On the day of the Thiruvathirai festival which falls on the full moon day after the winter solstice, folks in the South Indian states of Kerala and Tamil Nadu celebrate Lord Shiva in his dance form – Nataraja. While the main offering for this occasion is Kali, a sweetened rice dish, it always goes with a traditional sour companion – the ezhu kari kootu. For those who don’t know, Kootu is a typical South Indian dish that consists of one or more vegetables cooked in a spicy coconut gravy.
As the name suggests, the Ezhu kari kootu (seven vegetable coconut gravy) contains a minimum of seven veggies, typically a variety of tubers and vegetables that grow on vines. This dish is also commonly called 7 kari kootu, 7 thaan kootu, or Thalagam in some regions of India. Let’s dive in…
Quick overview of how to make Kootu
This is another easy one pot recipe to have handy. While it may take an hour to make, you can cut down on time if you use frozen, cut vegetables. All you need to is to roast and grind spices, prep, assemble & cook vegetables, add in some tempering and voilà! your kootu is ready to serve
What you will need to make 7 Kari Kootu
Ingredients
Note: 1 cup = 235 ml
For roasting and grinding – Tamil Nadu style
- 2 Tbsp. coriander seeds
- 1 Tbsp. chana dal
- 1 Tbsp. urad dal
- 1 Tbsp. raw rice
- 2 tsp. sesame seeds
- 6 dry red chilies
- 1 tsp. whole black pepper
- ½ tsp. cumin seeds
- ½ tsp. fenugreek seeds
- ½ cup coconut, grated
- 2 Tbsp. tamarind paste
- 4 – 5 cups water
For assembling vegetables
- 1 cup pumpkin, cubed
- 1 cup winter melon, cubed
- 1 cup brinjal, cubed
- 1 cup yam, peeled and cubed
- 1 cup raw banana, cubed
- 1 cup cluster beans, cut to 1 inch length
- 1 cup green field beans
- ½ tsp turmeric powder
- 1 ¾ tsp. salt or to taste
For tempering
- 1 Tbsp. coconut oil or any cooking oil
- 1 tsp. mustard seeds
- 1 dry red chili
- 1 sprig curry leaves
- ¼ tsp. asafoetida
Kitchen tools
- Blender
- Instant Pot / Pressure cooker
- Flat ladle
What substitutes can be used ?
This is the interesting part of this recipe as you can choose from a variety of vegetables that are locally available to you. There is no specific rule, just get creative and add your favorites from what’s available on hand. An easy place to start is to use the handy list below and pick one from each row
- Pumpkin / winter squash / Carrot
- Winter melon / Ash gourd / Bottle gourd
- Brinjal / Snake gourd / Zucchini
- Yam / Sweet potato / Regular Potato
- Raw banana / Elephant foot yam
- Cluster beans / Flat beans / French beans
- Green field beans / Edamame / Black-eyed beans
Variation for grinding – Kerala style
- 1 cup coconut, grated
- 1 tsp. cumin seeds
- 2 green chillies
- 4 – 5 cups water
How to make Kootu (with step-by-step photos)
Roast and Grind
Step 1 – Set a flat bottom pan on medium heat and dry roast 2 Tbsp. coriander seeds, 1 Tbsp. chana dal, 1 Tbsp. urad dal, 1 Tbsp. raw rice, 2 tsp. sesame seeds, 6 dry red chilies, 1 tsp. whole black pepper, ½ tsp. cumin seeds, ½ tsp. fenugreek seeds until the lentils turn golden brown and the room fills with the fresh aroma of the spices. Set aside to cool down before grinding to paste
Step 2 – In a small grinder jar, add all roasted ingredients, ½ cup grated coconut, 2 Tbsp. tamarind, 1 cup water and grind to a slightly coarse paste
📝 While you may notice that this recipe is very similar to Avial without yogurt, in Tamil Nadu this Kootu is made with tamarind
📝 Each region has a unique combination of ingredients that go in the making of this kootu. Due to my Palakkad heritage and marriage into a Tamil Nadu family, I have shared the recipe for this in both styles
Prep, Assemble & Cook
Step 3 – Wash and dice all the vegetables evenly to medium sized cubes and set aside
Step 4 – Place the diced vegetables in the Instant Pot or regular pressure cooker, add ½ tsp. turmeric, ground paste (step 2), 1 cup water (used to clean the blender jar), and salt to taste (1 ¾ tsp. salt)
Step 5 – Close the Instant Pot / pressure cooker lid and cook on steam mode for 15 minutes. If using a pressure cooker, cook for up to 2 whistles
Step 6 – Open the Instant Pot, check if the vegetables are well done, add 2 cups of water, mix thoroughly and bring it to a frothy boil
📝 One of the common problems faced during making this recipe is to evenly cooking all the vegetables without losing their shape. What has worked for me over the years is layering them up in the right order, adding less water and allowing the vegetables to cook in the steam from the water in the bottom.
📝 Once the vegetables are cooked well, you must add more water to stop further cooking of the vegetables which would otherwise make them mushy.
Tempering
Step 7– While the veggies are coming to a boil, set the tempering pan on medium heat, add 1 Tbsp. coconut oil, 1 tsp. mustard seeds, and allow it to splutter. To this, add 1 dry red chili, 1 sprig curry leaf and ¼ tsp asafoetida
Step 8 – Add the tempering to the kootu, turn off the heat and transfer to a serving bowl
Step 9 – Enjoy sublime Thiruvathirai Kootu with Kali!
A poetic inference for Thiruvathirai Kootu
I was trying to recollect memories attached to Kali and Kootu recipes, and the only thing that came to my mind was how comforting and delicious this dish was on a cold winter morning in late December or early January. Since I grew up in Hyderabad where this festival was not celebrated, my mom would send me off to my neighbors to give them a share of the prasadam (offering). The unique combination of a sweet dish that was supposed to be eaten together with a hot/spicy curry amused them. This question was in my mind for long until I stumbled upon this beautiful shloka “maulau ganga shashAnkau” by Appayya Dikshitar, where he compares the sufferings of us mortal beings with that of the supreme being Lord Shiva and offers a simple solution. Here is a quick summary, where the poet questions Lord Shiva thus…
You have decorated your head with the cold river Ganges and the cooling moon,
You have adorned cold-blooded serpents all over your arms and feet,
You have shared the left side of your body with the daughter of a snowy mountain, who is also cool due to her constant melting heart that’s overflowing with compassion for her children (the beings of this universe).
As if this is not already enough to make you feel hypothermia, your devotees apply cold sandalwood paste all over you and offer prayers during the wee hours of mornings in winter
O Lord, dancing in the golden hall, how are you able to bear these severe cold conditions ?
I may have a solution to this
You are welcome to stay eternally in my heart which is burning due to my sins
You can’t find a warmer place than my heart, if you even stay for a fraction of a minute in my heart it will keep you warm for long 🙂
What a wonderful way to welcome God into our hearts. To me it resonates with the union of family & friends during the winter holiday season and the happiness and cheer that it brings!
My admiration for ancestors has only heightened for having created such a sublime hot and sweet dish that is perfect for cold winter mornings!
Kootu – Thiruvathirai Ezhu Kari
Course: Side DishCuisine: South IndianDifficulty: Easy4
servings20
minutes30
minutes50
minutesThe Ezhu kari kootu includes a variety vegetables and contains a minimum of seven veggies popularly known as Thalagam in some regions..
What You Will Need
- Ingredients
Note: 1 cup = 235 ml - For roasting and grinding – Tamil Nadu style
2 Tbsp. coriander seeds
1 Tbsp. chana dal
1 Tbsp. urad dal
1 Tbsp. raw rice
2 tsp. sesame seeds
6 dry red chilies
1 tsp. whole black pepper
½ tsp. cumin seeds
½ tsp. fenugreek seeds
½ cup coconut, grated
2 Tbsp. tamarind paste
4 – 5 cups water
- For assembling vegetables
1 cup pumpkin, cubed
1 cup winter melon, cubed
1 cup brinjal, cubed
1 cup yam, peeled and cubed
1 cup raw banana, cubed
1 cup cluster beans, cut to 1 inch length
1 cup green field beans
½ tsp turmeric powder
1 ¾ tsp. salt or to taste
- For tempering
1 Tbsp. coconut oil or any cooking oil
1 tsp. mustard seeds
1 dry red chili
1 sprig curry leaves
¼ tsp. asafoetida
- Kitchen tools
Blender
Instant Pot / Pressure cooker
Flat ladle
- Variation for grinding – Kerala style
1 cup coconut, grated
1 tsp. cumin seeds
2 green chillies
4 – 5 cups water
Preparation
- Roast and Grind
- Set a flat bottom pan on medium heat and dry roast 2 Tbsp. coriander seeds, 1 Tbsp. chana dal, 1 Tbsp. urad dal, 1 Tbsp. raw rice, 2 tsp. sesame seeds, 6 dry red chilies, 1 tsp. whole black pepper, ½ tsp. cumin seeds, ½ tsp. fenugreek seeds until the lentils turn golden brown and the room fills with the fresh aroma of the spices. Set aside to cool down before grinding to paste
- In a small grinder jar, add all roasted ingredients, ½ cup grated coconut, 2 Tbsp. tamarind, 1 cup water and grind to a slightly coarse paste
- Prep, Assemble & Cook
- Wash and dice all the vegetables evenly to medium sized cubes and set aside
- Place the diced vegetables in the Instant Pot or regular pressure cooker, add ½ tsp. turmeric, ground paste (step 2), 1 cup water (used to clean the blender jar), and salt to taste (1 ¾ tsp. salt)
- Close the Instant Pot / pressure cooker lid and cook on steam mode for 15 minutes. If using a pressure cooker, cook for up to 2 whistles
- Open the Instant Pot, check if the vegetables are well done, add 2 cups of water, mix thoroughly and bring it to a frothy boil
- Tempering
- While the veggies are coming to a boil, set the tempering pan on medium heat, add 1 Tbsp. coconut oil, 1 tsp. mustard seeds, and allow it to splutter. To this, add 1 dry red chili, 1 sprig curry leaf and ¼ tsp asafoetida
- Add the tempering to the kootu, turn off the heat and transfer to a serving bowl
- Enjoy sublime Thiruvathirai Kootu with Kali!
Tips / Variations
- 📝 One of the common problems faced during making this recipe is to evenly cooking all the vegetables without losing their shape. What has worked for me over the years is layering them up in the right order, adding less water and allowing the vegetables to cook in the steam from the water in the bottom.
- 📝 Once the vegetables are cooked well, you must add more water to stop further cooking of the vegetables which would otherwise make them mushy.
FAQs
Tuesday – 29th December 2020
Traditionally, this kootu is served with a special sweetened rice Kali for Thiruvathirai. But if you make this on a regular day, you can serve this with hot rice and ghee!
Since this recipe is typically made as an offering, it is made on the day of Thiruvathirai. If you have leftovers, it stores well in the refrigerator for up to 2 days
Thank you for stopping by. If you’ve tried this recipe, I would love to hear from you. Please add your comments below and / or rate this recipe. Your feedback will help me improve and share better recipes with you.
Oh wow, this is such a flavorful dish! And those step by step photos help so much!
Thank you so much Jessica!
so easy to make.. came out yummy licking good!
Thanks a million!