Tirunelveli Kootanchoru - Mixed vegetables rice with dals and spices

Kootanchoru is a popular lunch dish from Tirunelveli. This is our family favourite rice and it is rich in nutrients as it contains lots of vegetables and dals. We prepare this rice frequently for special events and family get togethers. 

In most of Tirunelveli dishes we use small onions, garlic, coconut and generous amount of jeera. In this dish also we have used coconut small onion paste and good amount of fresh vegetables. We add commonly used vegetables such as raw banana, brinjals, drumsticks, carrots, beans and potatoes. I have learned this recipe from my grandma. She taught me with her some useful tips and techniques about how to cook, when to add the ingredients and how to choose the correct vegetables. My son named as Tirunelveli biriyani for this rice. Now let's see how to prepare this kootanchoru with step by step photos.
 

Here is a short video for Tirunelveli Kootanchoru

           

Prep time : 30 minutes
Cook time : 40 minutes
Total time : 1 hour 10 minutes
Serves : 6
Category : Lunch
Author : Muthulakshmi Madhavakrishnan

Ingredients

• 2 cups (450g) boiled ponni rice
• 1/2 cup toor dal
• big lemon sized tamarind
• 1 tsp turmeric powder
• 1 tsp asafoetida powder
• 10 small onions
• 3 green chillies

Vegetables for the rice

• 2 carrots
• 10 beans
• 10 Indian beans(cluster beans, kothavaraikkai)
• 2 drumsticks
• 7 brinjals
• 1 raw banana
• 1 potato
• 1/2 mango

For coconut paste

• 3/4 cup grated coconut
• 20 red chillies
• 15 small onions
• 12 garlic cloves
• 1 tbsp jeera

For tempering

• 1/2 tsp mustard
• 1/2 tsp urid dal
• 3 onion vadagam or 2 tbsp chopped small onions
• 20 curry leaves
• 5 tbsp gingelyoil
• 4 tbsp coconut oil

Cooking Directions
1. Measure and take the dal and rice in a seperate bowl. Wash and soak the dal for 20 minutes. Soak the tamarind in hot water. Wash the rice and drain the water completely.
2. In the meantime, cut the carrots, potatoes, drumsticks in uniform size. Cut the beans and Indian beans lengthwise. Cut the raw bananas and brinjals and soak in a bowl of water to avoid discolouration. Cube the mangoes. 
3. Take a pressure cooker and add the toor dal with 1 cup of water. Keep in medium flame and cook. When the dal has slightly cooked add the green beans and Indian beans. Add some more water and let them cook. 
4. When the beans colour has changed add the drumsticks and carrots. After 5 minutes add the raw banana and brinjals. 
5.Now prepare the remaining process. Extract the tamarind juice with 1.5 cups of water. Grind the coconut, small onions, garlic cloves, red chillies and jeera. Then add the ground paste to the tamarind juice. Add all the remaining ingredients one by one - required salt, turmeric powder, asafoetida powder and raw mango pieces. Mix them gently with your hands. 
6. When the brinjals colour has changed a little add the rice. Add some more water and cook. The rice will absorb the water and gets cooked. Now add the tamarind mixture and the drumstick leaves to the rice. In the meantime, heat some oil in a pan and add the small onions and green chillies. Saute it for a minute and add it to the rice. Now add some more water if required.
7. Now the final process is tempering. Heat 2 tbsp of coconut oil and 5 tbsp gingelyoil and add the mustard, urid dal and onion vadagam. When the vadagams changed its colour add the curry leaves and pour it to the rice. Mix the rice gently and close it with the lid. Keep on low flame and pressure cook for 2 whistles.
8. Once the pressure has settled remove the whistle and add a tbsp of coconut oil. Once the rice has completely cooled serve it with rice koozh vathal or applam. 

                                               

Tirunelveli Kootanchoru with step by step photos

1. Measure and take the dal and rice  in a seperate bowl. Wash and soak the dal for 20 minutes. Soak the tamarind in hot water. Wash the rice and drain the water completely.

2. In the meantime, cut the carrots, potatoes, drumsticks in uniform size. Cut the beans and Indian beans lengthwise. Cut the raw bananas and brinjals and soak in a bowl of water to avoid discolouration. Cube the mangoes.

3. Take a pressure cooker and add the toor dal with 1 cup of water. Keep on medium flame and cook. When the dal has slightly cooked, add the green beans and Indian beans. Add some more water and let them cook.

4. When the beans colour has changed add the drumsticks and carrots. After 5 to 7 minutes add the raw banana and brinjals. Mix them well with a ladle. 

5.Now prepare the remaining process. Extract the tamarind juice with 1.5 cups of water. Grind the coconut, small onions, garlic cloves, red chillies and jeera.

6. Then add the ground paste to the tamarind juice. Add all the remaining ingredients one by one - required salt, turmeric powder, asafoetida powder and raw mango pieces. Mix them gently with your hands. 

7. When the brinjals colour has changed a little add the rice. Add some more water and cook. The rice will absorb the water and gets cooked. Now add the tamarind mixture and the drumstick leaves to the rice.

8. In the meantime, heat some oil in a pan and add the small onions and green chillies. Saute it for a minute and add it to the rice. Now add some more water if required.

9. Now the final process is tempering. Heat 2 tbsp of coconut oil and 5 tbsp gingelyoil and add the mustard, urid dal and onion vadagam. When the vadagams changed its colour add the curry leaves and pour it to the rice.

10. Mix the rice gently and close it with the lid. Keep on low flame and pressure cook for 2 whistles.

11. Once the pressure has settled, remove the whistle and add a tbsp of coconut oil. Once the rice has completely cooled serve it with rice koozh vathal or applam. This rice tastes best after 2 hours because the onions, garlics, jeera and mangoes continue to release its flavour while cooling. Enjoy this tasty and healthy kootanchoru with your family during weekends.

Click here to view the recipe in Tamil - திருநெல்வேலி கூட்டாஞ்சோறு