Guest Recipe: Appalam (Papad) Kootu

Kootu is a thicker version of Sambar and Kuzambu and comes from Tamil Nadu. Though I don’t like Kootus as much as Sambars they make for a good substitute and as a side dish for Chapattis.

Maria Raj from Chennai, a guest at Indian Food Kitchen has submitted this interesting recipe which combines the Kootu with another snack, Appalam (or Papad). Have this Kootu with Rice, Dosa or Chapattis.

Another version of Kootu (Source:Wikipedia)

Appalam Kuttu

Ingredients:

• Bengal gram - 1/2 cup
• Ginger - 1″ piece
• Onion - 2 or 3
• Tomatoes - 2 finely chopped
• Coriander - few leaves
• Asafetida - 1/2 teaspoon
• Salt - to taste
• curry leaves - few
• Red chillies - 2 or 3
• Green chillies - 1 or 2
• Garlic - 3 to 4 pods
• Good quality Papads - 15 Nos.

Method :

1. Pressure cook Bengal gram till soft.
2. Cut ginger, garlic,onions, green chillies finely chopped.
3. Take a pan heat the oil, put 1/2 teaspoon mustard, 1/4 teaspoon, bengal gram, 1/4 teaspoon black gram, curry leaves,red chillies and add all the chopped ingredients and fry them till you get a nice aroma.
4. Add tomatoes, saffron powder, salt ( very little) as Papad contains salt.
5. Sprinkle little water as there is already water from the dhal.
6. Let it simmer for a five minutes. Fry Papads and break it into pieces.
7. When the gravy is ready ( don’t make it too thick as the Papads got to soak ), put all the broken papads into the gravy and mix well and is ready to serve.
8. Garnish with coriander leaves. Goes well with curd rice or Rasam rice.

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Check out other gravies from South India here

More Rice and Rotis to go with the gravies