Padavalanga Koottu (Pudalangai Milaku Kootal)

Padavalanga Koottu ( Pudalangai Milaku Kootal)

Recipe from Dakshin by Chandra Padmanabhan. Kootu is delicious main vegetable curry in Tamil Cuisine. Best with rice.

Serves: 6

Preparation time: 20 minutes

Cooking time: 20 minutes

Ingredients

½ cup tur dal (Indian standard measuring cup of 100 ml / 4 oz capacity)

1 medium sized snake gourd (padavilanga / pudalankai) 91/2 kg),gently peel off the outer skin and chopped fine

½ teaspoon turmeric powder

For the spice paste:

2 teaspoon oil

2 – 3 tablespoon black gram dal

4 dried red chillies

5 tablespoon (60 g) grated coconut

3 -4 teaspoon cumin seeds (jeera)

1 teaspoon uncooked rice

Method

For dal:

Wash and soak dal in 1 cup (200 ml) water for half an hour and pressure cook for 15 minutes or until done and soft (reduce the heat from high after 2 nd whistle and cook on a medium heat for 10 minutes. Allow the cooker to cool naturally).

For the spice paste:

Heat oil in a pan on medium heat and fry urad dal and dried red chillies until crisp and color changes. Transfer these ingredients into a small mixer bowl and grind to a fine paste with grated coconut, cumin seeds, uncooked rice, adding a little water. Keep aside.

Cook chopped snake gourd in 1 cup water with salt and turmeric powder in a covered pan.

When vegetable (padavalanga / snake gourd) is tender, add the cooked dal and 1/2 teaspoon thick tamarind paste or 1 tablespoon tamarind juice (optional - but tamarind will enhance the taste). Simmer for a few minutes, till well blended.

Mix in the coconut paste (no need to add extra water, koottu is thick in consistency), adjust salt to taste and cook for a couple of minutes on low heat. Switch off the heat.

For seasoning:

2 teaspoon oil

1 teaspoon mustard seeds

1 dried red chilli, halved

4 curry leaves

Method

Heat oil in a small pan (tadka pan). Add mustard seeds. When they crackle, add halved red chilli and curry leaves. Stir for 2 minutes until fragrant and crisp. Pour this seasoning over kootu. Serve with rice.

Tip – For other interesting variations are cabbage, kohlrabi or amaranth leaves (keerai).