Chow chow kootu / Chayot dal

Chow chow kootu / Chayote dal - non spicy side dish apt for spicy rice varties and chappathi. Excellent combination with rasam rice.


Chayote is a commonly used vegetable in south india for preparing kootu. Sometimes used in sambhar also.


Ingredients:


1. Chow chow / Chayote - 2 nos
2. Bid brown onion - 1 (chopped)
3. Tomato - less than 1/2 (cubed)
4. Hing / Asafoetida - pinch
5. Mustard seeds + urad dal (white lentil) - 1 tbs
6. Curry leaves - 4 nos
7. Cooking oil - 2 tbs
8. Salt to taste
9. Green chili - 4 nos (sliced)
10. Pasi paruppu / Moong dal / Green gram - 1/2 cup or 1 handful (soak in 1 cup of water for 15 mins before start cooking)


Method


1. Wash the Chow chow / Chayote and peel off the skin. Cut at the centre (see pic) and remove the seed portion. Cut the vegetable in cube shapes.


2. Heat the oil in a pressure cooker and add mustard seeds + urad dal , curry leaves and hing. Once mustard seeds splatters add chopped onion, green chili and tomato together. Cook till onion is golden brown.
3. Strain the water completely from soaked moong dal. Add chow chow , moong dal and salt to sauted onion in the cooker and mix well. Level the mixture and pour one cup of water into the cooker. Close the lid and cook for 4 whistles. Serve hot.