SNAKE GOURD (PADAVALAKAYI) KOOTU

 

SNAKE GOURD KOOTU

There are many types of Kootu. Sihi Kootu, Khaarada Kootu (Menasina Kootu), Jeerige Kootu, Huli Kootu, Sasive Kootu are a few that I am aware of. Tamarind is not used for the preparation except for Huli Kootu and Jeerige Kootu which are usually prepared during weddings in Bangalore and Mysore.

I am sharing the recipe for Menasina Kootu below. Pepper and Black gram dhal give special taste and flavour for this dish. We can prepare Kootu with a single choice of vegetable or mixed vegetables. Combination of one leafy vegetable such as dill or mountain spinach (chakkottina soppu) along with hyacinth beans (avarekaayi) tastes superb. Some of the vegetables used for Kootu are potato, pumpkin, knol khol, chow chow (seemebadane kaayi), snake gourd, sweet potato, beans, carrot and peas.

Captured below is the method of preparing snake gourd Kootu.

INGREDIENTS

Snake gourd:   4 numbers (small variety) cut into 1 inch pieces. Do not cut then very small. They will become mushy when they are cooked. If the seeds are tender, wash them well to remove the fleshy covering and use them also.

DICED SNAKE GOURD AND IT'S SEEDS

Tuvar dhal: 1 tea cup (250 grams) heaped

Roast and grind

Coriander seed: 1 fist-full or 2 table spoons

Black gram dhal: 1 fist-full or 2 table spoons

Black Pepper: 1 tea spoon (you can add more if you want the dish to be more spicy)

Byadagi chillies: 4 numbers

Dry coconut: 2 fist-full

MASALA NEEDED

For tempering

Oil (of your choice): 2 table spoons

Mustard seeds: ½ tea spoon

Ground nut: 2 fist-full

Curry leaves: 2 sprigs

Asafoetida: a little pinch

Method

Take 1 heaped cup full of tuvar dhal in a pressure cooker and wash well. Add 2.5 cups of water, 1 tea spoon full of oil and ½ teaspoon of turmeric and close the lid and keep it on high flame. Place the cooker weight as soon as steam gushes out. When the cooker whistles, lower the flame immediately and cook for exactly 5 minutes and switch off the stove. Open the lid of the cooker when the pressure has completely released. With this approach, you can be ensured that the dhal will be cooked in an optimal manner. Transfer the cooked dhal to a vessel where you will store the final dish. By using this method we can cook dhal very fast.

COOKED DHAL

Place the chopped snake gourd pieces in the same cooker used for cooking dhal. Add 1 cup of water, a teaspoon full of salt and stir well. Close the cooker lid and keep the cooker on high flame. When steam gushes out from the vent, cover it with a cup or tumbler. Steam cook for 5 minutes and then place the weight on the vent. Subsequently, turn off the heat and allow the cooker to cool. In this method, the cooked vegetables will not become mushy.

Roast coriander seeds, black gram dhall, pepper and byadagi chillies in a kadai after adding ½ teaspoon full of oil with a low flame till the above ingredients become aromatic. Finally add dry coconut and fry for few minutes. Allow to cool and grind them to a coarse powder.

GROUND MASALA

Add cooked dhal to the cooked vegetable in the cooker and mix well. Add ground masala powder, 2 additional tea spoons full of salt along with required amount of water based on consistency of your choice and cook for five minutes under medium flame. Keep on stirring often to ensure that the Kootu does not stick to the bottom of cooker and get burnt.

Check for the taste of salt. If required, add more water and boil.

Heat oil in a pan to prepare the seasoning. Add mustard seeds, asafoetida and ground nut. Fry ground nut till it becomes light brown in colour. Add curry leaves and the final seasoning to the Kootu. Mix the seasoning just before serving so that ground nut will be crunchy.

Snake gourd Kootu is ready! We can cook in 30 minutes!