Green Beans Poricha Kootu

There are some recipes that are classic, traditional recipes! And no matter how much we innovate and experiment, coming back to traditional, home cooked recipes is a delight. This is one such recipe. My mom's delicious Green Beans Poricha Kootu recipe. She makes it the best in the whole world! :-) I love any poricha kootu. I can eat it by the bowlfull just as a meal! And the wonderful fresh taste of the vegetable with the nutty almost grainy taste of the Split yellow lentils aka moong dal and the fiery taste of the spicy chillies - a combination that fires up the tastebuds.
The beauty of this classic recipe is that you can make it with a variety of vegetables - Green beans, Guar Beans or Cluster beans (called gorichikudukaya or Mattikayalu in Telugu, Gorikai in Kannada and Kotthavaranga in Tamil, Gavar in Hindi), Chayote Squash (or Bengaluru Kathrikaa - BK in Tamil (this is what my cousin and her family call it! :-), Broad Beans (Chikudukaya in Telugu or Avarakaa in Tamil) and the list can go on. Heck you can even make this with potato! It is such a versatile dish and so easy to make. Ok enough said, lets move on to the recipe!
Note: Mom was the one who actually made what you guys are seeing below.

Green Beans Poricha Kootu



Green Beans Poricha Kootu
You will need:
4 cups Chopped Green Beans (Wash, string and Chop fine)
2 cups split Moong Dal (Split, Yellow Lentils)
1/2 tsp Turmeric powder
Salt to taste

For the Kootu Masala:
2 tbsp Urad Dal
6 to 7 Dry Red Chillies
1/2 tsp Peppercorns
1 tsp Cumin seeds (Jeera)
2 tbsp Fresh Grated Coconut
a pinch of Hing or Asafoetida

For the Seasoning:
2 tsp Oil
1 tsp Mustard seeds
1 tsp Urad dal
a pinch Hing or Asfoetida
a few Curry leaves

Method:
In a heavy bottome pan, add the moong dal and about 3 cups of water and cook over stovetop. When the dal is about 1/2 cooked, add the chopped green beans, turmeric powder and salt. Mix well. Add some more water if needed and cook until the beans and dal is well cooked.

Meanwhile, in a pan, roast the red chillies, pepper and urad dal with 1/2 tsp oil until the dal is light to golden brown. Remove from heat. Add all the roasted ingredients and the cumin seeds in a mixer and grind until a coarse powder. Then add the grated coconut and some water and grind to a fine paste.

Add this paste to the cooked beans and dal mixture. Cook for about 5 to 10 more minutes on low heat until the kootu comes together and is a thicker gravy.

Season with the seasoning ingredients and serve hot with Chapathis or Rice. Best served with Rice, Rasam and an Appalam on the side.

Green Beans Poricha Kootu
Thanks guys for stopping by. If you do try the recipe do let me know. I would love to hear from you.