Kootu Recipe | Carrot Kootu Recipe

Carrot Kootu is a mild and comforting South Indian side dish made with carrots, dal, and coconut. It’s flavorful and healthy too perfect to go with rice. The sweet taste of carrots with the creamy dal makes it perfect for everyday meals. It goes well with hot rice, rasam, or even chapathi. This kootu is very simple and light.

Carrot kootu is also a good option for lunchboxes. It’s light on the tummy, doesn’t become dry after cooling, and goes well with plain rice On days when you want to keep your food basic and not spicy, this is a good choice. It is easy to make and doesn't need any fancy ingredients.

Jump to:

• About Carrot Kootu
• Carrot Kootu Ingredients
• How to make Carrot Kootu Step by Step
• Expert Tips
• Serving and Storage
• FAQS
• 📖 Recipe Card

About Carrot Kootu

Kootu is a common dish cooked in most Tamil homes. It means a thick gravy made using dal and vegetables, mostly without heavy spices. It’s usually mild in taste and goes well with rice or even chapathi. Among all types, Carrot Kootu is the easiest and quickest one you can make.

Carrots are naturally sweet and cook fast, which makes them great for kootu. They also add a nice colour and are full of fiber and vitamins. In this kootu, the carrots turn soft and soak up the taste of the dal and coconut masala, making every bite melt-in-mouth and tasty.

I have used both moong dal and toor dal. Roasting the moong dal gives a very nice nutty smell, and when it cooks along with toor dal, the kootu gets a creamy texture. You can skip one of the dals if you want, but this combo gives a better result. Some people also try with chana dal, but it will be a little thicker.

I usually make it when there are just 1 or 2 carrots left in the fridge. It gets done quickly and tastes homely. You don’t need much planning or chopping for this one — that’s the best part.

Carrot Kootu Ingredients

• Carrot – Fresh and chopped small. Carrots give a soft bite and light sweetness. You can also use chow chow or beans instead.
• Moong dal – I dry roasted it lightly before cooking. It gives a nice flavour and keeps the dal from turning sticky.
• Toor dal – Adds slight thickness to the kootu. You can skip and use only moong dal if that’s what you have.
•  Small onion – I used one small onion, chopped fine. It gives gentle flavour and mixes in well with the dal and carrot. You can make without onion also.
• Green chilli – Just one, chopped roughly. It gives gentle spice. If you don’t have, you can use dry red chilli or even chilli powder.
• Turmeric powder – Just a pinch. For light yellow colour and helps with digestion too.
• Coconut – Fresh grated coconut is used here. It makes the kootu creamy and brings the taste together.
• Jeera – I added jeera while grinding. It adds a soft flavour and helps in digestion.
• Oil – I used normal cooking oil. You can also use coconut oil or ghee if you like.
• Mustard seeds – Used in tempering. It gives a nice pop when you bite.
• Urad dal – Adds a small crunch in between. Just a little is enough.
• Curry leaves – For smell and taste. Always makes a big difference in South Indian dishes.
• Hing – A small pinch for flavour. It blends well with the tempering.

Why This Recipe Works

• It’s a simple and quick dish with basic ingredients.
• Carrot cooks fast, so the whole dish gets ready quickly.
• A healthy way to eat more dal and veggies.
• Coconut paste makes the dish creamy without needing any cream.
• It’s mild in taste and perfect for all age groups.

Similar Recipes

• Murungaikeerai kootu
• Kootu curry
• Keerai kootu
• Pudalangai kootu
• Chow chow kootu

How to make Carrot Kootu Step by Step

1.Dry roast moong dal till golden brown. Pressure cook both the dals with 1 cup of water, salt and turmeric powder, Cook until mushy and soft. Mash it well with a ladle and set aside.

2.Grind together coconut and jeera with little water to a fine paste. Chop carrots finely and set aside.

3.Heat oil in a pan, add mustard seeds, urad dhal, green chilies and curry leaves. Let it splutter, then add onion and hing, saute till onion turns transparent. Then add required salt and chopped carrot.

4.Saute for few minutes until raw smell leaves. Then add cooked dal water alone and required water.

5.Cook till carrot turns soft. By then the water would have been absorbed too now add dal and let it boil for 2 minutes.

6.Then add the coconut paste and allow it to boil till it becomes thick. Switch off and serve with hot rice.

Serve hot with rice!

Expert Tips

• Roasting – Roast moong dal till light golden. This gives more flavor and smell too. Also keeps the dal soft but not sticky after cooking.
• Chopping – Chop carrots small and even. That way they cook fast and mix better with the dal. Big pieces sometimes stay half cooked.
• Timing – Don’t add the coconut paste too early. Wait till the carrots get soft. If you add early, coconut taste won’t come proper.
• Checking – Watch the water as it boils. If you pour too much, kootu will become watery. It should be thick, not like a sambar.
• Boiling – After adding coconut paste, just boil for 2–3 mins. If you overcook, the fresh taste will go and it may turn oily too.
• Resting – Kootu gets more thick as it cools down. So off the stove when it still looks bit loose. It will set properly in few minutes.

Serving and Storage

Carrot Kootu tastes best when served hot with plain rice and a spoon of ghee. It also goes well with rasam or sambar as a side. You can even have it with chapathi if you like soft curries with flatbreads.

If you have leftovers, keep it in the fridge and use within a day. Reheat with little water to bring back the right texture. Since it has coconut, it’s better not to store for long or freeze it.

FAQS

1.Can I skip toor dal and use only moong dal?

Yes you can. The taste will be softer. Adding toor dal gives more body to the kootu.

2.What other vegetables work in this kootu?

Chow chow, snake gourd, bottle gourd, or beans can be used.

3.Can I skip coconut?

Yes, but you will miss that creamy finish. You can add a spoon of roasted gram dal powder instead.

4.Is this kootu spicy?

Not much. Just a green chilli for flavour. You can increase if you like spicy.

5.Can I make without onion?

Yes, fully skip onion if you're making it for vrat or pooja days.

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