Onam Special - Koottu Curry

Ingredients
• 1 cup black chick peas, soaked in water for at least 3 hours
• 1/2 cup plantain(pachakkaya) cut into chickpea sized pieces
• 1/2 cup elephant yam(Chena) cut into cut into chickpea sized pieces
• 1/2 cup grated coconut
• 4-5 pearl onions, skinned
• Jeerakam/Cumin seeds
• 1/2 tsp Turmeric powder
• Few Curry leaves
• few dry coconut chunks(thenga kothu)
• 1 tbsp coconut oil
• Mustard seeds
• Salt as required
• 2 dried red chillies
• 1/2 tsp black pepper or pepper powder

Directions
Cook the chick peas with water and salt until soft(Use a pressure cooker to cook fast). In a thick bottomed
vessel, cook the plantain and yam with enough water to just cover the vegetables, add turmeric powder and salt.Keep the vessel covered to prevent drying out. When the vegetables are soft add the cooked chick peas, along with some of the water used to cook chick peas. In another pan slightly fry the coconut, black pepper with the pearl onions.Coarse grind this mixture with cumin and add to the cooked chick peas . Mix well and let the water evaporate. Splutter the mustard seeds in coconut oil and then add the dried chillies and dry coconut chunks (thenga kothu), Pour this over the prepared koottu curry. Serve with rice
.