Podalangai poricha kuzhambu

Hello everyone,

Podalangai poricha kuzhambu, podalangai/snake gourd is cooked with moong dal, coconut and other spices. This version of poricha kuzhambu is Tanjore style poricha kuzhambu. It is a healthy dish as it is a combination of vegetable(fiber) and dal(protein).

 

My MIL cooks few Tanjore style dishes as her mom is from Tanjore. She used to cook podalangai poricha kuzhambu and everyone in the family likes it. I learnt this recipe from her and I often make this. It tastes great with hot rice.

 

Ingredients:

Podalangai/Snake gourd - 1 long

Moong dal - 1/2 cup

Turmeric powder - 1/2 tsp

Water - 3 Cups

Jaggery - 1tsp

Salt - as per taste

 

To roast and grind:

Urad dal - 1 tbsp

Cumin seeds/Jeera - 1 tsp

Coriander seeds/Dhania - 1 tsp

Black pepper corns - 1tsp

Dried Red Chili - 2

Fresh grated coconut - 1/4 cup

Curry leaves - 4-5

Coconut oil/Ghee - 2 tsp

 

To temper:

Coconut oil/Ghee - 2tsp

Mustard seeds - 1tsp

Urad dal - 1tsp

Curry leaves - 2

 

Method:

1. Wash snake gourd and chop it to 1/2 inch pieces.
2. Cook the moong dal in a heavy bottomed vessel with water, turmeric powder, jaggery and little salt for dal.
3. Once the dal is half cooked add chopped snake gourd, salt and cook this on medium heat for 7-10 mins.
4. Meanwhile, heat coconut oil/ghee in a pan and roast all the ingredients under "To roast and grind" except coconut. Roast it until dal turns golden brown.
5. Now add coconut. Switch off the stove. Let it cool down and then grind it to smooth paste.  Keep it aside.
6. Once the snake gourd and dal is cooked, add the ground paste and mix well.
7. Allow it to boil for about 5 mins in low heat. Stir in between so that it doesn’t stick to the bottom.
8. Heat oil/ghee in a small pan, add mustard seeds. Once it splutters, add urad dal, curry leaves and hing. Add this to the boiling kuzhambu and switch off the heat.
9. Serve hot with rice.

 

Note:

1. You can cook the dal in pressure cooker for 2-3 whistles. Cook gourd in a vessel and then dal can be added to boiling gourd. This will minimize the cooking time.
2. Adding jaggery to this Kuzhambu is optional.