Vegetable Molagootal is a classic vegan side dish from Palakkad cuisine, made using mixed vegetables, toor dal, and a rich coconut paste. It's delicious served over cooked sona masoori rice along with puli inji and instant mango pickle.
Visit any Palakkad Iyer household over the weekend or during special occasions, and you’re bound to be served this wholesome curry with steaming hot rice. It’s such a simple, nourishing South Indian dish that feels comforting all at once just like Tomato Rasam with South Indian Potato fry.
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💛Why I Love Molagootal
For me, molagootal is pure comfort food. I grew up eating it at home, and even today it’s one of those dishes that instantly makes me feel grounded. I love how simple it is, yet so nourishing it is without any curry spices.
I always make in the pressure cooker or Instant Pot, and within 30 minutes we have a wholesome meal on the table.
Paired with hot sona masoori rice or steamed white basmati rice and a few traditional sides, it always feels like a taste of home.
This recipe is also very close to my heart – a true family favourite that I always turn to when I want something homely, wholesome, and comforting just like Archavittu Onion Sambar too.
👩🏻🍳Sandhya's Top Tips Palakkad Molagootal
- Choose the right vegetables – the combination of veggies is what makes molagootal special, so pick fresh and seasonal ones for the best flavour.
- Always use fresh or frozen coconut – desiccated coconut won’t give the same authentic taste. Frozen coconut is easily available in any Indian Grocery stores.
- Stick to fresh curry leaves(if you have plenty, make curry leaf infused oil) – avoid coriander or mint leaves in this dish. Always use Fresh Curry Leaves to make Authentic tasting molagootal
- Serve it hot – enjoy molagootal with steaming rice or traditional Kerala parathas for a comforting, authentic meal.
🥕🥔What Vegetables Work Best in Molagootal?
This mixed vegetable molagootal is really simple to make, but the flavour depends a lot on choosing the right vegetables. Some of the best ones for molagootal are white pumpkin, chayote, yellow pumpkin, carrots, yam, potato, green peas, and drumsticks.
🥥What Makes This Molagootal Special?
For me, it’s the tempering in coconut oil, what we call "porichu kottarthu" in Tamil. This garnish is always made with curry leaves, mustard seeds, urad dal (black gram dal), and dried red chillies. It adds such a beautiful aroma and flavour to the curry.
Common Mistakes to Avoid -Do not substituting with coriander leaves or other herbs – molagootal has its own authentic taste, and these little details are what make it so special.
🍽 What to Serve with Molagootal
Whether it’s Vegetable Molagootal or Keerai Molagootal, we usually serve over steaming rice and a variety of traditional Kerala side dishes to make the meal feel complete. We also serve these sides in the Onam Sadhya!
- Puli Inji
- Thenga Podi (spiced coconut powder)
- Lemon Pickle or Kerala Mango Pickle
- Air fryer Kerala Banana Chips
- Vendakkai Thayir Pachadi (Okra Pachadi)
🧂Storing Leftovers
- In the Fridge: Once cooled, store the molagootal in air tight container for a max of 3 days. Reheat thoroughly in the microwave or stove before serving.
- In the Freezer: Portion in individual serving containers and store for a a max of 3 months.
Recipe FAQs
Molagootal is a traditional Palakkad dish. It is a thick lentil and coconut-based vegetable stew made with toor dal, mixed veggies, and a spiced coconut paste.
Molagootal is a mild, thick vegetable stew made with lentils and a spiced coconut paste. Molagooshyam, on the other hand, doesn’t use coconut paste. It is seasoned with coconut oil, fresh curry leaves, and spices for a lighter, fragrant dish.
More Palakkad Cuisine Recipes
Ingredients
- 2 Cups Mixed Vegetables Carrots, Chayote, Peas, Potato - cut into cubes
- 6 2" Drumsticks pieces
- ½ Cup Toor dal Pigeon Peas
- 1 teaspoon Turmeric Powder
- Salt to taste
- 2 cup water
To Grind
- ¼ cup Coconut fresh or frozen grated
- 1 teaspoon Cumin Seeds
- 1 Dried Red Chilli Optional
Garnish/ Tempering
- 2 teaspoon Coconut Oil
- 1 teaspoon Mustard Seeds
- 1 teaspoon Split Ural Dal
- 1 Dried Red Chilli
- 12 Curry Leaves
Instructions
- In a Pressure Cooker Pan, add the cubed vegetables, drum sticks, dal, Turmeric Powder and enough water to cover. Close and pressure cook for 15 minutes. Allow the steam to release and set it aside.
- In the mean while, grind coconut, cumin seeds and red chilly with 2-3 teaspoon of water until you achieve a smooth paste. If required add a little more water while blending.
- Add the ground coconut mixture to the pressure cooked vegetable/ dal mixture in the pressure cooker. Allow them to boil and then simmer for 5 minutes. Add salt to taste.
- In a small frying pan, heat coconut oil and add mustard seeds, dal, red chilli. Once they begin to splutter, add curry leaves. Turn off the flame and add the seasoning to the pressure cooker Molagootal.
- Serve them hot with Steamed rice and sides( pick from a selection below in notes.)
Instant Pot Molagootal Instructions
- Add the washed dal, vegetables, turmeric, salt and water to the inner pot of the instant pot. Cover with lid and cook in pressure cooker mode for 6 minutes. Allow the pressure to release naturally.
- Open the instant pot and add the ground coconut mixure as step 2 above. Bring it toa boil on saute mode for 5 minutes.
- Prepare a tempering. Heat Coconut oil and add mustard seeds, dal, red chilli. Once they begin to splutter, add curry leaves. Add this to the instant pot molagootal. Serve hot.
Notes
Family & Palakkad Cooking Tips
- Use seasonal veggies – the right combination makes Molagootal truly special.
- Use fresh or thawed coconut – desiccated coconut won’t give the authentic flavour. If using frozen, let it sit a few minutes or defrost quickly in the microwave.
- Stick to curry leaves – skip coriander or mint; the authentic taste comes from curry leaves.
- Serve hot – enjoy with steaming rice or Kerala parathas for a comforting, authentic meal.
What to Serve with Molagootal
Whether it’s Vegetable Molagootal or Keerai Molagootal, we usually serve over steaming rice and a variety of traditional Kerala side dishes to make the meal feel complete. We also serve these sides in the Onam Sadhya!-
- Thenga Podi (spiced coconut powder)
Gayatri says
Ahhh, thank you for that, Sandhya. It was perfect. I've been looking for an IP recipe for molagootal. This made me absurdly happy 🙂
Sandhya Hariharan says
That makes me so happy too Gayatri. Instant Pot makes the easiest molagootal ever. I make Keerai one too - Keerai Molagootal in Instant Pot.
Navin says
What is the difference between kootu and mulaguttal ?
Kn says
This is classic pallakad molagootal. Kootu is made with mung dhal and kootu powder which can use fried urad dhal, black pepper etc in addition, and maybe a little sour tamarind in cooking the veg