அறுசுவையான உணவில் கூட்டு என அழைக்கப்படும் காய்கறிகளும் பருப்பும் சேர்ந்து சமைக்கப்படும் உணவு பதார்த்தர்த்திற்கு சிறப்பான இடமுண்டு. இது மிகவும் கெட்டியாகவும் இல்லாமல், குழம்பு போல தண்ணீராகவும் இல்லாமல் இடைப்பட்ட பதத்தில் சமைக்கப்படும் பண்டமாகும். சாப்பிடப்பழகும் குழந்தைகள் முதல் ஜீரணமாக கஷ்டப்படும் வயதானோர் வரை எந்த வயதிலுள்ளோரும் சாப்பிடக்கூடிய அருமையான பதார்த்தமாகும்.

Koottu (Tamil:கூட்டு), often transcribed "kootu", is a lentil and vegetable stew in South Indian, particularly Tamil and Kerala cuisines. The etymology for koottu derives from the Tamil word "koottu" which means "add" or "mixture/medley" i.e. vegetable added with lentils form the dish, which is semi-solid in consistency. The dish is noted for its nutty and complex flavors and textures, likely owing to the liberal addition of lentils and coconuts. It is typically less watery than sambhar, but more so than dry stir-fries. Virundhu Sappadu comes with a combination of boiled rice, sambar, rasam, curd, poriyal, koottu, appalam, pickles and banana. All koottus by default have some vegetables and lentils, but many variations of koottu exist:

• Poricha Koottu: A koottu made with urad dhal and pepper is called poricha koottu. Fried urad dhal, pepper, few red chilies, some cumin and fresh coconut are ground together. Moong dhal and the cut vegetables are cooked separately. Then, the ground paste, cooked vegetables and moong dhal are mixed and heated. Vegetables such as beans and snake gourd are common ingredients in this koottu.
• Araichivita Koottu: A koottu which has a powdered masala in it; the word araichivita in Tamil literally translates to "the one which has been ground and poured." The ground paste is a mixture of fried urid dhal, cumin seeds and coconut.
• Araichivita sambar: The chopped vegetables and toor dhal are cooked separately. Then, the ground paste, cooked vegetable and dhal are heated together. Then add the ground paste of coconut, Bengal gram, coriander, red chilies, a few pepper corns, a piece of cinnamon (optionally) - all roasted and ground. Season with mustard seeds and fenugreek seeds. Add the vegetables, including shallots, saute and then add water. Add tamarind extract, and then the ground paste and boiled dal. Served with rice.