KOOTANCHORU (TRAVEL RECIPE)

Hi friends,

I always wanted to try this kootanchoru and today I was able to prepare it. It came out well and very tasty. I followed the recipe from chitras cookbook. There are 2 ways to prepare it.

1. Traditional method

2. Pressure cooker method.

I tried pressure cooker method. You can take this for lunch box, travel and nilachoru. If you pack it in banana leaf it will be very tasty.

Do try this and send the tried photos to my mail id:biotechshinu@gmail.com and also share your valuable comments too.

Here I have posted the recipe from chitras food book.

Cuisine: Indian

Category: Lunch

Serves: Serves 6-7

Prep time: 20 Minutes

Cook time: 30 Minutes

Total time: 50 Minutes

INGREDIENTS

To chop ·                     Carrot - 2 nos ·                     Beans -  10 nos ·                     Potato - 1 no (big) ·                     Broad beans - 10 nos ·                     Raw banana - 1/2 no ·                     Raw mango - 1/2 no ·                     Brinjal - 3 nos ·                     Drumstick - 1 no ·                     Drumstick leaves & arai keerai – a handful To cook ·                     Rice - 1.5cups ·                     Toor dal - 1/2 cup ·                     Water - 12 cups ·                     Tamarind – Small lemon size( use big lemon size if u don’t add raw mangoes) To grind Paste -1  ·                     Red chillies – 12-14 nos Paste-2  ·                     Small onions – 30-40 nos (3/4 cup) ·                     Garlic cloves - 2 bulbs(small) or 1 bulb if big variety ·                     Jeera- 1 tsp. To sauté ·                     Cooking oil - 1 tbsp. ·                     Small onions - 15 nos ·                     Green chillies – 4 nos Grated coconut – 1/2 cup To temper ·                     Gingerly oil - 2 tbsp. ·                     Mustard seeds - 1 tsp. ·                     Urad dal – 1 tsp. ·                     Vadagam – 2-3 tbsp. (OR)Small onions-20 nos(finely chopped) ·                     Curry leaves – half handful

METHOD

·                     Grind red chillies adding required water to make a smooth paste. This is paste-1.Set aside. ·                     Wash and peel the small onions, garlic cloves and grind with jeera& water to make paste-2. ·                     Soak tamarind in enough water. Take the extract using 1.5 cups of water and mix the paste-1 & paste-2, turmeric powder and salt. ·                     Wash and chop all the vegetables of uniform size and keep the raw banana & potato cubes immersed in water till use. Chop drumstick, chop raw mango into big cubes as shown in the picture. ·                     In a big vessel (preferably, eeya paanai or indalium vessel) take the mentioned quantity of water. When the water starts to boil, add toor dal, turmeric powder. Allow it to cook till the dal blossoms. It should be mashable. ·                     After the dal is 3/4th cooked, add all the vegetables & keerai (greens) except raw mango pieces. It takes 10 minutes for all the vegetables to cook. Keep stirring whenever necessary. ·                     After 10 minutes, wash and add the rice. Again boil for 10-15 minutes and check whether rice is done. Rice absorbs all the water and gets cooked. Add the required salt. ·                     Check if the rice is cooked properly. Use back of the ladle to mix the rice to avoid it turning too mushy. In the meantime, heat 1tbsp oil in a kadai and sauté onions, green chillies & add to rice. ·                     Now add mango pieces. It takes 5 minutes & mango pieces will be half cooked. ·                     Now add the tamarind extract mixture and allow it to boil for 5 minutes in medium flame. Keep stirring every now & then to avoid burnt bottom. ·                     Remove the mango pieces alone after it is cooked yet firm in shape else mango will become mushy & mixed with the rice completely leaving the skin. It makes the rice tangy. ·                     Use back of the ladle or fork like ladle to mix the rice. Lastly add grated coconut & mix well.  ·                     Finally, temper all the ingredients given under “to temper” and add to the rice. Rice looks mushy initially but its consistency will get adjusted after it cools down. Just before serving, add the cooked raw mango pieces & mix well.  ·                     Give a standing time of minimum one-two hours because it takes this time for all the taste to blend well with the rice. Serve with koozh vathal/Vadam..!! Tastes great!! **Do not use ur hands at any cost while serving. Rice will be spoiled very soon. So always use a ladle.

Note

PRESSURE COOKER METHOD ·                     Take toor dal with 2 cups of water in pressure cooker and cook in high flame for 2-3 whistles. ·                     Remove the lid and add the rice and chopped vegetables except raw mango. Cook it adding 6 cups of water & salt. ·                     After rice is cooked, open the lid and add the sautéed onions, chillies, tamarind extract mixture & raw mango pieces & salt if needed. ·                     Allow the raw mango to cook well. Rice absorbs all the tamarind extract mixture. Use fork like ladle to mix the rice. Simmer the flame & boil for few minutes. ·                     Lastly add grated coconut & tempered ingredients. Mix well, check for taste. Give a standing time of 1-2 hours & serve with vathal/vadam. TIPS TIPS ·                     If the rice is too spicy, add little tamarind extract & grated coconut. It balances the taste. ·                     If the rice is too tangy, add some chili powder mixed in water & boil for some time with rice. Add little salt if needed. ·                     Adding a handful of drumstick leaves & arai keerai is suggested for this rice. But I didn’t add both as I didn’t have the stock. ·                     Raw mango is purely optional but it gives a nice flavor to this rice. If u don’t add raw mango pieces, use big lemon size tamarind. ·                     Adjust the quantity of red chillies based on ur taste buds. But use tamarind in correct quantity if u reduce chillies.

Pack this rice in a foil box for Ur travel and enjoy with vadagam/Vathal & appalam.It tastes great!!!