Tomatillo kootu

Have you tried tomatillos before?! If not, you should definitely try. This is my first time cooking/tasting tomatillos and I loved the tanginess it added to the regular moong dal kootu. Needless to say, tomatillo kootu paired up great with parathas.

Tomatillos (cousin of tomatoes) has a vibrant green color and looks like a small, under-ripe tomato hidden inside a paper-like husk. Discard this delicate husk, and what you have inside is a slightly sticky  vegetable with a sweet-tart flavor. When saute 'ed tomatillos becomes very soft and gives a citrusy flavor.

Tomatillos works beautifully well with moong dal to make this luscious, comforting kootu.

Ingredients
Tomatillos - 4 nos (chopped into cubes of 1 inch)
Tomatoes - 2 nos (chopped into cubes of 1 inch)
Cooked moong dal - 1.5 cups
Onion (Medium sized) - 1 no (finely chopped) - optional
Grated Ginger - 2 tsp - optional
Jeera (Cumin seeds) - 1/2 tsp
Red chillies - 1 no
Green chillies - 2 nos
Hing - 1-2 pinches
Red chilli powder - 1 tsp - optional
Turmeric powder - 1/4 tsp
Oil & Salt - to taste
Chopped cilantro - 1/4 cup
Mustard seeds - 1/4 tsp - optional

Method
Pressure cook moong dal with turmeric powder & green chillies for upto 2 whistles. Keep it aside.

In a heavy bottomed pan, heat a tbsp of oil. Splutter mustard seeds, add cumin seeds and let it crackle. Add onion, red chillies and saute until onion turns translucent.

Add tomatoes, red chilli powder, hing, salt and let it cook until raw smell of tomatoes & chilli powder is gone. Now add tomatillos, cilantro and let it cook for 2-3 more minutes.

Finally, add cooked moong dal, mix well and allow it to cook for one more minute. If required, taste & adjust salt.

Remove from heat and serve it with rice / roti.

While cooking, remember that tomatillos tends to lose its shape & color when cooked in heat for long time (just like tomatoes).