Snake Gourd Kootu

Snake Gourd Kootu

1. Poricha kootu:
Snake Gourd Kooto:

Poricha kootu is usually prepared with the Pudalangai (snake gourd). We rarely get this vegetable in the place where I live. So whenever I find this vegetable in the market I buy it to make Poricha kootu.

Ingredients:

* 500g Pudalangai (snake gourd)
* 50g moog dal (pasi paruppu)
* 1 cup grated coconut
* ¼ tsp hing (asafoetida)
* 1tsp black pepper powder
* 1 tsp jeera (cumin seeds)
* 1-2 red chilies (dried)
* Salt to taste
* 2 tsp rice flour (for thickening)

For tempering:

* 2-3 tsp oil
* ½ tsp rai (mustard seeds)
* 2tsp udar dal
* 1 sprig curry leave

Method:
Wash and cut the Pudalangai (snake gourd) vertically and slice it.
Cook moog dal and keep it aside. In a copper bottom vessel or in a non stick vessel cook pudalangai with salt and hing.Add enough water to cook the vegetable. Now grind the grated coconut, jeera, and red chillies with little water. Transfer this ground masala paste into the cooked dal. Pour this mixture into the boiling vegetable. Add 1 tsp black pepper powder to the boiling kootu. Stir it now and then. Make thin paste of rice flour with little water and pour it into the boiling kootu. Let it boil for one more minute, and then remove it from the flame. Temper it with rai, udar dal and curry leaves. Now the Poricha kootu is ready.

If you cannot grind the masala just heat the oil in a kadai and add rai, udar dal, jeera, red chillies. When the rai splutters add grated coconut and curry leaves. Sauté it for one minute. Then temper it into the kootu.