Recipe: Thiruvathira kari

THIRUVATHIRA KARI OR PUZHUKKU OR KOOTU, as it is known differently in different regions.

The main ingredient, in the thiruvathira kari, is a root vegetable known as "KAVATHU" or "KACHIL" in Kerala. This vegetable is availbale in all the big cities all over India, during thiruvathira season. This root comes in two colors, white and light pink. It is a big yam like root. This yam is also available in the Indian and Pacific stores (it comes from Fiji Islands, we were told) in the US.

The other ingredients are avarakkai or flat beans(Sem), red pumpkin and raw tur. Raw banana, sweet potatoes, koorka (another root vegetable available in Kerala) are also used in some regions.

Recipe:

Ingredients:

Kavathu: 250 gms
Red pumpkin 250 gms
Avarakkai 200 gms
Toor pods 200gms
Turmeric powd. 1 tsp.
Grated coconut 1 cup
Green chillies 2 nos.
Curry leaves a few
Coconut oil 1 tbsp.
Mustard 2 tsp
Split urad dal 2 tsp
Red chillies 2 nos.
Jaggery a small piece
Salt to taste
Method:

Wash the kavathu in running water before cutting to remove all the soil. Scrape the skin and cut into 1" cubes. Peel and cut the red pumpkin into 1" cubes. Thread the avarakkai
and cut into 1" pieces. Remove the toor from the pods. Wash all the vegetables and pressure cook, with turmeric powder and salt. Grind the coconut and green chillies
coarsely. Heat a thick bottomed kadai and add the cooked vegetables and jaggery piece. Boil for 5 mnts., till all the vegetables are well mixed. Add the coconut mixture and boil for another 5 mnts. Remove from stove and add few curry leaves. In another small kadai heat the coconut oil and add the muxtard seeds. When the mustard starts spluttering add the urad dal and red chillies(cut into small bits) . When the urad dal turns brown in color, remove from fire, add a few curry leaves and pour into the prepared vegetable.

This a delicious vegetable. This goes well with rice, chappathi and dosa also.