PULI KODDEL : CURRY OF ASH GOURD IN COCONUT MASALA

PULI KODDEL : CURRY OF ASH GOURD IN COCONUT MASALA

Since we are from the old South Kanara district of Karnataka, ( now called Dakshina Kannada) you will find many Konkani dishes in this blog. Today's recipe is of a dish called "Puli Koddel" which is made of ash gourd. The highlight of this dish is that it is sweet, sour, and spicy at the same time. 

This is a Konkani delicacy which my Mom used to make very often. Fortunately we liked ash gourd ( called Petha in Hindi, Poosinikai in Tamil, and Kumbalkai in Kannada) which is one of the main ingredients. We call it Kuvale in Konkani.

We make this dish for festive occasions as it does not have onions or garlic in the ingredients. It is a side dish which accompanies the main meal.

Ingredients:

• Ash Gourd, 300-350 gms
• Turmeric Powder, 1/4 tsp
• Coconut Gratings, 1/4 cup tightly packed 
• Byadgi Red Chillies, 7-8
• Coriander Seeds, 1 tbsp
• Methi Seeds, 1/4 tsp
• Urad dal, (Black gram dal), 2 tsp
• Channa dal, (Bengal gram dal), 2 tsp
• Raw Rice, 1 tsp
• Jaggery, grated, 3 tbsp
• Tamarind, marble -sized ball
• Til (Sesame seeds), 1 tbsp
• Hing, (Asafoetida), a large pinch
• Salt, to taste

 For tempering:

• Mustard Seeds, 1/2 tsp
• Curry Leaves, 1 sprig
• Coconut Oil, 1 tbsp

Method:

Wash, peel and cut the ash gourd into bite-sized pieces
In a vessel, cook the ash gourd pieces in adequate water along with the turmeric powder till it becomes tender, but not mushy and keep aside

Dry roast the sesame seeds and keep aside
In a kadai, heat a little oil and roast the red chillies, coriander seeds, methi seeds, urad dal, channa dal, hing, and rice separately till they are golden. Keep aside to cool.

Now roast the coconut gratings till they turn golden
Grind together all the roasted ingredients along with tamarind to a coarse paste using a little water
Add the ground paste to the cooked ash gourd along with grated jaggery and salt to taste

Adjust the consistency by adding a little water, if required, mix well and bring the gravy to a boil
Lower the flame and let it simmer for a few minutes, and then switch off the gas
Finally, season with mustard seeds and curry leaves in coconut oil

Serve as an accompaniment to the main meal