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.