Molagootal Recipe | Mixed Vegetable Molagootal Recipe

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Molagootal is one the traditional recipe and staple food in Palakkad cuisine. Molgootal is much similar to the Poricha Kuzhambu we make in TamilNadu. We can make Molagootal with mixed vegetables or with spinach. In Poricha kuzhambu, we have pepper flavor, but in molagootal, pepper is not added. Molagootal is rich in vegetables, coconut and dal. This is bland like Dal so sour side dish goes well with this. It is a perfect mix for hot steaming rice. It's usually served with pachadis, puli inji, vendakki pachadi - mostly tamarind based or aracha kalakki which is vadu mangai based chutney or tamarind based thogayal. A bowl of molagootal sadam with a teaspoon of ghee with toasted papad completes our afternoon meal!

Tips for making Molagootal:

For mixed vegetable Molagootal, we can use carrot, chow chow, potato, raw banana, yam, pumpkin, Brinjal, drumstick, peas and snake gourd. Mostly whatever veggies that we get in the season ,we can use it.
We can first cook the stiff veggies first and then add pumpkin, brinjal later because they get easily mushy quickly.
While grinding, Urad dal is optional. We can also use 2 teaspoon rice soaked in water and grind it with coconut and cumin seeds.
The dal and ground coconut paste makes the kuzhambu thicker upon cooling, so adjust the consistency as needed.

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Recipe Card for Molagootal Recipe | Mixed Vegetable Molagootal Recipe:

INSTRUCTIONS WITH STEP BY STEP PICTURES:

PREPARATION

Wash the vegetables, peel the skin and cut them into small cubes.

COOKING VEGETABLES AND DAL

Take dal in a vessel. Add a pinch of turmeric and pressure cook for 3-4 whistles. The toor dal should be soft and mushy.

Take out the dal and mash it thoroughly with a back of a ladle. Set this mashed dal aside.

In a heavy bottomed sauce pan, add the chopped mixed vegetables. Add a pinch of turmeric along with 1 cup of water. Cook the veggies till they are tender.

GRINDING THE COCONUT MASALA

Heat a teaspoon of oil in a pan. Add red chili and urad dal. Fry till the urad dal turns light brown. Switch off the flame.

Take the fried red chili, urad dal, coconut and cumin seeds o the mixer grinder. Add 2-3tbsp of water and grind this mixture to a fine paste. Add more water if rquired. Keep this mixture aside.

START COOKING MOLAGOOTAL

Once the vegetables are cooked, add the cooked dal.

Then when the mixture starts to boil, add the ground coconut paste and mix well. Add salt to taste. Allow the mixture to boil and then simmer for 5 minutes.

TEMPERING

Heat oil in a pan. Add mustard seeds and allow it to sputter. Then add split urad dal and fry the dal till it turns light brown color. Then add few curry leaves and switch off the flame.