Zucchini Kootu Recipe – Zucchini Dal

Zucchini kootu recipe. This simple and fulfilling Zucchini Kootu or Dal is made using Moong dal and cooked in a creamy coconut sauce. Its mildly spicy and makes a great side dish when served with rice or any flat bread.

Until recently I never used to get Zucchinis in nearby markets, so I have neither tasted them nor cooked them.

For the first time when I did saw one, I thought it was a fancier kind of “Ooty cucumber” and when enquired the sales person in the shop said it is “Sukni” in the local slang and me being the brightest person around, simply failed to make the connection.

It was my friend who enlightened me on “Sukni” being the very same “Zucchini”.

Despite coming across so many recipes on the internet using zucchini, I had no clue on what to make when I actually got hold of one.

I simply cut a slice and ate it and really loved eating it raw. It tasted more like “Paal Peerkangai”, it’s a variety of “Ridge Gourd” and Yes!! before you begin to wonder, I love eating ridge gourd raw.

The first dish that I wanted to try with Zucchini is this Zucchini Kootu. You can serve this zucchini kootu as a side dish with any spicy kulambu along with rice or with any Indian flat breads like phulkas, chappathis or rotis.

If you wondered like me, whether to remove the skin of the zucchini or not, I would say there is no need. You can wash the zucchini and use it as such.

As zucchini is tender, it may get easily mashed along with dal while pressure cooking. If this is not okay with you cook it separately.

You can also check out other Vegetable Dal combos like Dosakaya Pappu, Cabbage Kootu, Brinjal Jackfruit seeds Kootu and Murungai keerai poricha kootu.

 Zucchini kootu recipe details below:

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Zucchini Kootu Recipe – Zucchini Dal

 

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Prep time

10 mins

Cook time

15 mins

Total time

25 mins

 

Zucchini Kootu or Zucchini Dal makes a comforting side dish with rice or flat breads.

Author: Radhika

Recipe type: side dish

Cuisine: Indian

Serves: 3-4 servings

Ingredients:

• Zucchini, chopped – 1 cup
• Yellow Moong dal – 1 cup
• Fresh grated coconut, packed – ¼ cup
• Cumin seeds – 1 tsp
• Green chilies – 3 to 4
• Sambar powder – 1 tsp
• Turmeric powder – ½ tsp
• Curry leaves – 2 sprigs
• Mustards seeds – ½ tsp
• Urad dal – 1 tsp
• Oil – 1 tsp
• Salt – to taste

Instructions:

1. Wash and soak the moong dal in 1-1/2 to 2 cups water for 5 mins while you chop the zucchini and grate the coconut.
2. Add the moong dal along with the soaked water, chopped zucchini and turmeric powder to a pressure cooker and cook for 2-3 whistles.
3. Meanwhile add grated coconut, cumin seeds, green chilies, 1 sprig curry leaves, sambar powder and grind it to a smooth paste using 2-3 tbsp water.
4. Open the lid of the pressure cooker and mash lightly using a ladle.
5. Add the ground paste, salt, more water if needed and cooker for 2-3 mins over low flame till the raw smell disappears.
6. Heat a pan with oil. Add mustard seeds and let it splutter. Add Urad dal and roast for few seconds till golden brown.
7. Add curry leaf and immediately pour this tempering over the cooking dal.
8. Mix well and switch off stove.
9. Zucchini kootu or Zucchini dal is ready.
10. Serve hot with either rice or phulkas.

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