Kootu Curry | Koottukari Recipe

Kootu curry recipe with step by step photos – kootu curry also known as koottukari or kootu kari is a thick curry based dish made with a few veggies and legumes. The veggies that are added are yam, ash gourd, carrots, snake gourd, pumpkin or plantains. The legumes added are black chickpeas (kala chana) or bengal gram (chana dal). This dish is also one of the important dishes in the grand vegetarian feast of sadya during Onam festival. This recipe is vegan and glluten-free too.

Kerala cuisine is not new to me. Since my dad is from Kerala, I have had the opportunity to savor the best of the vegetarian cuisine from Kerala. I have stayed also in Kerala for about a month and I did get a chance to explore local flavors, which is not possible if you live in Mumbai or any other city.

Onam festival is celebrated at my home in a simple way. On onam, my mom makes some of the recipes that are served in onam sadhya like Kerala sambar, thoran (veggie stir fry), avial (mix veggie coconut-curd based curry), Erissery (pumpkin & black eyed peas curry), kichadi (raita), parippu (dal), Kalan (sour veggie based curry), sambaram (spiced buttermilk) and naranga achar (lemon pickle).

Of course the banana chips and pappadums are got from local Kerala shops. For dessert, it is either a Rice Payasam or Moong Dal Payasam.

Though being from Kerala, I have not done justice to the cuisine which I have grown up having – in the sense I do not have many recipe from the Kerala cuisine posted on the website.

So this year I plan to add some more recipes. Generally at home Punjabi food takes precedence over other cuisines as my in-laws are Punjabi. This is also the reason that the blog has maximum Punjabi and North Indian recipes.

Kootu curry is best served with rice. You can accompany a thoran by the side along with some papaddums and lemon pickle or mango pickle.

How to make koottukari or kootu curry

Soaking and cooking black chickpeas

1. Rinse ⅓ cup black chana (black chickpeas) in fresh water a couple of times and then soak them in a bowl in enough water for 8 hours or overnight.

2. Before cooking, drain all the water. Add the black chickpeas in a stovetop pressure cooker along with ¼ teaspoon salt.

3. Pour 1.5 cups water.

4. Cover and pressure cook on medium heat for 10 minutes or 12 to 14 whistles. Depending on the quality of the chickpeas it may take less or more time to cook. So do use your past experience in cooking chickpeas if you are using the same brand.

At times some quality of chickpeas, takes only 3 to 4 whistles to cook and at times more.

5. When the pressure settles down, then only open the lid and check if the chickpeas are cooked. If not, then add about ½ cup water and cook for some more time. Drain the water and keep them aside.

Cooking veggies for kootu curry

6. When the chickpeas are cooking, you can peel, rinse and chop plantain (raw banana) and elephant foot yam (suran).

You will need 1 to 1.25 cups chopped plantain and 1 cup chopped elephant foot yam. Add them in a pan.

7. Add ¼ teaspoon turmeric powder and ¼ teaspoon black pepper powder. Also add ½ teaspoon salt or add as required.

8. Next add 1.5 cups water.

9. Cover the pan with a lid and cook the veggies on a low to medium heat.

10. In between while cooking, do check and stir the veggies. If the water dries up, you can add some more water.

For coconut paste

11. When the veggies are cooking, you can prepare the coconut paste. In a grinder jar take ½ cup fresh grated coconut, 1 teaspoon cumin seeds and 2 dry red chilies (broken and seeds removed).

12. Add ½ cup water and grind to a semi fine paste. Keep aside.

Making kootu curry

13. Once the yam and plantain are cooked, its time to add the cooked chickpeas. If there is any water in the pan, then evaporate it by cooking without lid. There should be no water or very little water in the pan (about 95% of water should get evaporated).

14. Add the cooked chickpeas.

15. Then add the coconut paste.

16. Add about ¼ cup water only if required and if the curry is too thick. Mix well.

17. Add 1 teaspoon jaggery. Adding jaggery is optional and can be skipped.

18. Bring the kootu curry to a boil. You need to cook till the raw taste of coconut and red chilies go away. Then switch off the heat.

Cover and keep aside. Do stir at intervals. Check the taste and add more salt if required.

For tempering kootu curry

19. In a tadka pan or a small frying pan, heat 2 tablespoons of coconut oil. Add ½ teaspoon mustard seeds and ½ teaspoon urad dal.

20. Let the mustard seeds crackle and the urad dal turn golden. Stir often for uniform cooking.

21. Then add 10 to 12 curry leaves and 1 dry red chili.

22. Fry till the red chilies change color and the curry leaves become crisp.

23. Next add ⅓ cup fresh grated coconut.

24. Mix the coconut very well with the remaining tempering ingredients and continue to saute stirring often.

25. Saute till the coconut turns golden.

26. Add this mixture to the kootu curry.

27. Mix very well. Cover and keep aside for some minutes for the flavors to mingle.

28. Serve kootu curry hot with steamed rice.

If you are looking for more Kerala recipes then do check:

• Olan recipe
• Ulli theeyal
• Vegetable stew
• Varutharacha sambar

This Kootu Curry post from the archives, originally published in September 2017 has been updated and republished on January 2023.