YELEVEN MOLAGOOTAL / WHITE PUMPKIN IN LENTIL COCONUT GRAVY

Molagootal is a typical Palakkad iyer recipe. Molagootal is a lentil, coconut gravy based cooked with different vegetables.Molagootal can be cooked with different vegetables and combination of few vegetables, every combination of Molagootal tastes, looks and smells different. Generally Molagootal is made with these vegetables or a combination of these- Yelevan(White Gourd/pumpkin), Matthan (Yellow Gourd/pumpkin), Vazhakkai (Raw Banana), chenai (Yam), cabbage, and Keerai (Amarath or Spinach). This is very easy to make and healthy too.

INGREDIENTS

Yelavan (while pumpkin)       - 2 cups, peel the skin andcut into small cubes.

Tuvar dal (red gram dal )        - 3/4 cup

Turmeric powder                      - ½ tsp

Salt                                                   - totaste

FOR WET GRINDING

Grated coconut                      -   ½ cup

Jeerakam (cumin seeds)    - ½ tsp

FOR SEASONING

Oil                                       - 1 tbsp

Mustard seeds                - 1 tsp

Urad dal                            - 1 tsp

Red chillies                      - 2 nos

Curry leaves                     - 1 sprig

METHOD

Pressure cook tuvar dal adding a pinch of turmeric powder.

Cook pumpkin in a pan adding enough water and turmeric powder. Cook till the pumpkin is just tender and add the cooked tuvar dal .

Grind grated coconut with red chillies and cumin seeds(jeeragam) to a fine paste.

Add the ground paste to the cooked tuvar dal and cooked pumpkin with required salt.

Add enough water to the above mixture till you get desire consisitency.Cook for few minutes in a medium flame.

Season with mustard seeds, urad dal,red chillies and curry leaves.

Yummy eleven / white pumpkin molagootal is ready to serve.

Serve hot with white rice and other accompaniments like puli milagai, pachadi, raw mango chutney etc.

NOTES

Paasi paruppu / green gram dal can also be used instead of tuvar dal.

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