Avarakkai kootu recipe is one of the popular broad beans recipes from south Indian cuisine. You can make this kootu with any type of broad beans. This kootu tastes wonderful with steamed rice or you can also serve this as side dish with rasam rice. Here is how to make delicious and comforting avarakkai kootu recipe with step by step photos.

Avarkkai kootu served in a blue enamel bowl for lunch

What Is Kootu?

Kootu is a south Indian staple recipe made with veggies. It is a cross between gravy ans stew with thicker consistency. We make various types of kootu recipes like keerai kootu, cabbage kootu, spinach kootu.

There are various ways to make kootu. You can make it with or without coconut, lentils etc. Here I have made this avarakkai kootu with a freshly made spice paste. This is a spicy and flavorful kootu perfect for a cold day. But you can easily adjust the spice level while serving for toddlers and kids.

Kootu recipes are best not only for rice, you can also serve them with roti. Most of like to have dal fry with roti and kootu is just dal with veggies.

Kootu is an excellent meal choice for toddlers and kids. It is filling, nutritious and keeps them going for long time. It is the perfect mix of protien from lentils and vitamins from veggies.When you mix it with rice and ghee it becomes a complete balanced meal for kids.

I like to make kootu recipes very often at home. It is easy and quick to make. You just need one pot or pressure cooker. Just dump everything and cook.

Indian Broad Beans Recipes

Broad beans is known as avarakkai in Tamil, val papdi in Hindi and it is used various Indian recipes. In north India surti papdi sabzi is a very special winter delicacy.

In south Indian cuisine we use broad beans or flat beans to make poriyal, in sambar, kootu, paruppusili.

Broad beans recipes are very healthy and rich in fibre. It is a good idea to include this vegetable in the diet of toddlers and kids.

How To Make Avarakkai Kootu?

Making avarakkai kootu recipe is very easy and quick. Most of the cooking happens in pressure cooker.

Start by cooking lentils, chopped broad beans with a pinch of tumreric powder in a pressure cooker. While the vegetable is cooking, fry urad dal, cumin seeds, peppercorns and coconut in a tablespoon of oil. Grind this into a coarse paste or powder.

Add the prepared spice paste to the cooked vegetable, add salt and bring to a boil. In a small pan heat 2 teaspoons oil and temper with mustard seeds, urad dal, curry leaves, red chilies and add to the kootu. Mix well and remove from flame.

Now this is the traditional recipe for avarakkai kootu with coconut. You can also make this broad beans kootu without coconut or lentils. Please find the instructions below.

Avarakai kootu without dal

If you want to make this kootu without lentils, just leave them out from the recipe. Cook broad beans in required water, add the spice paste and do the tempering.

Avarakkai kootu without coconut

To make avarakkai kootu without coconut, you can either make the spice paste with just urad dal and umin seeds or just add sambar powder for seasoning the kootu instead of spice paste.

Serve avarakkai kootu with rice, rasam and vadam.

Can I Make Avarakkai Kootu For Chapathi?

If you want to serve this kootu with chapathi you can make a few changes. Here is how you do it. No need to prepate the spice paste here.

Heat 2 tablespoons oil in a pressure cooker base. Temper with cumin seeds. Add finely chopped onions and saute till soft. Next add slit green chilies and crushed ginger. Saute well. Add 3/4 cup chopped tomatoes and saute well. Next add 1/2 teaspoon each chili powder, turmeric powder and coriander powder. Mix well. Add chopped broad beans and dal. Add required water and salt. Close the cooker and pressure cook for 3-4 whistles. Finally add 3 tablespoons chopped cilantro leaves and mix well. Serve hot.

Any Alternate For Broad Beans?

Instead of broad beans you can use french beans, snake gourd, bitter gourd, eggplant, in this recipe. You can also use a mix of carrot and broad beans in this recipe.

Closeup shot of avarakkai kootu or broad beans kootu

How To Make Avarakkai Kootu Step by Step

Rinse, remove the tough strings and chop the broad beans finely.

Add the chopped beans to a pressure cooker along with rinsed dal and a pinch of turmeric powder. Close and pressure cook for 4-6 whistles.

Coking broad beans, lentils to make avarakkai kootu

In the mean time heat a tablespoon oil in a pan. Add urad dal, cumin seeds, black peppercorns and grated coconut.

sauteing lentils and coconut to make avarakkai kootu

Saute well till the coconut and dal turns golden brown. Remove to a plate and let cool. Grind to a coarse paste.

Once the pressure settles down, open the cooker and add the prepared spice paste. Season with salt.

Cooked dal and lentils to make avarakkai kootu

Adding spice powder to veggies for making avarakkai kootu

Bring to a boil and simmer for 5-6 minutes.

Heat 2 teaspoons oil in a small pan. Temper with mustard seeds, urad dal, chana dal, green chilies, red chili, curry leaves and peanuts.

Preparing tempering for avarakkai kootu

Add this to the prepared kootu and mix well. Simmer for 2 minutes. Serve hot with rice.

Avarakkai kootu ready to serve