Poosanikkai Mor Kootu / Ash Gourd Stew With Buttermilk

When it comes to comfort food, my go to recipe is a kootu. I love eating hot kootu with rice and paruppu. I make kootu on lazy days when I am not in a mood to cook anything elaborate. Kootu makes up for a complete meal and is very filling as well.  The Mor kootu is something similar to aviyal except for I have made it just with possanikkai / ash gourd here. We could use the same recipe to make mor kootu with snake gourd, cabbage or a mixture of vegetables.

If looking for a slightly spicy kootu with poosanikkai check out my this recipe which is kind of a poricha kootu or this Kerala style Poosanikkai kootu. Also check out my complete list of kootu here.

Preparation time - 10 minutes
Cooking time - 30 minutes
difficulty level - easy

Ingredients to make Poosanikkai Mor Kootu - serves 4

• Poosanikkai / Ash Gourd / White pumpkin - 3 cups (chopped into ½ inch pieces)
• Turmeric powder - ¼ tsp
• Yogurt (preferable a little sour) - 1 cup (whisked with ½ cup of water)
• Salt - to taste

To Grind into paste -

• Coconut - ½ cup
• Cumin seeds - 1 ½ tsp
• Green chilies - 4 to 5
• Raw rice - 1 tsp

To season -

• Oil - 2 tsp (preferable coconut oil)
• Mustard seeds - 1tsp
• Ullutham paruppu / Urad dal - 1 tsp
• Curry leaves - few
• Asafetida - a pinch

Procedure to make Poosanikkai Mor Kootu -

• Chop the ash gourd / poosanikkai into bite size cubes. Place it in a pan with about ½ cup of water and turmeric powder.
• Let the vegetable cook until they are soft.

• Meanwhile, grind the coconut, green chilies, cumin seeds and rice into a smooth paste. You could add a little water when grinding.
• Combine this mixture with the whisked yogurt and keep it ready

• Once the vegetable is cooked well, drain any excess water. Add salt needed and the coconut mixture and let the kootu simmer for flavors to combine.
• Heat oil for seasoning and add the seasoning ingredients. Add it to the simmering kootu.
• Serve hot with rice , paruppu (dal) and ghee!