Chayote in Spicy Coconut Sauce(Chow Chow Kootu)

Chayote are sold as "Chayote Squash", though they are not really a squash -- they're gourds that are treated as Summer Squash in cooking. Chayote have a little bit less water in them than does Summer Squash, so they will stay a bit firmer after cooking. A medium Chayote has 50 calories, and is a good source of potassium. If the chayote has small thorns on its skin, they fall under the Spiny Chayote category. The peel of the chayote can also be made into chutney, except for the spiny variety. The chayote doesn’t have much taste on its own and all the spices dumped in while cooking is well absorbed by them. They are very easy to cut and cook, next time when you see them in your grocer don’t forget to buy and try out.

Preparation Time – 10 Minutes

Cooking Time – 25 minutes

Serves – 4

Ingredients

Chayote – 2 medium sized
Salt – 1 tsp
Cooked Toor Dal(Split Yellow pea) – 1/2 cup
Grated coconut – 1/2 cup
Green chili – 2 or to taste
Rice flour – 1 tsp
Cumin seeds – 1 tsp
Water
For Tempering
Coconut Oil – 1 tsp
Mustard seeds – 1/2 tsp
Split Urad Dal – 1 tsp
Curry Leaves – 4 to 5

Method

1) Wash, peel and chop the chayote into small pieces.
2) Add 1/2 cup of water and salt, asafoetida piece and cover and cook till tender.
3) Keep stirring in between and add little water if required, there is no need to
add lot of water as the vegetable itself when let out water when cooking and
we are going to make a thick stew and not a watery one. So don’t dump in lot
of water when cooking.
4) Grind grated coconut, green chili, rice flour, cumin seeds and little bit of water and
grind to a smooth paste.
5) Add this paste to the cooked chayote and simmer for 5 minutes for the flavors to be
combined with the vegetable and for the gravy to thicken and then switch off.
6) Heat a small pan or ladle and add a tsp of coconut oil, once hot add the mustard seeds.
After the mustard seeds stop spluttering add urad dal, curry leaves and stir till the urad
dal turns slight golden brown and then transfer this to the chayote coconut gravy and
combine.
7) Serve this dish with hot rice/quinoa & rasam or with flat bread of your choice.

 

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