Vazhaipoo Kootu Recipe without coconut

Banana flower are also called vazhaipoo in tamil. Vazhaipoo kootu recipe is a traditional tamil recipe prepared from plantain flowers. As vazhaipoo is very good for health, I used to buy regularly when I find them in market. I love to eat it any form either vazhaipoo vadai for mor kuzhambu or vazhaipoo poriyal or kuzhambu. To clean this vazhaipoo (banana flower) is a time consuming process but still worth it. I prepared this vazhaipoo kootu with moong dal, replace it with any dal of your choice. This banana flower kootu tastes fabulous with hot steamed rice and ghee. Try this vazhaipoo kootu recipe without coconut, if you are diet conscious.

Health Benefits of Vazhaipoo (Banana Flower)

  • Being high in iron content, used to treat anaemia.
  • Controls the excessive pain during menstrual cycle.
  • Good medicine for stomach ulcer and dysentery.
  • Rich in vitamin A, C and dietary fibre.
  • Good for pregnant women.

vazhaipoo kootu recipe

        Preparation Time : 45 mins    Cooking Time : 20 Mins     Serves : 3

 

Ingredients For Vazhaipoo Kootu Recipe 

  • 1 Banana Flower
  • 1/2 Cup of Toor Dal
  • 1/2 Tsp of Turmeric Powder
  • 1 Tsp of Oil
  • 1 Big Red Onion, Chopped
  • 1 Tomato, Chopped
  • 1 Tsp of Sambhar Powder
  • Salt as Needed
  • Water as needed

To Temper

  • 2 Tsp of Oil
  • 1 Tsp of Mustard Seeds
  • 2 Red Chillies
  • Pinch of Asafoetida (Hing)
  • Few Curry Leaves

Method

  • To clean banana flower (vazhaipoo), apply some oil on both hands, take off the purple outer covering, remove the bunch of florets, repeat this step until you reach the centre of the blossom. After that, remove the stamen and small white cover at the base of each florets. This is how you have to clean each florets.
  • Chop the florets finely.
  • In a pressure cooker, add banana florets, toor dal, oil, salt, chopped tomato, chopped onion, sambar powder and water. Cook it for 5-7 whistles. Open the lid, after pressure releases.
  • Heat oil in a pan, when it is hot, add mustard seeds, red chillies, asafoetida and curry leaves, after it splutters, add the cooked dal, mix well. Check the salt.
  • Hot and flavourful vazhaipoo kootu is ready to serve.

Tips

  • It goes well with any spicy kulambhu like manathakali kulmabhu or milagu  kuzhambhu.
  • You can replace toor dal with moong dal or channa dal.
  • Adjust spiciness according to your taste.
  • You can also add green chillies in addition to red chillies.

kootu recipe with banana flower



Keerai Kootu Recipe | Thandu Keerai Kootu

keerai kootu recipe

Keerai  Kootu recipe is a dal based curry, cooked with greens. Here I used chinese spinach/Amaranth Greens / Thandu keerai to make this kootu. This is a authentic simple and delicious Tamil recipe which requires very less oil and it is a easy recipe for bachelors to cook keerai kootu recipe. From childhood, I love to eat greens(keerai). But I miss a lot of keerai variety in US like ponnaganni keerai, sirukeerai, agathi keerai and murangakeeerai. Both Me and my husband love keerai kootu a lot. I make this kootu everyweek for lunch. Very satisfying and comforting food to enjoy for lunch along with some kara kuzhumbu or sundal kulambu, rice and appalam.  You can follow the same recipe for mulaikeerai kootu, sirukeerai kootu or ponnakannikirai kootu.Try this thandu keerai kootu recipe with moong dal for lunch and stay healthy.

Ingredients for keerai kootu recipe

1 Bunch (2 Cups) of Red Spinach / Pasalai Keerai
5 Small Onions (Shallots)
1 Tsp of Sambhar Powder
1/2 Tsp of Black Pepper Powder
Salt and Water as Needed

To Pressure Cook

1/2 Cup of Yellow Moong Dal
1/2 Tsp of Turmeric Powder
Pinch of Asafoetida(Hing)
1/2 Tsp of Oil
1/2 Tsp of Salt

To Grind

2 Tbsp of Freshly Grated Coconut
1/2 Tsp of Whole Cumin

To Temper

1.5 Tsp of Oil
1 Tsp of Mustard Seeds
3/4 Tsp of Urad Dal
1/8 Tsp of Fenugreek Seeds
1/2 Tsp of Whole Cumin
1 Red Chilly
1 Sprig of Curry Leaves

Method for thandu keerai kootu recipe

  • Wash the greens and chop them into finely.
  • In a mixie (blender), add coconut and cumin, grind it to a smooth paste.
  • Soak the moong dal for 30 mins. Wash and drain the water. In a pressure cooker, add all the ingredients listed under “To pressure cook”, close the lid and cook it for 2 whistles. Keep it aside.
  • Heat oil in a pan, add all the ingredients listed under ” To Temper” list add one by one, after mustard seeds sizzles and urad dal and red chilly changes color, add chopped onion, fry until it turns golden brown, then add chopped keerai, fry them for a min, add 1/4 cup of water, cover and cook it for 2 mins. Add the ground mixture, sambhar powder and pepper powder, fry well with keerai for 1-2 mins. Finally add the cooked moong dal and required salt, mix well. Cover and cook it for 5 mins in a medium flame until semi -thick in consistency.
  • Serve hot with steamed rice and ghee.

Tips

  • Use any type of keerai like araikeerai, thandukeerai or ponnagani keerai.
  • Use toor dal or chana dal in place of yellow moong dal.
  • You can use big red onion in place of small onions.

Health Benefits of Amaranthus Leaves / Thandu Keerai

  • Rich source of vitamin A, C and folate.
  • It has good source of amino acid like lysine, which is limited in other grains.
  • Prevents hair loss and greying.
  • Reduces cholesterol and prevents the risk of cardiovascular disease.
  • It boosts the immune system.
thandu keerai kootu recipe

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