KOOTU BY SURESH KABADKAR

Ingredients: 
 ½ c chana dal 
soaked overnight
¼ c tuwar dal, soaked for 1 hour 
1 c cubed and cooked pumpkin 
4 Tbsp heaped dry or fresh grated coconut 
¾ + ¼ tsp cumin seeds
8 to 10 pepper corns
2+1 red chillis 
¼ tsp haldi 
a pinch of hing
½ tsp mustard seed 
½ tsp udad dal
a few curry leaves
salt
lemon juice if desired .

 
Method: Pressure cook the two dals separately as channa dal takes longer to cook. Then combine them together in a pan or kadai. Add the cooked vegetable and haldi . Fry the ¾ tsp cumin , pepper corns and 2 red chillis and the hing in a little oil and grind together with the coconut. Add this masala to the cooked dals and bring to boil and switch off. The “kootu” should be neither too thin nor too thick. Adjust salt and add lemon juice if preferred . Temper with mustard seeds , ¼ tsp cumin seeds . udad dal. 1 red chilli and the curry leaves. Serve hot with rice or chappatis.
Note: Any other vegetable like,potato, cabbage, sooran, brinjal, capsicum or snake-gourd etc can be used for making this dish, either separately or in combination. Any other dal or combinations of dals can be used along with chana dal. Enjoy !