Poricha kootu

Ingredients:

This kootu can be made with many vegetables like snake gourd, ridge gourd, keerai, chow chow, drumstick or ash gourd. For this recipe I will use  Ridge gourd.
Ridge gourd              :  2
Mung dal                   : 1/3 cup
Coconut                    : 3 tbsp
Urad dal                    : 1 tsp
Red chillies               :  2
Pepper corns            : 1/2 tsp
Jeera/ Cumin seeds  : 1/2 tsp
Turmeric                    : a pinch
Salt                            : as required
Curry leaves              : 10
Oil                              : 1 tblsp

Method:
Dry fry the Mung dal lightly and pressure cook it with sufficient water.
Peel off the skin and cut the ridgegourd into bite sized bits, add little water and turmeric powder and boil it for about 3- 5 minutes making sure it is tender but not mashed.
In a little oil, fry urad dal, red chillies and curry leaves.
Add this to cocnut and jeera and grind to a fine paste.
Add the paste and salt as required to the vegetable. Boil for 3 minutes.
Add the cooked dal, mix well, add some more water if the kootu is too thick and bring the mixture to a boil.
Remove from fire.
Temper with mustard seeds spluttered in hot oil.