Molagootal, a Lentil & Coconut Stew from Palakkad
Niranjana Sivaram shares her family’s recipe for molagootal, a lentil and coconut-based stew from the Palakkad Iyer community.
An economics teacher in high-school once asked me where I came from. When I said Kerala, she replied with, “Oh, Malayali?” When I said, “No, Tamilian,” she refused to accept my answer and was convinced I was a child that did not know her roots.
But Kerala is native to the community of Palakkad Iyers who migrated from the Tamil-speaking regions of southern India a few centuries ago. There are a couple of theories for this migration. One is that the Tamil Brahmins of the Pandya kingdom, moved to Malayalam-speaking regions in search for a better life, as the kingdom slipped into decline. Another theory proposes that they were invited by the nobility of the Palakkad, to take over the duties of the Namboodiris (the priestly caste of the region), with whom there had been a conflict.
The Tamil spoken here is distinct, with a strong Malayali accent, and shares its vocabulary with the language as well. Similarities extend into the cuisine too. Traditionally vegetarian, ingredients like lentils, tamarind, vegetables and curd are essential elements of our daily meals. Popular local produce from modern-day Kerala, such as coconuts and pumpkins, also seeped in.
Molagootal, a thick lentil and coconut-based stew, is a dish that is made by the Tamil-speaking Keralites from Palakkad. When one wants more than a simple rasam or sambar, we turn to molagootal. This is a dish ubiquitous to homes in the region, very similar to the molagushayam, a more popular dish in Kerala; both are rarely found in restaurants. Both use a lentil gravy, and have vegetables in them. The molagushayam, however, has moong dal and derives its spice from black pepper. It does not contain coconut.
There are three kinds of molagootal prepared in my family — keerai (spinach), noolkol (kohlrabi) and kalandha (meaning mixed, assorted vegetables). While there are slight variations in how the vegetables are treated, the recipe for the gravy remains the same.
Molagootal is eaten mixed with rice and a generous helping of ghee. It is accompanied by a vendakka pachadi — lady’s finger in a curd raita, and a thogayal — a dry, coconut and tamarind chutney. Leftovers make for an excellent side with rotis, for dinner.
Recipe: Molagootal
(Serves 4)
Ingredients
Vegetable of your choice (spinach, kohlrabi or assorted vegetables like carrots, beans and potatoes)
½ a grated coconut
1 teaspoon of jeera
2 dried red chillies
1 cup toor dal
1 tbsp moong dal
1/2 tsp turmeric powder
1 tsp mustard seeds
Handful curry leaves
2 tsp coconut oil
Salt
Recipe
Wash and dice the vegetables. Add a tablespoon of moong dal and a pinch of turmeric. Steam them in a cooker.
Wash the toor dal and steam it in the cooker as well.
Grind the grated coconut, jeera and red chillies to a paste.
Put the steamed toor dal, vegetables and the ground paste in a vessel.
Add water to this mixture to create a thick stew-like consistency. Boil.
Add salt to taste.
After boiling for about 5 minutes, add a spoon of coconut oil and some curry leaves.
To garnish, temper mustard seeds in coconut oil and add to the stew.
Note
For the spinach molagootal
Fry 2 spoons of urad dal with the 2 dried red chillies.
Grind the fried urad dal and red chillies with the grated coconut and jeera.
ALSO ON THE GOYA JOURNAL
