Chettinad Mochai Kootu | Mochai Kootu

Mochai is a common vegetable of Tamil Nadu available in the months of December and January. In some regions, now a days, Mochai is being cultivated throughout the year and is being sold year round. Mochai belongs to the Legume variety vegetable and is also known as Field Beans in English.
The most common recipes of Mochai are the Mochai Kootu, Mochai Masala and Mochai Kulambhu.
Normally Mochai is available in the Thai Pongal season and the prime side dish made during the time of Thai Pongal is the Mochai Kootu. Mochai Kootu is a dhal preparation containing Toor Dhal. It is easy to make and nice to taste.
Now let us see how to make Mochai Kootu.

Ingredients:

• Mochai – 1 cup
• Toor dal – ¼ cup
• Turmeric powder – ¼ tsp
• Small onion – 6
• Curry leaves – few
• Coconut – 2 tblsp
• Sambar podi – ½ tsp
• Salt – to taste
• Oil – 3 tsp
• Cumin seed – ¼ tsp
• Urad dal – ¼ tsp

Method:

Cook toor dal with turmeric powder. Peel the onion and cut in to half. Grate the coconut.
In a pressure cooker add cooked toor dal, mochai, chopped onion, salt and sambar podi and cook for one whistle. Open the cooker when the steam subsides.
Heat oil in a pan and add cumin, urad dal and curry leaves and add to the kootu.
Add the coconut and boil for some time and serve hot with rice.