Avarakkai Kootu | Broad beans lentil curry

 Avarakkai kootu is a popular side dish from the Tambrahm cuisine made from just moong dhall (yellow split gram) , fresh coconut paste and a Sizzling tempering of mustard seeds ,curry leaves in coconut oil.

Avarakkai(tamil),Avrekkai(Kannada), chikkidkaay (Telugu) is a native Indian vegetable and used extensively across cuisines in India . In the Maharashtra and Gujarat it is called as Vaal papdi or papdi and Sem in Hindi .

Avrakkai is a diabetic friendly vegetable and also rich in protein, dietary fibre,vitamin A ,potassium and folates. Consuming avarekkai is a good source of plant protein and apt for vegetarians to meet their dietary requirements of protein intake. The fibre present in the Indian flat broad beans helps to manage cholesterol in the body.

Since, Avarekkai is a native vegetable, it is used during the Mahalaya Paksha , Amavasya cooking and also for cooking during Shraadh or Devasam. During Shraadh , Amavasai or Mahalaya paksha avrekkai is mostly used in the form of kootu but some families also make a simple stir fry known as Thenga pota curry . 

I shall share the recipe of the simple yet flavorful curry very soon. You may refer to Mildly Indian Seema's Kothavarangai Poriyal and in the same way you can make avarekkai poriyal .

Amavasya Lunch Menu

Avrekkai kootu can be mixed with rice or can also be served as an accompaniment to sambar ,vethakuzhambu, milagu kuzhambu along with some toasted papads and a simple paruppu Thogayal or pudina Thogayal. 

If making kootu to mix with rice, make it a little runny else we can have a thicker consistency. 

Avrakkai kootu is purely Saatvik and Vegan making it No Onion No garlic and Jain friendly .

You may also want to try some lip smacking healthy and delicious kootu recipes from my blog

Chou chou (Chayote) kadalai paruppu Kootu 

Cabbage Kootu 

Thiruvadhirai Kootu 

Poosanikkai (Ashgourd) Pulippu Kootu 

Vellarikaai(Cucumber) Kootu 

Keerai (Spinach) Kootu

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Preparation Time - 10 mins
Cooking Time - 25mins 
Complexity - Simple
Serves - 2 to 3

Ingredients 

150 gms Indian broad beans /avarekkai 
1 cup moong dhall
1/2 cup fresh grated coconut 
1 tsp jeera/cumin
8 to 10 pepper corns
2 dried red chillies 
Few curry leaves 
Pinch of turmeric 
Salt as needed 
1 tsp coconut oil
1/2 tsp mustard seeds 
Pinch of asafoetida 

Method 

• Wash the broad beans and trim the head and tail. Bundle them up and chop into medium cuts.
• Wash the moong dhall under running water 3 to 4 times.
• Add the washed moong dhall,chopped avrakkai ,turmeric , 2 cups water and pressure cook for 3 whistles. Let the pressure release naturally. 
• Grind the coconut, cumin,red chillies ,pepper with water to a fine paste .
• Once ,the pressure cools down,lightly mash and mix the lentil and add the ground coconut paste to this along with required amount of salt. 
• If too thick,add 1/4 cup water and bring it to a quick boil with occasional stirring. Coconut paste has a tendency to stick to the bottom and the kootu will get burnt. 
• Turn off the stove when the kootu thickens and the raw flavor from the coconut paste is gone.
• Prepare a tempering of mustard seeds,fresh curry leaves,asafoetida in hot coconut oil and pour it over the delicious kootu.
• Averakkai kootu is now ready to be served.