Pudalangai / Snake Gourd Kootu

PUDALANGAI KOOTU is a South Indian classic. Its prepared in all households and during weddings. Well the variation in preparation is huge. Everyone has there own way in preparing it. Its easy and quick to prepare with very few ingredients. I use pressure cooker alot in cooker. Its easier and faster that way. But you can also cook this in any heavy bottom vessel.

Serves 3

You Will Need:

2 Snake Gourd / Pudalangai, Little Finely Chopped

1/4 cup of Kadalai Paruppu / Channa Dal

2 tsp of Paasi Paruppu / Mung Dal

1/2 tsp of Turmeric Powder

Salt to Taste 

To Grind:

1/4th cup of Coconut

Couple of Shallots, Chopped

2 - 3 Green Chilies

1/2 tsp of Rice Flour

Tsp of Cumin Seeds

1/2 tsp of Fennel Seeds

For Tempering:

Tbsp of Oil (Gingelly / Coconut Oil)

1/2 tsp of Mustard Seeds

1/4 tsp of Urad Dal

1/2 tsp of Hing

Few Curry Leaves

2 Dried Red Chilies, Broken

The Cooking:

In a pressure cooker, place the kadalai paruppu, paasi paruppu and chopped pudalangai. Add little water just enough to soak the dals. Add salt and turmeric powder. Pressure cook it (2 or 3 sounds) till the gourd is tender but not mushy.

Meanwhile grind all the ingredients and keep aside. 

Open the lid after the pressure is fully released. Add the ground paste and mix well. Again pressure cook it for one sound and take off heat. Open after the pressure is fully released. 

For tempering, heat a kadai on high and add oil. Once hot crackle mustard seeds, urad dal, hing, curry leaves and dried red chilies. Pour this into the kootu and mix well. 

Serve hot with rice or roti! 

IMPORTANT POINTERS:

• Add little water when cooking the gourd, maybe about 1/2 to 3/4 th of a cup will do. Just enough to soak the dal and not the gourd. 
• If you have added too much of water when cooking the gourd, simply remove the excess water and you can use this water when preparing rasam and dals. 

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Happy Cooking!