White Pumpkin-Gramdhal Kootu - a Microwave Recipe

This White Pumpkin-Gramdal Kootu is an easy,tasty and popular side-dish in Tamil Nadu esp in the South and Kerala which needs 10 - 11 mins microwave cooking-time only.This side-dish is very tasty enough to accompany any spicy Gravy with rice.This can be had with Plain Rice,Bread,Indian Bread like Chapati,Rice with Rasam,Karakuzhambu,Vathal kuzhambu,Puzhi Kuzhambu and Pulav than with Curd and Sambar.Try at home and enjoy this side-dish!.

White Pumpkin-Gramdhal Kootu-White Pumpkin Pieces cooked with gramdal and spices

Ingredients

    3 cups White Pumpkin pieces(chop after peeling and de-seeding)
    5 tsp Gram dal - Kadalai Parupu(half-cooked for 6-7 mins with 1 1/2 cup water,little salt and 1 green-chilli(slit))
    2 tbsp coconut fine-paste(ground with 1/2 tsp cumin seeds,1 small sambar onion)
    1 tbsp finely chopped onions
    3 whole red chillies
    1/2 tsp cumin seeds(optional)
    1/2 tsp mustard seeds
    few curry leaves
    few coriander leaves
    2 tsp refined oil
    1 1/2 tsp salt to taste

Directions

    1.Do not strain the water (from the half-cooked gram dal).
    2.Take a microwave bowl and add oil,onion,mustard seeds,red chillies,cumin seeds and curry leaves and microWave this on high.
    3.Add the half cooked gram dal,the pumpkin pieces,the coconut paste and salt.Mix all the ingredients
and Microwave this mixture on high for 10 mins.
    4.Pause and Mix the ingredients in the 7th min once.
    5.Serve this White Pumpkin-Gramdal Kootu  hot with Rice,Rasam or Chapati.

Note:
U can add 200ml coconutmilk instead of coconut paste and do this kootu(thick or semi dry) as gravy for this u need to add slit greenchillies-2 in the seasoning.