SNAKE GOURD BESAN FRY

 

SNAKE GOURD BESAN FRY

The main ingredient for today's recipe is Snake Gourd.  In my childhood I remember many houses in Bengaluru had kitchen gardens. These invariably had vegetables growing in them including the long snake gourds.

Snake Gourd is called Poddale in my mother tongue, Konkani; Padavalkayi in Kannada, Pudalangai in Tamil, and Chichinda in Hindi.

The health benefits of snake gourd are well documented in many ancient texts as described in this article in Netmeds. 

If the seeds of the snake gourd are tender, you can use them to make Snake Gourd Seeds Dosa. 

Elsewhere in this blog you will find recipes using snake gourd such as:-

• Pudalangai Paruppu Usli
• Stuffed Snake Gourd 
• Podalangai (Snake Gourd) Kootu

Today's recipe is for an easy to make side dish made with snake gourd and besan (Bengal Gram Flour).  I have adapted this from the YouTube video Snake Gourd Besan Curry by Padhu's Kitchen.  

I tried this out recently and we enjoyed this dish for lunch with hot steamed rice and rasam. 

Ingredients:

• Snake Gourd, 300-350 gms
• Besan (Bengal gram flour), 1/2 cup
• Chilli Powder, 1 tsp or to taste
• Turmeric Powder, 1/2 tsp
• Salt, to taste

For Seasoning :-

• Mustard Seeds, 1 tsp
• Urad Dal, 1 tsp
• Dry Red Chillies, 2, broken into halves
• Asafoetida, (Hing), 1/8 tsp 
• Curry Leaves, a few
• Oil, 2 tbsp

Method:-

Wash the snake gourd and snip off both the ends

Lightly scrape the skin off the snake gourd and cut length wise

Remove the seeds and chop the snake gourd

Mix the besan along with chilli powder,  turmeric powder  and a little salt

Dry roast this in a kadhai on medium heat till the besan gives off a good aroma

Switch off the gas and transfer the roasted ingredients to a bowl and allow it to cool 

In a thick bottomed kadhai, heat 2 tbsp of oil and when it gets hot add the mustard seeds

When they splutter, add urad dal, broken red chillies, asafoetida and curry leaves and saute till the dal changes colour

To this add the chopped snake gourd and salt to taste, sprinkle a little water and cook covered until the snake gourd gets done. Ensure it does not get overcooked. 

Now add 1/3 cup of water to the roasted besan mixture

Mix well taking care that no lumps are formed 

Add this besan slurry to the cooked snake gourd and cook on high heat for a few seconds

Next, lower the heat and cook for about 10 minutes till the water evaporates and the dish becomes dry 

Switch off the gas and transfer the dish to a serving bowl

Serve Snake Gourd Besan Fry as a side dish to the main meal