Thiruvadhirai Kootu
Thiruvadhirai Kootu also called as Ezhukari Kootu or Thalagam is made on the day of "Arurudhra Darshan" as prasadam and offered to Lord Shiva. This kootu is made out of vegetables, thuvar dal and spiced with a special grounded powder. This tangy, spicy kootu is a good combination with the Thiruvadhirai Kali on the festival day. Its a general tradition to include 7 types of vegetables into this Kootu but you can add as many vegetable variety as you like and make this Kootu more healthier and richer. I added more than seven variety while making this dish and offered to Lord Shiva.
Ingredients
Oil - 1 tbsp
Tamarind - A small Lemon Size
Thuvar Dal / Thuvaram Paruppu / Kandhi Pappu - 3/4 cup
Turmeric Powder - 3 tsp
Hing/Asafoetida - 1 Dash
Curry Leaves - 1 stem
Mustard Seeds - 2 tsp
Urad Dal / Minna Pappu / Ulutham Paruppu - 1 tsp
Salt - To taste
Powdered Jaggery - 2 tsp
Coconut Flakes - 1/2 cup
Vegetables
Beans - 12 cut into finger size
White Pumpkin - 12-15 pieces ( Cut into medium square )
Butternut Squash - 10 - 12 pieces ( Cut into medium square)
Brinjal - 3
Potato - 2 Medium ( Cut into Medium Squares )
Carrot - 1 Big ( Cut into finger size)
Raw Plantain - 1 ( Cut into Medium Square )
Mochai / Lilva - 1 Handful
Chow Chow / Chayote - 1 ( Cut into Medium Square )
Sweet Potato - 1 ( Cut into Medium Square )
Green Zucchini - 1 ( Cut into Medium Square )
For the Spice Powder
Coriander Seeds - 2 tbsp
Channa Dal / Kadalai Paruppu - 1 tbsp
Fenugreek Seeds / Vendhayam - 1 tsp
Dry Red Chillies - 7 to 8 ( Depends on your taste )
Method
- Soak tamarind in water and extract its juice and keep it ready.
- Cook the thuvar Dal in a pressure cooker to a fine paste and keep it ready.
- Wash all the vegetables and cut them into desired shapes and steam cook them in a big nonstick kadai. (Add very little water and cover the lid of the kadai while steam cooking the vegetables )
- Dry roast the ingredients for making the grounded powder and make a fine powder and keep it ready.
- After the vegetables get steam cooked to a desired level, add the tamarind juice, turmeric powder, jaggery powder, mashed thuvar dal, required amount of salt and mix them well.
- Cook them with the lid open for couple of minutes.
- Finally add the grounded powder and fresh coconut flakes and mix them well. Allow them to cook for another 2-3 minutes.
- In a tempering pan, add oil and finish the tempering process. Pour them over the kadai and switch off the flame.
- Cover the lid and let the kootu settles down for few minutes.
- Now its ready for Neivedhyam.