Name: Zucchini and Corn Kootu (Zucchini and Corn Lentil Curry)
Prep time: 10 min
Cook time: 40 min
Total time: 50 min
Yield: 6
Cuisine: Indian
Ingredients: 1/3 cup moong dal soaked in 1/2 cup water; 1 cup cream of corn; 1 cup zucchini, cut into 1/2 inch cubes; 1/2 cup bell peppers, cut into 1 inch quarters; 1/2 cup frozen peas; 1/2 tsp. ground turmeric; 1 tbsp. chana dal; 1 tsp. asafoetida; 2 tbsp. butter/ghee; 10-12 curry leaves, roughly torn; 1/2 tsp. ginger powder; 1 dried red chili; 1/4 tsp. Kashmiri red chili or 1/8 tsp. cayenne pepper; 1/2 tsp. mustard seeds; Salt to taste (approximately 1-1 1/4 tsp.)

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Zucchini and Corn Kootu (Zucchini and Corn Lentil Curry)

Author: priya’s mashups
Prep Time: 10
Cook Time: 40
Total Time: 50
Yield: 6 1x
Diet: Vegetarian

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Description

A simple and nutritious lentil curry where the sweetness of corn is balanced out by the savory dal and zucchini.

Scale

Ingredients

1/3 cup moong dal soaked in 1/2 cup water

1 cup cream of corn

1 cup zucchini, cut into 1/2 inch cubes

1/2 cup bell peppers, cut into 1 inch quarters

1/2 cup frozen peas

1/2 tsp. ground turmeric

1 tbsp. chana dal

1 tsp. asafoetida

2 tbsp. butter/ghee

10–12 curry leaves, roughly torn

1/2 tsp. ginger powder

1 dried red chili

1/4 tsp. Kashmiri red chili or 1/8 tsp. cayenne pepper

1/2 tsp. mustard seeds

Salt to taste (approximately 1-1 1/4 tsp.)

Instructions

Cooking the dal:

Add 1 tbsp. butter/ghee to a deep bottomed pan and heat on med. for 3-4 mins. until it melts.
Drop in the dried red chili and 6-7 curry leaves. Cook for 1 min.
Add 1/2 tsp. each of ginger powder and asafoetida. Cook for another 1 min.
Pour in the dal water. Season with 1/2 tsp. each of turmeric and salt. Cook for 1-2 mins.
Add 1 cup cream of corn and 2 cups water. Cover with a lid. Turn up the heat to med.-high and cook for 15-20 mins. till the dal is soft and fully cooked.
Make sure you check on the dal every 7-8 mins. If it cooks faster you might want to add a little water to make sure it doesn’t burn and stick to the bottom of the pan.

Sauteing the veggies:

While the dal is cooking, add 1 tbsp. butter/ghee to a frying pan. Cook on med. heat for 3-4 mins. till it melts.
Add 1/2 tsp. mustard seeds and roast for 2-3 mins. till the mustard pops.
Add 1/2 tsp. asafoetida and 6-7 curry leaves. Cook for 1 min.
Add the zucchini, bell peppers and peas to the butter and cook for 2-3 mins. till the veggies soften.
Season with 1/2 tsp. salt and 1/4 tsp. Kashmiri red chili.
Cook for 7 to 8 mins. You should be able to slice the zucchini with a fork and the peas should be soft. Turn off the gas.

Putting together the kootu:

Once the dal is cooked, pour the veggies into it and cook on med. heat for 5 mins. If necessary, add a little water.
Taste and adjust for seasoning adding another 1/4 tsp. salt if necessary.
Serve hot!

Notes

For this particular curry (kootu), the basic principle requires pairing one sweeter vegetable (cream of corn) with another savory one (zucchini/bell peppers). If the sweeter vegetable is solid, like sweet potato, I cook it with the dal and mash it in with a hand masher. The savory vegetable is separately cooked and then added to the sweetened dal.
Some combinations I’ve used are sweet potato and broccolini or butternut squash and swiss chard. The combinations are endless and can vary with what’s available in your fridge.
Also you can play around with the different dals. For instance, green lentils give this a different unique taste while red lentils cook faster and require less water.

Category: Lunch
Cuisine: Indian