Koottanchoru / கூட்டாஞ்சோறு

Koottanchoru 

Mixed ( rural/ local) vegetable rice

கூட்டாஞ்சோறு 

Ingredients:

Raw rice ( பச்சரிசி)  - 1 cup

Toor Dhal ( துவரம் பருப்பு) - 1/4 cup

Murunga Leaves / drumstick leaves ( முருங்கைக் கீரை) - handful

drumstick ( முருங்கைக் காய்) - 1

flat beans ( அவரைக்காய்) - 7 to 8

Brinjal ( கத்தரிக்காய் ) - 3 (small size)

Pumpkin ( பூசணிக்காய்) - a small wedge

Elephant Yam ( சேனைக்கிழங்கு) - a small wedge

Colocasia ( சேப்பங்கிழங்கு) - 2 

Country potato ( சிறு கிழங்கு) - 3

(வாழைக்காய்) - 1/2 

Small onions ( சின்ன வெங்காயம்) - 8

Tamarind ( புளி) - small lemon size

Onion Vadagam ( வெங்காய வடகம்) - 2 

Turmeric powder ( மஞ்சள் தூள்) - 1/4 sp

Sambar powder ( சாம்பார் பொடி) - 2 tsp

Sesame oil ( நல்லெண்ணெய்) - 5 tbsp

Asafoetida ( பெருங்காயம்) - 1/4 tsp

Salt to taste ( தேவைக்கேற்ற உப்பு) 

STEPS:

Rinse and soak rice and dhal together for 30 min. Add a pinch of turmeric powder and cook in a pressure cooker until soft. Cook the mochai payaru / bean, country potato and colocasia in a  separator while cooking the rice. 

Wash the other vegetables and cut them into bite-size pieces.

Extract juice from the soaked tamarind.

In a heavy bottom pot or pressure cooker, add 3 tablespoons of sesame oil. Add the drumstick pieces first, followed by other vegetables. Saute for 2 to 3 minutes. 

Add the murunga leaves, after a minute add the tamarind juice and mix well. 

Add turmeric powder, sambar powder, asafoetida and salt to taste. Let it cook for 3 to 4 minutes.

Add the boiled rice and mix well. Pour in the remaining sesame oil. 

Separately heat a teaspoon of oil and fry the onion vadagam. Pour this seasoning to the rice as a final step 

My Notes:
        Till now, I have not tasted a better dish of koottanchoru than the one cooked by my maternal grandmother. She cooks the rice together with the vegetables, which is very flavourful. Also the fresh vegetables and the murungai leave from the backyard. Unforgettable memories. 
For the convenience of saving time, I have cooked the rice separately, which my mother and mother in law also have had adopted. 
Onion vadagam is the specialty of this dish, in addition to the murungai leaves.
Rice pappad / Arisi vaththal is the best accomplishment. My elder son' favourite is Mor milagai .
Our afternoon lunch was complemented with a sweet Pongal and a final wash down with a cool coriander flavoured buttermilk. 
Able to post this today only though had created more than 2 months ago.