Mulakootal Recipe (Vegetables In Coconut Gravy)

Mulakootal Recipe is a very old, traditional Palakkad Brahmin recipe. It’s a curry made from a combination of lentils and vegetables and coconut gravy. It is a mildly spiced gravy that goes well with steamed rice and ghee. There are some variations of mulakootal, basically depending on the type of vegetable one uses in cooking it. There is keerai mulakootal made with lentils and spinach, there is pumpkin mulakootal made using pumpkin and vegetable mulakootal uses different types of vegetables. This curry comes very close to kootu which we make in Tamil Nadu. Course : Lunch Ingridients : 1/2 cup Yellow Moong Dal (Split) , can use toor dal as well 2 cups Mixed vegetables , I have used radish turnips, and brinjal 1/2 teaspoon Turmeric powder (Haldi) 1 cup Water Salt , to taste 1/2 cup Fresh coconut , grated 3 Dry Red Chillies For tempering 1 teaspoon Oil 1/4 teaspoon Mustard seeds (Rai/ Kadugu) 2 Dry Red Chillies 1 teaspoon White Urad Dal (Split) 1 sprig Curry leaves Instructions To begin with the Mulakootal Recipe first, in a blender grind fresh coconut and dried red chilies together to a coarse paste.Now in a pressure cooker wash the lentils and cook them completely.Take a Kadai add the vegetables, cook the vegetables completely. After the vegetables are cooked add the dal to it and mix them well.Combine and cook the vegetables and dal for 5 minutes and then add coconut paste to the mixture. On low flame cook for another 5 minutes. You can add some water if you feel the consistency is thickNow in a small pan heat some oil and add mustard seeds, wait till they splutter and then add urad dal, curry leaves.Add this tempering to the mulakootal and serve it hot.Serve your Mulakootal with hot rice or roti with some curd.