Pudalangai Kootu(Snakegourd & Dhal Curry)

Pudalangai kootu, a vegetarian side dish and a specialty recipe from Tamilnadu often served with rice and sambhar/rasam. Kootu meaning vegetables cooked along with dhal in coocnut paste. This is one of my favourite side dish. Here's the recipe.


Ingredients

• 1/4 kg of Snake Gourd
• 3 tbsp Split Bengal Gram
• 1 tsp Mustard Seeds
• a pinch of turmeric powder
• Few Curry Leaves
• Salt to taste

To Grind

• 3 tbsp of grated Coconut
• 4 pods of Garlic  
• 1 tsp Cumin seeds
• 3 Green Chillies
• 1 sprig Curry leaves

Method

• Soak the chana dal/split bengal gram in water for 15 to 30 Min's.

• Wash the snake gourd and split open and remove the seeds and chop them into small pieces and keep.

• Cook the dhal by adding enough water and pinch of turmeric powder,when its 3/4th cooked remove from the flame.

• Heat oil in a wok/kadai, when hot add mustard seeds and allow it to splutter.

• Add curry leaves and fry for 3 seconds.

• Then add the chopped snake gourd pieces and dhal to it and cover and cook till its 3/4th done.

• Next add the ground paste and cook till  the raw smell goes off, between stir once and add salt to it and mix well.

• Serve with rice and sambhar/rasam.