Watermelon & Black Urad Dal Kootu

After sambhar, kootu have their important place in our menu. If i feel lazy to make any other gravies, i'll prepare immediately kootus as they need less to time to get ready. Pressure cooker makes this kind of gravies easier, obviously i'll prepare kootus with my small pressure cookerwhich i carried all the way from India. Without pressure cooker am lost and pressure cooking veggies and dals tends to keep their nutrients while cooking.Coming to this kootu, i prepared two days back with the white rind of watermelon and soaked urad dal with some toor dal.

Here watermelons started showing their heads and last week we bought a huge watermelon from farmer's market, after having them instead of trashing their rinds, i used them in this kootu. Dont ever trash the white rinds after having watermelon, they makes wonderful foods. Black urad dal in this kootu turned out this gravy  delicious eventhough the colour was bit dull,no matter about the colour of the dish but tastewise this kootu turned out simply awesome.Sending to my event CWS-Urad Dal guest hosted by Sowmya of Nivedhanam and  Rafeeda's Mission Explore Foods: Lentils event by Sheelu and Pallavi,to Vardhini's Dish Out It - Lentils and Vegetables.

1+1/2cups Watermelon (white part & chopped)
1/4cup Black Urad dal (soaked overnite)
1/4cup Toor dal
1no Onion (chopped)
1no Tomato (chopped)
1/4tsp Turmeric powder
Salt
Oil
1tsp Mustard seeds, urad dal & cumin seeds
3nos Dry red chillies
Few curry leaves
1/4tsp Asafoetida powder
Chopped coriander leaves

To Grind:
2tbsp Grated coconut
3nos Green chillies
1tsp Cumin seeds
1tsp Peppercorns

Grind all the ingredients given under the list 'To Grind' as fine paste with some water.

Meanwhile wash the toor dal and keep aside for few minutes.

Heat a tsp of oil, add the chopped onions, chopped tomatoes and saute for until the onions turns transculent, add the chopped watermelon pieces, saute until the veggies get half cooked.

Now add the soaked dal,soaked black urad dal with turmeric powder, salt to the cooking veggies.

Add enough water and pressure cook everything upto 3 hisses.

Heat enough oil, fry the mustard seeds, urad dal, cumin seeds along with asafoetida powder and curry leaves keep aside.

Once the pressure get released, add this tempered spices, grounded paste and cook for few minutes,put off the stove.

Add the chopped coriander leaves and serve with rice.