"Pagila (Kantola/ Spine gourd) Koota (Sasam)" ... the food we eat can either be the safest and most powerful form of medicine or the slowest form of poison ... some are put off by the spiky texture so grate it off, while many us love it as it is ... it has anti- ageing properties as it is blessed with antioxidants ... it is believed that one should consume seasonal veggies and fruits to ward off seasonal flu and cold ... are'nt they enough reasons to add on this monsoon veggie into your diet ... here is a delicious side dish from Konkani Saraswat Cuisine that tastes awesome served with dal- chawal ... yummilicious ...
** Pagila Koota is a delicious side dish form Konkani Saraswat Cuisine that is served at many functions. Pagila ie kantola/ spine gourd is a monsoon veggie available almost all round the country ... do try it out if you have not, its a wonderful veggie that not only tastes great but is loaded with health benefits too ...
Koota is similar to sasam or tambuli. This is a dish that is not heated and is served by mixing in the fried veggie at the last minute with the masala ie. just before serving. This is so because the vegetable that is fried will go limp if mixed with the gravy masala before hand and will loose its crispiness/ crunchiness. This dish can be prepared with many other types of veggies that hold crispiness too. By and large the most used tuber variety is suran/yam but today I tried it out with pagila ie kantola / spine gourd and it tasted wonderful.
* Wash 20-25 medium sized Pagila/ Kantola/ Spine Gourd, clean off the dirt that sticks to the spikes too. Cut off the edges and cut them into small sized pieces.
** If using microwave method : Put the chopped pagila in a microwave glass dish, add 1 tblsp of oil, 1 tsp of salt and mix well. The oil should coat the pagila pieces well. Now put the dish in microwave and cook on high for 5 minutes. Mix well and further cook for 5 minutes and then 4 once again. Cook till the pagila pieces turn crisp. It takes about 15-18 minutes. The timings from one mw to another differs. Once crisp and done, keep this ready aside. I have prepared in MW.
** If using deep fried method : In case you want to following the deep fried traditional method. Just deep fry them in hot oil on medium heat till crisp, drain on absorbent paper and keep aside ready. Do not overcrowd the kadai with excess amount while deep frying in which case it will take more time to get done and will also soak in more oil. You can fry them in batches if the amount is more.
** Note : You can choose either of the methods for frying of the pagila. I prefer the MW method, as I prefer the non oily method and it is for the health conscious people. The taste does not differ much if taken care off and done in proper method while using the microwave. So go ahead, and enjoy the healthy method of microwaving.
** For Masala : Grind to a very fine paste 1 heaped cup of freshly grated coconut with 3 spicy red chillies, 3 kashmiri red chillies, 1 tsp of hing powder or 1 tblsp of hing water and a small marble sized tamarind. Grind with as little water as possible. When almost done add ½ tsp of mustard seeds and grind further for another 2-3 minutes.
** Remove and add the masala to the fried pagaila and mix well. Check salt and add if necessary as we have already added some to the pagila while frying. DO NOT HEAT this curry. This is similar to tambuli, sasam etc. Just mixed, tempered and served.
** For Tempering : Heat a small pan with 1 tsp of oil, when hot add ½ tsp of mustard seeds, when they splutter add in a few curry leaves, fry and pour it over the pagila mixture. Mix well. Add water if necessary to get a semi thick consistency.
** "Pagila Koota" is done and ready to be served. This dish is served as side dish along with Dal- Chawal and other dishes as accompaniment. Best served with Dalitoy and Rice or chapati. This dish tastes very good when served with roti / parathas too. But remember to serve it immediately once you mix it with the masala as otherwise the crispiness of the pagila is lost as it turns soft.
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