Chow chow kootu recipe is a South Indian stew made with chow chow or chayote squash, bengaluru vankaya as we call in Telugu. It is mostly available in Southern parts of India. Mildly tasted chow chow Kootu serves well with hot piping rice and a drop ghee. Or it is best accompanied with idli too.
Chow chow is a squash belongs to gourd family. Apear shaped vegetable, tastes like that of bottle gourd. Chow Chow is a bland vegetable which doesn’t have any specific taste of its own. Properly included spices add zing to the dish.
chow chow kootu recipe is another no onion garlic recipe, can be during fasting days.
Preparing to cut chow chow:
Chow chow cutting is easy if we follow some simple tips. Though the vegetable is small in size, but it has a slippery substance present under the skin, makes difficult to cut. This would make the vegetable jump off from our hands. To avoid it apply a little oil and peel the skin.
Cut the vegetable into two halves and remove the seed present in it. If it is not there, we can cut it into pieces of our choice. Pressure cook the vegetable to cook completely whatever may be the recipe we are preparing.
Key ingredients in chow chow kootu recipe:
Chow Chow or Chayote: It is mainly available in South India, mildly tastes. Pear-shaped appearance and tastes like bottle gourd.
Kootu Masala: A special masala is made for this kootu with fresh coconut, coriander seeds and red chillis. All of them have to be added raw only, without cooking.
Condiments: Add condiments like salt, and turmeric powder.
Dal and Tamarind: We use toor dal, cook it for 3 to 4 whistles. Tamarind juice gives tangy taste to it but have to be mild only.
Serve chow chow kootu recipe with hot piping rice and a spoon of ghee. It also best accompanied with idli too. Check the recipe card below.
Chow Chow Kootu Recipe | No onion no garlic recipe
Ingredients
- 1 cup Chow chow pieces
- Salt to taste
- 1 tsp turmeric powder
- lemon size tamarind
- 1 cup Toor dal
- 2 tbsp Fresh Coconut
- 1 and 1/2 tbsp Coriander Seeds
- 4 to 5 Red Chillis
- 1 tbsp Oil
- 1 tsp Mustard Seeds
- 1 tsp Cumin Seeds
- 4 to 5 Curry Leaves
- 2 Red Chillis
- 1 tsp Asafoetida
Instructions
- Soak tamarind for half an hour.
- Extract the juice out of it and keep aside.
- Pressure cook dal for 3 to 4 whistles. Keep it aside.
- In a mixer grinder add coconut, coriander seeds and red chillis.
- Make a smooth paste of it. Keep it aside.
- In a pressure cooker add chow chow pieces, salt and turmeric powder.
- Pressure cook them for 3 whistles.
- Once it cooled open the lid and add tamarind juice,
- Mix it and let it cook for a while.
- Then add the above made paste and toor dal.
- Mix it well and allow it to cook for 5 to 10 minutes.
- Heat 1 tbsp oil in another pan and mustard seeds, cumin seeds, red chillis and curry leaves.
- Add asafoetida and let them splutter.
- Add the tadka to the kootu and let it cook for another 5 to 10 minutes.
- Serve chow chow kootu with rice or idli, as you wish.
