Kathirikai Palakottai Kootu | Brinjal & Jackfruit Seeds Gravy
Here is the recipe for simple and delicious brinjal and jackfruit seeds gravy, popularly known as kathirikai palakottai kootu in Tamil.
Servings: 4
Calories: 183kcal
Equipment
- Instant Pot or Pressure Cooker
Ingredients
Measurement Details: 1 cup - 240 ml; 1 tbsp - 15ml; 1 tsp - 5ml;
- ¼ cup moong dal
- 2.5 cups water divided
- ¼ tsp ground turmeric
- 2 shallots one to pressure cook and one to grind
- 10 to 12 jackfruit seeds
- 5 to 6 tender brinjals
- ⅓ cup coconut grated (if using frozen, thaw it to room temperature)
- 2 tsp cumin seeds
- 1.5 tsp sambar powder or to taste
- 1.25 tsp salt or to taste
- 2 tsp coconut oil
- ½ tsp mustard seeds
- ½ tsp urad dal
- ½ tsp chana dal
- ⅛ tsp asafoetida
- 5 to 6 curry leaves
- 2 tbsp cilantro to garnish
Instructions
Prep-work
- Pressure cook the moong dal by adding 1.5 cups of water, one shallot, and turmeric powder for up to three whistles, and once cooled down, mash it well.
- Similarly, pressure cook the jackfruit seeds, peel the white layers, and chop them into pieces. (Pressure cooker separators are life savers here)
- Grind coconut, cumin seeds, one shallot, and sambar powder into a fine paste by adding ½ cup of water.
- Clean and chop the brinjals into small pieces. (Tip - Soaking the chopped brinjals in water helps prevent the brinjals from turning black)
How to make brinjal kootu
- Heat a pan or kadai and add the coconut oil. Add mustard seeds, urad dal, and chana dal when the oil is hot. Add the asafoetida and curry leaves and fry for 30 seconds when the mustard seeds splutter.
- Now add the chopped brinjals and salt. Sauté for a couple of minutes.
- Add ½ cup of water and cook until brinjal turns soft.
- Then, add the ground masala and jackfruit seeds. Mix well and cook for a couple of minutes.
- Now, finally, add the mashed moong dal and mix it well. Add more water for a thin kootu.
- Bring it to one boil and turn off the heat. Garnish it with cilantro and enjoy with rice.
- Yummy kootu is ready. Serve hot with rice.
Notes
- Instead of adding 1.5 tsp of sambar powder while grinding, use 2 to 3 chilies like in regular kootu.
- Adjust the salt and spice according to your preference.
- I highly recommend shallots, but if you don't have them, add 1 tbsp of chopped big onion for one shallot.
- After tempering, you can saute ½ cup of finely chopped onions before adding the brinjals.
- Also, you can add 1 tsp of tamarind paste for more kootu-kuzhambu.
Nutrition
Calories: 183kcal | Carbohydrates: 112g | Protein: 11g | Fat: 8g | Saturated Fat: 5g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 1g | Monounsaturated Fat: 1g | Sodium: 752mg | Potassium: 2475mg | Fiber: 17g | Sugar: 84g | Vitamin A: 555IU | Vitamin C: 85mg | Calcium: 147mg | Iron: 3mg