Molagoottal ( ta, மொளகூட்டல்; ml, മൊളഗൂട്ടല്) is a

South India South India, also known as Dakshina Bharata or Peninsular India, consists of the peninsular southern part of India. It encompasses the Indian states of Andhra Pradesh, Karnataka, Kerala, Tamil Nadu, and Telangana, as well as the union territ ...

n stew with coconut and

lentil The lentil (''Lens culinaris'' or ''Lens esculenta'') is an edible legume. It is an annual plant known for its lens-shaped seeds. It is about tall, and the seeds grow in pods, usually with two seeds in each. As a food crop, the largest pro ...

s as a base. It is a dish unique to the Nairs and Iyers of Kerala.KeralaIyers.com - The portal for Kerala Iyers
/ref> It is eaten mixed with

rice Rice is the seed of the grass species '' Oryza sativa'' (Asian rice) or less commonly ''Oryza glaberrima'' (African rice). The name wild rice is usually used for species of the genera '' Zizania'' and '' Porteresia'', both wild and domesticat ...

. It substitutes for sambar or other curry. It is different from sambar and other similar dishes in that it is less spicy and does not contain tamarind. Typical vegetables used in making molagoottal are winter melon (white pumpkin), drumstick, squash, cucumbers, sprouted pulses, yams, root vegetables, spinach and green leaves. Nowadays, molagoottal has been adapted to include Western vegetables such as carrots, cabbage and

potato The potato is a starchy food, a tuber of the plant ''Solanum tuberosum'' and is a root vegetable native to the Americas. The plant is a perennial in the nightshade family Solanaceae. Wild potato species can be found from the southern Unit ...

es. Molagoottal is similar in preparation and texture to the Tamil dish ''

koottu Kootu (Tamil:கூட்டு) is a lentil and vegetable stew in South Indian, particularly Tamil and Kerala cuisines. The etymology for kootu derives from the Tamil word "kootu" which means "add" or "mixture/medley" i.e. vegetable added wit ...

'', the difference being that the latter is thicker and uses

Bengal gram The chickpea or chick pea (''Cicer arietinum'') is an annual legume of the family Fabaceae, subfamily Faboideae. Its different types are variously known as gram" or Bengal gram, garbanzo or garbanzo bean, or Egyptian pea. Chickpea seeds are high ...

References

Tamil cuisine Kerala cuisine South Indian cuisine Indian soups and stews Lentil dishes {{india-food-stub

See also

References