 bottle gourd - cleaned, peeled and cubed
3. 1/2 tsp of turmeric powder
4. Salt to taste
5. Water to cook
6. 1/2 cup of grated coconut
7. 2-3 green chilly, chopped
8. 1/2 tsp of turmeric powder
9. 1 tsp of cumin seeds/jeera
10. 1 tbsp of rice flour

For seasoning

1. 1-2 tbsp of oil 
2. 1 tsp of mustard seeds
3. 4-5 dry red chilly
4. 1 strand of curry leaves

Method

• In a pressure cooker, take the moong dal and gently roast it on medium heat. Once done, remove it from the heat. Let it cool down.
• Wash the moong dal thoroughly. Now add the chopped bottle gourd, washed moong dal, turmeric powder and salt as per taste to the pressure cooker. Cook it in the pressure cooker with enough water, on high heat untill the first whistle goes off. Remove it from the heat and let the pressure go down.
• In a grinder, grind the ingredients 6-10. Add it to the cooked bottle gourd and cook it on medium flame untill the mixture starts to boil. Adjust the salt and consistency of the gravy. Remove it from the heat.
• For the seasoning, heat a skillet and pour the oil in it. Drop in the mustard seeds. Once the mustard seeds pop, add the curry leaves and red chillies. Fry them and pour it on top of the kootu.
• Serve it hot with rice. This curry goes well with chapathi too.

Tips

1. You could try making this curry with green/grey squash. Those taste good too.
2. This curry sets as it cools down, so you may need to adjust the consistency of the gravy accordingly.