Chow Chow Kadalai Paruppu Kootu/Chayote Lentil Stew

Last week, I had posted a question on my Facebook Page as to what recipes readers would like to seed here on Palakkad Chamyal. I got a good number of responses for it. It gave me an idea of is expected. I will try my level best to post the requested recipes as soon as possible. 
This Chow Chow kootu was one of the recipes suggested. So I decided to start off with it. This kootu is really simple and the whole thing can come together in 30 minutes time from the chopping to the final tempering. It is a mild dish, where the chow chow or Chayote is cooked with lentils and then simmered in a coconut paste. It goes well as an accompaniment with rice and Sambar/Rasam. You could serve alongside rotis too.

What you’ll need

1. Chow Chow – 2, big, about 3.5 to 4 Cup when cut into small cubes
2. Kadalai Paruppu/Channa Dal – ½ cup
3. Turmeric Powder – ¼ tsp
4. Salt to taste

To Grind

1. Scraped Fresh Coconut – ½ cup
2. Green Chilly – 1
3. Cumin Seeds/Jeera – 1 tsp

For Tempering

1. Coconut Oil – 1 tsp
2. Mustard Seeds – ½ tsp
3. Split Urad Dal – 1 tsp
4. Curry Leaves – few

Method

1. Wash, peel and chop the chow chow/Bangalore kathrikkai/Chayote into small cubes.
2. In a small pressure cooker, add the kadala paruppu at the bottom add water to the level that it just covers the kadala paruppu.
3. Add the chow chow pieces over the paruppu and also add turmeric powder.
4. Close the cooker and cook for 2 to 3 whistles.
5. In the meanwhile, grind the ingredients mentioned under “to grind” into a paste by adding little water. Do not add too much water while grinding.
6. Once the cooker cools down, open and keep on heat again.
7. Add salt to taste and let it come to a boil, then add the ground coconut mixture and give a mix taking care not to break the pieces.
8. Let this just start boiling. Remove from heat.
9. Heat a small frying pan with coconut oil, add mustard seeds, once they start crackling add the urad dal and fry till the dal turns golden. Remove from heat and add the curry leaves.
10. Pour this tempering over the kootu and mix well.

Serve warm with plain rice, and Sambar/Rasam/Vatha Kuzhambu

Note:

1. You can cook the chow chow and dal on the stove top in a vessel too, but I prefer to pressure cook as it reduces time. Take care not to add too much water while pressure cooking.
2. If you feel that there is lot of water, just boil, the pieces without lid, for 5 mins on high heat, or you could add ½ tsp of raw rice while grinding the coconut mixture.
3. My mother usually adds a little bit of jaggery to all the kootu. It is optional, I have not added.