Ghooto – slow cooked lentils and winter veggies

Ghooto is one of the most simple and soul satisfying dish you will ever make!! 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 first and only time I have had Ghooto was at an organic food festival, we had attended in Rajkot a couple of years ago. The dish I am told, originates from Jodiya block of Jamnagar district. It is believed to be a staple amongst the agrarian Patel community. 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 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.

The recent trip to Ahmedabad had a list of foods to be cooked for the blog and Ghooto was on the top of the list yet, it took me  time to plan and cook it as quite a few the dishes were lined and then there were some leftovers and traveling that had to be accommodated in the schedule. Also, I had to make sure all my guinea pigs were around to taste and critique the dish. To keep things simple and organized I went and bought  vegetables and bhajis/greens in limited quantities specially for the dish, cleaned,  washed and roughly chopped them as the dals soaked. 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. By no means cook this dish in a pressure cooker,  let it cook slowly in an open pan. Believe me at the end it all going to be worth it !!