Ghooto or Ghuto – Seasonal Mixed Vegetables & Lentil Curry

Ghuto or Ghooto – An Authentic Kathiyawari Food – A simple slow cooked mixture of lentils and all the winter vegetables, Ghooto is enjoyed with some crumbled millet rotla/flat bread it is a meal in a bowl. The recipes are like this best to prepare for the crowd. Below is the video instructions for making this delicious, yummy, lip smacking recipe! I love to prepare this kind of recipes when I would like to invite my family friends. Feels very cozy, comfort food as it is easy to prepare. Simple and not at all daunting. Yes it is a task to chop the veggies hence, make it a family affair get everyone involved. It is so much fun. I prefer to cook in my electric cooker pot to retain all the aroma, flavor and more but it is recommended to cook in an open pot with slow cook method. Believe me at the end it all going to be worth it !!

Its being long time, I wanted to write about this amazing, delicious and very healthy recipe I learned during my last trip to India. Just after seeing all fresh and green vegetables, this is one recipe now  click in my mind to prepare for dinner, specially for mini get together.

Ghooto derives its name from the process of ghootvu/to continuously mash the lentils and veggies against the pan with a ladle as they cook on a very slow flame and  is designed to be cooked in big batch and shared with family and neighbors.

Simply put the lentils of your choice and most winter veggies except bitter gourd and methi/fenugreek leaves go in a pot and cook for a good hour or more. The best part is there are no hard and fast rules of the quantity and combination of vegetables and lentils. Use as much or as little of vegetables you prefer.  There is no tempering required and the flavors come from green garlic, green chillies, ginger and the rest. In fact, in a different part of Kathiawar, People actually make ghuto with their own choice of vegetables. one can add or remove their own choice of veggies, depending on availability and test.

Ghuto or Ghooto

Prep Time15 minutes
Cook Time20 minutes
Total Time35 minutes
Course: Main Course
Cuisine: Indian
Keyword: ghooto or gutto gujarati cuisine recipe
Author: Bhavna

Ingredients

  • Following greens can be used since I have easy access to spinach(palak) and fenugreek leaves, I add them but feel free to add/omit
  • Fenugreek leaves 1 cup
  • Dill leaves 1 cup
  • Raddish leaves 1 cup
  • Spinach 1 cup
  • Amaranth leaves 1 cup
  • Green Pigeon Peas tuver 3/4 cup
  • Green Chick Peas chana 3/4 cup if available or replace with other beans/peas
  • Flat beans seeds val papdi 3/4 cup
  • Green Garlic 50 gms
  • Brinjal 2 medium
  • Sponge gourd 2 aka dudhi or use zucchini instead
  • Potato 1 big
  • Tomatoes 3
  • Ginger 1 inch
  • Green Chillies 2
  • Salt
  • Lemon juice 1 tsp

Instructions

  • First wash and chop all the leafy vegetables.
    Remove seeds of broad beans,pigeon peas and chickpeas.
    Wash and soak the lentils for an hour.
    For two cups of lentils you will need 5-6 cups of vegetables and greens.
    Wash the greens well roughly chop them.
    Dice all the vegetables.
    Put a large pan/saucepan on the gas stove. I use my electric pressure cooker(watch video)
    Add all the dals and vegetables.
    Add 8 cups of water.
    Add salt and cook till all the dals are cooked and the vegetables have broken down to a smooth past.
    If during the cook you require to add water, add a cup full of hot water.
    This quantity takes around 2 hours to reach the consistency of a thick dal.
    I have not tempered the mix but it you desire go ahead and temper with some groundnut oil, mustard and cumin seeds.
    Serve piping hot Ghooto poured over crumbled bajri rotla (Millet rotla), jaggery, garlic chutney….

Notes

Please follow the video for crowd recipe.