Tuesday, August 10, 2010

Ceylon Kootu for idiyaappam



I wonder why we call this ceylon kootu while it is almost the same as stew my friend prepares. This name is listed in S.Meenakshi Ammal book and interestingly one similar recipe is found in one of the Tarla Dalal cook books as well listed as Ceylonese curry.
The curry is simple and easy to prepare and goes very well with plain sevai/ shavige, idiyaappam and sometimes with steamed rice also. However, I prepare this mostly for aapam, idiyaappam or with sevai as my husband prefers plain sevai served with coconut chutney or the stew.
Ingredients:
1 cup mixed vegetables, cubed, cut or diced accordingly.
1/3 cup green peas, frozen/ fresh or dry - soaked and cooked
2 tomatoes cut in 8s (optional)
1 big red onion
2 cloves garlic (optional)
coconut milk extracted from 1 large coconut, in three consistencies, thick, medium and rare
salt to taste
2 teaspoons garam masala powder

Tempering:
2 teaspoons ghee/ cooking oil
1 bay leaf
1" cinnamon
2 pods green cardamom whole
5 cloves
3 green chillies slit

Method:
Wash the vegetables and cook in the thin coconut milk until vegetables are tender.
Slice onion and chop garlic.
In a pan, heat the ghee/ oil. Add the ingredients listed under tempering and saute for a 2 minutes. Add the slit chillis and sliced onions. Allow the onion slices to cook until lightly brown. Add the garlic and saute further.
Drop the cooked vegetables in with the salt and add the medium coconut milk.
On a low flame allow the coconut milk to simmer. Add the garam masala and tomatoes. Cook until the tomatoes are done.
Finally add the thick coconut milk and keep on low heat for about 5 minutes until the raw taste subsides. Do not over boil the coconut milk allowing it to curdle.
Remove from stove and serve warm with idiyaappam.



20 comments:

  1. Ya Latha I too wonder about it... and I make it with just cabbage and peas, It really tastes awesome. Probably its just like a kootu with coconut milk and some spices... like ishtoo

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  2. Oh wow. I'm sure I would love this combination. Ceylon kootu is sure tempting :)

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  3. Shanthi, do you have recipe for ishtoo? While working my officer took the recipe from a friend and cooked for all of us...we were starved for home cooked food then.

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  4. kootu looks awesome...surely tastes great.. lovely..

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  5. i love this stew with anything, even chapatis and rice..

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  6. Planning to make the Idiappams soon. Lovely recipe.

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  7. nice name and kootu is droolworthy and I am sure goes with everything as a side dish.

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  8. Akka, this is similar to the ishtoo you were asking for. In ishtoo, only potatoes, onion, green chillies and ginger is used. The way of cooking is similar in coconut milk.

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  9. Oh Thanks Jayasree...next to try is ishtoo..

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  10. This is very new to me,perfect side for the idiyappam,wish i have soft idiyappams and this kootu by side!

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  11. Sounds so much like the kutoo. I like veggies cooked in thin coconut milk, the flavour of coconut comes out so prominently. I would love this with appams.
    FOODELICIOUS

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  12. very yummy kootu for idiyappam.nice outlook of ur blog.love the name ceylon kootu

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  13. lataji,

    I need to visit your blog to get some traditional dishes. Looks delicious. Nice one.

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  14. Yummy kootu..perfect for idiyappam.

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  15. wow, that looks lovely, like the addition of coconut milk. I have to cook kootu and koorma one of these days as I never tried them :)

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  16. Sounds some thing like stew which i make for Aapam.Nice thick gravy..

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  17. Love this Kootu. Will try it out when I make Idiyappam!

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  18. Hi lata, lovely kootu, I thought it looked more like the saagu I make, but there are some Ingredients which we don't add there, like the tomatoes, garam masala etc., I can't make Idiyappam any way and don't want to try out in my murukku maker for a family of five!, I will be dead tired!, I think I have a recipe for Ishtu in my book, I wrote it long time back, I will search and send it to you!, lovely click.., I can make this with poori or chapatis...

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Hello,
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Hope we shall interact often.
Thanks once again,
Lata Raja.