Pongal special Kootu kai curry / mochakai curry

This curry is same as Thiruvathirai Ezhu(7) kari kuzhambu but with extra vegetables &  Legumes. It is usually done during pongal feast.

Ingredients:

Any vegetable -2 cups ( Cubed)
Dry Legumes / frozen Legumes  - 2 cups
Onion - 1/2 cup ( chopped) Optional
Tomato - 1/2 cup (Optional)
Ginger garlic Paste - 1 tsp (optional)
kuzhambu milagai thool - 1 1/2 tbs or to taste ( check here for kuzhambu-milagai-thool. recipe ) OR
Red chili powder - 1 1/ 2 tsp or to taste & Corainder powder - 1 tsp or to taste 
Turmeric powder - A pinch
Water - required
Salt - To taste

For Grinding :

Coconut -5 ~ 7 slice (medium)
Green chili - 1 ~2
Fennel seed / Sombu - 1 tsp

For Seasoning:

Oil - 2tbs
Mustard seed - 1/2 tsp
Cumin / Jeeragam - 1/4 tsp
Fenugreek seed - 1/4 tsp
Asafoetida / Hing- 1/2 tsp
Curry leaves - as required.


Preparation

Take 1 fistful of all Dry legumes & soak over night & pressure cook with required water for 3 whistle & keep it aside. (I used peas, Mochai/ Indian lima beans, Karamani / black eye beans, Chana / Garbanzos, Thuvarai / red gram) Grind all the grinding ingredients into fine paste & keep it aside.Cube the vegetables in to big chunks ( I used potatoes, carrots, collacasia, Yam, Broad beans, Turnips, beans, white & yellow pumpkin, drumstick, eggplant - 4 ~ 5 pieces from each vegetable.)
Method 1

Heat oil in a pan & add mustard seed, let that splutter & then add remaining seasoning ingredients as listed.Add Onion & saute it for a 5 minutes, then add ginger garlic paste and saute it for a minute.Add chopped tomatoes & saute until it become soft. Then add kuzhambu milagai thool, Turmeric powder, Salt & saute it until oil separates.Add cubed vegetables & stir for 2 minute & add cooked legumes with the required water. Can used cooked legumes water with out wasting it.When mixture boils or when vegetables become soft add ground paste & low the heat and cook it for another 10 minutes.Adjust Salt to taste.
Method 2 ( Avoiding Onion & Garlic)
In a wide deep bottomed pan, add all cubed vegetables, Cooked legumes with kulambu milagai thool, Turmeric powder, Salt with required water.Cover with the lid & allow it to cook in medium heat.When mixture starts boils, add ground paste and let it cook in low heat for 10 minutes.When mixture thicken, turn off the heat.Heat Oil in a pan & add seasoning ingredients listed after mustard seed splutter and add it to curry.