Varuthu Aracha Chow Chow/Chayote Kootu

Varuthu Aracha Kootu goes for a dry roasted spice powder which gives quite a pleasant flavour to our usual kootu with veggies, my kootu went for chow chow or chayote also known as seemai kathirikkai in tamil, cooked or raw this veggie will have a very mild flavor by itself and is commonly cooked with other vegetables or as gravies, it can also be boiled, stuffed, mashed, baked, fried or pickled..Both the chow chow and their seed are rich in amino acids and vitamin C, fresh green chayote are firm while the smaller choyates are more tender.. Chayote is low in calories, low in sodium, contains no cholesterol, and is a good source of fiber. The chayote is also versatile vegetable, they can be prepared as so many dishes...Coming to this delicious varuthu aracha chow chow kootu, i prepared a spice powder with coriander seeds, fenugreek seeds,dry red chillies, grated coconut,urad dal, asafoetida powder..Trust me!!u will definitely love this flavourful kootu with hot steaming rice and papads, a prefect lunch which tastes fabulously divine..

1no Chayote (chopped)
1no Onion(chopped)
1no Tomato(chopped)
1cup Cooked moongdal
1/2tsp Turmeric powder
2nos Green chillies( slit opened)
Salt
Oil
1/2tsp Mustard seeds +Urad dal
1no Dry red chillies
1tbsp Chopped coriander leaves

To roast & grind:
2tbsp Coriander seeds
1tsp Fenugreek seeds
3tbsp Grated coconut
1/4tsp Asafoetida powder
4nos Dry red chillies
1tbsp Urad dal

Dry roast all the ingredients from the list 'to roast and grind' one by one in simmer flame, grind all these dry roasted spices as bit coarse powder, keep aside..Heat enough oil in a kadai, let splutters the mustard seeds, dry red chillies and urad dal, add the chopped onions, chopped tomatoes and slit opened green chillies and sauté until the onions turns transculent and tomatoes turns mushy..now add the chopped chayote pieces, sauté for few minutes, add the cooked moongdal, turmeric powder, salt to the half cooked veggies..bring everything to boil, now add the coarse spice powder and chopped coriander leaves to the kootu, cook for a while and put off the stove...

Serve hot with hot steaming rice and papads..