Dal and vegetable kootu

This is a very traditional and healthy dish. My mom and grandmom used it make it often. Especially, they make this in home after Pongal celebration when a lot of vegetables is available in home.

Ingredients
1 cup dal of your choice (tour dal/ chana dal/ moong gal)
2 cups of chopped vegetables of your choice (may include carrot, beans, peas, potato, cabbage, bottle gourd, snake gourd, ridge gourd...)
1 medium sized onion chopped
1 medium sized tomato diced
3/4 ts chilli powder (optional)
1/4 ts turmeric powder

To roast and grind
2 ts coriander seeds
1 ts cumin seed
1/2 ts pepper
1/4 ts fenugreek seed
2 red chilli
3 ts grated coconut

For tempering
1/2 ts mustard
1/2 ts urad dal
1/4 ts hing
Few curry leaves

Pre-step
Soak the dals in water for a minimum of half an hour (optional)

Preparation

1. Add dal, onion, tomato, chilli powder, turmeric powder in cooker with enough salt and water. Allow enough whistles so that it gets cooked well. After the air is released, mash the dal well. If possible give a quick blend in a blender.
2. In the same cooker, add vegetables to the dal and allow it to release one more whistle. Let the air release. Set aside
3. Meanwhile roast coriander seed, cumin seed, pepper, fenugreek seed, red chilli and coconut in a teaspoon of oil. Take them out in a plate. After it's cooled, grind them together into a fine powder.
4. Take a kadai. Add oil. Once its hot add mustard seeds, urad dal, hing and curry leaves. Add the cooked dal and vegetable mix. Add water if necessary. Add the ground masala. Give it a boil. Then simmer in low flame and allow them to cook until the gravy is thickened.

This tastes damn delicious even just with ghee rice and papad.