Poddale Kootu (Snake Gourd- Lentil-Coconut Curry).

"Poddale Kootu (Snake Gourd- Lentil-Coconut Curry)" ... A delicious lentil based curry from southern parts of India prepared with spiced coconut masala and seasoning ... goes well with rice or as an side dish with other dishes ... Have a blessed Shravana Masa/ festive month with your family ... Yummilicious ... 

** Kootu is a simple dish from southern parts of India prepared using veggies with cooked lentils and served as side dish along with rice or any other dishes as accompaniment. This dish tastes best served hot and today I prepared it using snake gourd as I had plenty of the same at home. Without running into much details let me introduce you straight away to this delicious dish that is very easy to prepare. 

** Here is my simple recipe for "Poddale Kootu (Snake Gourd- Lentil-Coconut Curry)" … 

** Ingredients : 

Poddale/ Snake Gourd : 3-4 cups 

Tuvar dal/ Tori Dali/ Yellow Pigeon Pea lentil :1/2 cup 

Turmeric/ Haldi Powder : pinch 

Oil/ Tel : 1 tsp 

Salt/ Namak/ Meeta to taste. 

** To be ground into a fine paste : 

Coconut/ Soyi/ Nariyal : ½ cup freshly grated. 

Cumin Seeds/ Jeera : 1 tsp 

Green Chillies/ Tarni Mirsanga/ Hari Mirchi : 3-4 

Tamarind/ Chinchama/ Imly : small marble sized. 

** For tempering/ Seasoning : 

Coconut oil or any oil/ Tel : 1 tsp 

Mustard seeds/ Sasam/ Rai : ½ tsp 

Urad dal/ Black gram dal : ¼ tsp 

Methi/ Fenugreek seeds : a pinch 

Curry leaves/ Karbevu/ Kadipatta : a few fresh ones. 

** Wash well and put the tuvar dal in a pressure cooker pan with enough water, say about a cup and cook to 3-4 whistles till soft and mushy. Let the pressure drop, open and mash the dal well with a potato masher or beater and keep it ready aside. 

** Scrap the outer skin of poddale/ snake gourd with blunt knife to remove the whitish skin slightly, cut it lengthwise, remove the inner seeds and keep it aside and then cut the snake gourd into ½ to 1 inch sized pieces and keep it aside ready. 

** Note : Do not discard the inner seeds if any or if they are in plenty. We Konkani Saraswats prepare a spicy dosa using it along with rice and serve it during lunch/ dinner time along with dal-chawal and it turns out delicious. Do use the search option for sanna polo and you will find the same posted before. 

** To be ground into a fine paste : Add in the finely grated coconut, cumin seeds, green chillies cut into pieces and tamarind into a mixer grinder and grind to a very fine paste with minimum water, do not add in more water. When done remove and keep it aside ready. 

** Heat 1 tsp of oil in a thick bottomed kadai, when hot add in the pinch of turmeric and then immediately add in the poddale pieces kept ready and mix well. Lower the heat and continue frying for a few seconds till the turmeric coats well, then sprinkle some water, cover and cook till 75-80% done. 

** Now add in the cooked- mashed dal and mix well and bring to a boil, then add in the ground masala and salt to taste, once again mix well, check consistency and add water only if necessary, keeping in mind that kootu is a thick gravy curry. Now cook on low heat it well done and you see bubble appearing. 

** For tempering/ Seasoning : Heat coconut oil or any oil of your choice, when hot add in urad dal and when it changes in color slightly add in the mustard seeds, when it splutters add in methi seeds and curry leaves and fry for a minute, remove and pour over the simmering curry, remove and keep the curry aside covered for 30 minutes for the flavors to seep in. 

** “Poddale Kootu (Snake Gourd- Lentil-Coconut Curry)" is done and ready to be served. This is a simple but tasty dish served as side dish along with other dishes with chawal as it tastes best with rice. Do try out this simple but healthy dish and enjoy with your family and friends. 

** I had prepared this for meal on the first day of shravana masa as we do not eat onion or garlic nor Non-Veg on that day. The thali meal with this dish included will be followed up on blog soon for those who always love to have a menu to prepare dishes in combinations.