Vazhaipoo kootu | banana flower kootu is a traditional South Indian gravy made with vazhaipoo. We generally make it for sumangali prarthanai. Especially on my mom’s side, they make this very often. When I was small, I never ate this, and my amma forced me to take at least one spoonful. But later, after marriage, I developed a strong interest in traditional foods and started to like this kootu. Once, while I was on vacation, I went to my mom’s house and asked Amma to make this kootu for me. Amma was super surprised and happily made for me. We call it vazhaipoo thani kootu (வாழைப்பூ தனி kootu). Check my vazhaipoo vadai and vazhaipoo paruppu usili.
Vazhaipoo kootu recipe
Traditional South Indian Banana flower kootu with freshly ground spices
Servings 3
Ingredients
- 1 cup Vazhaipoo | banana flower
- ¼ cup Channa dal
- 2 tbsp Toor dal
- ½ cup thin Tamarind water
- Salt as needed
- ¼ tsp Turmeric powder
- 3 tbsp Coconut scrapped
- 1 tsp Coconut oil | cooking oil
- ½ tsp Mustard seeds
- Curry leaves few
- Asafoetida a pinch
- Jaggery a small piece
To roast and grind
- 1 tbsp Dhaniya | coriander seeds
- ½ tbsp Chana dal
- 1 tbsp Coconut
- 3 Red chili
- ½ tsp Oil
Instructions
- Cut the vazhaipoo and soak it in water. If you are cutting the one day before, add few drops of butter milk to the water and keep it outside. If you want, you can keep it in the refrigerator.
- Soak the chana dal for 30 minutes.
- In a pan, add the vazhaipoo (drain water before adding) and add turmeric powder, salt, and asafoetida.
- Add the thin tamarind extract to this.
- Cook the soaked channa dal and toor dal in a pressure cooker. Keep both in different vessels while cooking.
- Roast the ingredients given under the head, "to roast and grind".
- Grind this into a fine paste and keep it aside.
- Add the cooked channa dal to the pan, along with the ground paste.
- Mix well and add the cooked toor dal to this.
- Dry roast the coconut (3 tbsp) in a pan until golden brown, then add to the kootu.
- Mix well, and if needed, add 1/2 cup of water. Add jaggery to this and mix well.
- Temper with mustard seeds and curry leaves in coconut oil or normal cooking oil.
- Switch off the flame. Kootu is ready to serve.
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Notes
1. Generally, we add kuzhambu karuvadams to this kootu in the last. You can saute it in oil and add. Since I do not have, I didn't add.
2. Adding vellam balances the spiciness of the kootu. So do not skip that.
3. Tempering with coconut is recommended for this kootu. If you do not like the smell, add normal cooking oil.
4. Vazhaipoo kootu pairs well with plain hot rice or serves as an accompaniment.
Method:
- Cut the vazhaipoo and soak it in water. If you are cutting the one day before, add a few drops of buttermilk to the water and keep it outside. If you want, you can keep it in the refrigerator.
- Soak the channa dal for 30 minutes.
- In a pan, add the vazhaipoo (drain water before adding) and add turmeric powder, salt, and asafoetida.
- Add the thin tamarind extract to this.
Looks different must try recipe.
I am a huge fan of your blog and your simple, detailed explanations of recipes. Ive been recently thinking about making thani kootu – but i heard that they make with with various kaai from other dishes for sumangali prarthanai. This looks amazing and a must try recipe!
Vazhaipoo Kootu seems lovely to me. Haven't heard of this before. Recently started exploring more of regional delicacies because of my job in a food delivery app. We have such an incredible variety of traditional dishes! Exploring is fun. 🙂
Your cooking is very similar to my paatis style so I always refer to this for authenticity. What saadham goes well with this kootu?
Thanks a lot – We can have this with plain rice and appalam. Even this goes well with coconut rice too.
Awesome! Can we make any thogayal like Kothamalli thogayal or Thengai thogayal for this?
Yes, you can heard about that, personally not tried.