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Chow chow kootu or a chayote squash dal curry in a white bowl with spices on top.

Chow Chow Kootu (Chayote Squash Dal Curry)

Shri Repp
Chow chow or chayote kootu is a South Indian lentil and vegetable stovetop stew that has subtle sweetness from the squash and creaminess from the dal. It is the perfect cozy curry to ladle over a bed of fluffy basmati rice.
5 from 1 vote
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Prep Time 10 minutes
Cook Time 25 minutes
Course Dinner
Servings 3.5 cups

Equipment

Ingredients
 

  • ½ cup (100 g) split moong dal (without skin)
  • 2 (560 g) chow chow (chayote)
  • 2 teaspoons vegetable oil
  • ½ (90 g) medium yellow onion finely chopped
  • 4 cloves of garlic finely chopped
  • 1 (85 g) roma tomato finely chopped
  • 1 Thai chili finely chopped
  • 1 ½ teaspoons sea salt plus more to taste
  • 1 ½ cups water
  • ¼ teaspoon turmeric
  • ⅛ teaspoon asafetida

Thalipu/Tadka Ingredients

  • 2 teaspoons ghee
  • ½ teaspoon black mustard seeds
  • ¼ teaspoon cumin seeds
  • ⅛ teaspoon asafetida
  • 1-2 dried red chili peppers
  • 5-10 curry leaves

Instructions
 

Instant Pot Method

  1.  Swish and lightly scrub the ½ cup split moong dal (without skin) that has been soaking with your fingers to release the excess starch in the dal. Drain the cloudy water and repeat this process until the water is fairly clear, then drain once more.
  2. Soak the moong dal: Once the dal has been washed, add the moong dal into a bowl with enough warm water to cover the dal and allow it to soak while you complete steps 3-4 below. This step helps reduce the cook time of the dal.
  3. Use a peeler to peel the green skin off the 2 chow chow (chayote) and discard. Cut the chow chow vertically in half and scoop the seeds out of the center of the chow chow.
  4. Cut the chow chow into ½ inch cubes and set aside.
  5. Add the 2 teaspoons vegetable oil and onions to the Instant Pot on the medium heat sauté setting and sauté until the ½ medium yellow onion (chopped) are translucent (~2 minutes).
  6. Add chopped 4 cloves of garlic and sauté for an additional minute. This helps cook out the raw flavor and smell of the garlic.
  7. Add the chopped chow chow, 1 roma tomato, and 1 Thai chili along with half of the 1 ½ teaspoons sea salt and sauté until the tomatoes soften and release their juices, which should take about 1-2 minutes.
  8. Drain the soaked and washed dal, add 1 ½ cups water, ¼ teaspoon turmeric, and ⅛ teaspoon asafetida to the pot.
  9. Next, cancel the sauté setting on the Instant Pot, fasten the lid to the pot, and ensure vent is sealed. Use the manual setting to set the Instant Pot to high pressure setting for 5 minutes. You can release the pressure manually by carefully moving the venting valve once done or you can wait for a natural de-pressurizing of the Instant Pot which should take an additional 5 minutes.
  10. The dal should be cooked through and should be mushy to the touch. Another test is to use a whisk to whisk the dal and water together. If the dal and water remain separate rather than mixing into a creamy, homogenized mixture, it means that the dal needs to soften and cook longer, which you can do by simmering the dal for some more time.
  11. Once dal is cooked, use a wooden spoon/whisk and mix up the dish until the dal becomes creamy. Use the back of the spoon to mash a few pieces of chow chow into the dal. Add the remaining salt, taste, and add more to your liking.
  12. Make Tadka or Thalipu:
    In a separate small saucepan over medium-high heat, add 2 teaspoons ghee and ½ teaspoon black mustard seeds. When the mustard seeds start to sputter in the oil, add ¼ teaspoon cumin seeds, ⅛ teaspoon asafetida, and 1-2 dried red chili peppers and temper them in the ghee until the cumin seeds start to dance in the oil (this should take only a couple of seconds). Lower the heat and add 5-10 curry leaves. The curry leaves will pop and sputter in the oil at which point you can turn off the heat. Pour the tadka over the chow chow kootu.
  13. Serve the chow chow kootu over some basmati rice and enjoy!

Stovetop Method

  1. Follow steps 1 - 7 in the Instant Pot method but instead use a regular deep pot on medium heat on the stove.
  2. Follow step 8 in the Instant Pot method but add an additional ½ cup of water to the pot to compensate for the water that will evaporate using the stovetop method.
  3. Bring the water in the pot to a boil.
  4. Once the water has come to a boil, cover the pot with its lid, and allow the dal to cook on medium heat for 15-20 minutes.
  5. Follow steps 11- 13 in the Instant Pot method.
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