Traditional Kerala Kootu Curry Recipe (Black Chickpeas & Mixed Vegetables)

Bowl of Kerala Kootu Curry with black chickpeas.

Traditional Kerala Kootu Curry Recipe (Black Chickpeas & Mixed Vegetables)

5 from 1 vote

Authentic Kerala Kootu Curry recipe with mixed vegetables and black chickpeas with coconut paste and fried coconut. It's a traditional Onam sadhya recipe with easy instructions.

Servings servings

Ingredients

1 cup kala chana (black chickpeas)
2 cups water
¾ cup grated coconut [See Note 1]
1 teaspoon cumin seeds
⅓ cup water
8 curry leaves
2 cups potatoes cut into ½-inch cubes
½ cup eggplant cut into ½-inch cubes
½ teaspoon Kashmiri chili powder
¼ teaspoon turmeric powder
1 teaspoon salt or to taste
½ teaspoon black pepper powder
¾ cup water
1 cup cucumber peeled, seeded, and cut into ½-inch cubes
1 tablespoon jaggery or brown sugar
2 tablespoon coconut oil
½ teaspoon black mustard seeds
2 whole Kashmiri chilies
8 curry leaves
½ cup grated coconut

Instructions

Soak the 1 cup kala chana for 6 hours or overnight. Pressure cook in the Instant Pot with 2 cups water for 25 minutes. Do a natural release of pressure. Drain and set aside.
Blend ¾ cup grated coconut and 1 teaspoon cumin seeds with ⅓ cup water to form a thick paste. Add more water as needed. Add the 8 curry leaves and blend briefly or until the leaves break up. Set aside.
In a medium saucepan, bring 2 cups potatoes, ½ cup eggplant, ½ teaspoon Kashmiri chili powder, ¼ teaspoon turmeric powder, 1 teaspoon salt, ½ teaspoon black pepper powder, and ¾ cup water to a boil. Lower the heat to medium-low and simmer till the potatoes are just tender, 7 to 10 minutes. [See Note 2]
Add cooked kala chana and 1 cup cucumber and simmer for another 5 to 7 minutes. Add more water as needed.
Add 1 tablespoon jaggery and reserved coconut paste. Simmer for 3 to 5 minutes and add more water as needed. The mixture should be thick and not too watery.
In a nonstick frying pan, heat 2 tablespoon coconut oil and add ½ teaspoon black mustard seeds. Cover and when the mustard seeds stop popping, add 2 whole Kashmiri chilies and 8 curry leaves.
Add ½ cup grated coconut and fry on medium-high heat till deep brown, but not burned. Keep a close eye on the coconut and stir constantly. Lower the temperature if it's cooking too fast.
Add the fried coconut mixture to the vegetables and heat through briefly.

Video

Notes

Note 1: For best results, use fresh coconut, though frozen coconut works as a good alternative. Some brands of frozen coconut are coarsely ground. If this is the case, run the coconut through a food processor for a few seconds until it's more finely ground, but don't over-process. It shouldn't become pasty.

Note 2: I use potatoes, eggplant, and cucumber because they are easily available. Instead, you may use elephant yam (chena) and raw plantain, which are the more authentic ingredients. Use 1 ¼ cup of each instead.

Nutrition