Monday 1 April 2013

Pudalangai Thengai Paal Kootu | Pudalangai Kootu Using coconut milk | Snake Gourd Coconut Milk Side-Dish | Podalangai Kootu

Pudalangai / Snake gourd is one of my favorite veggies and I love any dish specially side-dishes made with it. One among-st my favorite side dish is this Thengai paal kootu, where the snake gourd pieces are deliciously cooked in coconut milk. It can be accompanied with rasam, parupu or any gravy and rice. It tastes so creamy, has a light sweetness from the coconut milk, and a very good flavor. The cumin seeds added imparts a nice flavor to the recipe and makes it even more good. I always love adding coconut milk to most of my recipes as they give a very appetizing look and a super tasting and rich and creamy dish. You can check out my other recipes using coconut milk here. Few of my favorite recipes using coconut milk are; are Chicken coconut milk curry, Minced Lamb CurryPotato Masala, Nutty tomato coconut milk jam, Coconut Rice. These are few of my signature recipes and are a hit here at home so give these a try and let me know how much you loved it. 




INGREDIENTS

Serves 2 people as sides 
Total Preparation Time - 15 to 20 minutes 
  1. Podalangai / Snake gourd - 1 small (weighed 130 grams)
  2. Shallots / Pearl onions - 5 (peeled and chopped)
  3. Coconut milk - 2.5 cups (1.5 cups thin milk, 1 cup thick milk; refer tip 1)
  4. Curry leaves - Few 
  5. Cumin seeds - ½ spoon
  6. Mustard seeds - ½ spoon
  7. Green chillies - 1 small (slit into two)
  8. Salt - As required
  9. Oil - 2 spoons


PREPARATION METHOD

  • Wash the snake gourd well in water and pat dry it. Then chop it into 2 halves (if it is too long  then cut into 4 halves)
  • Then slit the chopped pieces and remove the soft center seed part using the knife or your hands and discard it. It is so soft and can be easily scraped out. Now chop into smaller pieces and set aside.

  
  • Now place a pan of flame and pour oil into it. After it heats up, splutter mustard seeds then add cumin seeds, curry leaves and onions. Saute for a minute on low flame or until the onions turn translucent.
  • Then add the chopped snake gourd pieces and saute for a minute.
  • Now pour thin coconut milk, add salt, stir well and cook on low flame until the water content reduces. After the water content has reduced check if the snake gourd pieces have got cooked. If not pour some more water and let it cook. (Before adding thick coconut milk see that the pieces are cooked to soft). 
  • Now pour the thick coconut milk, check for salt and set the flame to medium mode. 
  • Remove from flame when the milk content reduces and the dish seems creamy. 
  • Serve!!



TIP 1: To extract thick and thin coconut milk do the following; Using a knife take (or scrap coconut) coconut pieces from half shell of a medium sized coconut and chop into smaller pieces (or grate/shred them) now grind using a mixer or blender without adding water. Once it has got coarsely ground, add 1/2 cup of water and grind again until it becomes a fine paste. Now pour another 1/2 cup of water (or warm water) and extract the milk from it use a strainer or a white cloth and extract the milk. For thinner milk pour another cup of water (or warm water) to the remaining pulp and mix well extract thin milk from this mixture using a strainer or a cloth. Set aside. You can use warm water or normal water to extract coconut milk. But while using warm water you will get more of it.Measure these and use for the recipe above. 

TIP 2: You can use coconut oil to enhance the aroma and flavor of the kootu. 





Delicious and creamy Podalangai / Snake gourd kootu is now ready!! Serve with rice!! Goes well with either with rasam rice or rice with chicken/mutton/prawn curry..


36 comments:

  1. Healthy and tasty version. I will use just milk

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  2. Yummy kootu
    http://www.followfoodiee.com/

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  3. Delicious looking dish! Bookmarked to try :)

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  4. almost forgotten dis..thanx 4 remembering..btw cutu luks so nice..

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  5. We don't have any Padavalanga dish with coconut milk Divya.
    So also the mustard tempering.
    This sounds easy and delicious. Must try.

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  6. Unique recipe,creamy and delicious.

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  7. Just mouthwatering...looks yummy & delicious!

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  8. Very flavourful and inviting kootu,love with a bowl of rice and pickle.

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  9. Yummy and simple kootu, delicious...

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  10. Never tried kootu by adding coconut milk.Nice kootu.

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  11. This is what I call comfort food..Love the addition of coconut milk

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  12. Delicious and easy kootu!! Drooling over here!!
    http://www.rita-bose-cooking.com/

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  13. Delicious and tasty kootu

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  14. lovely...pass me some with hot steaming rice pls...:-)

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  15. Very comforting food for Summer, loved this kootu.

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  16. Looks yum-yum!!
    Pearl onions, indeed: My granny always asks us to use pearl onions instead of the regular onion to get the ultimate experience :-).
    Love the recipe, I'm sure it is light on the tummy because of the soothing coconut milk! I would have them any day with paruppu kulambu!!

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  17. Very healthy and tasty version...

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  18. this looks like a comfort food divya....loved the recipe.

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  19. Delicious kootu,mom makes this...yummy!!!

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  20. Love the way you have so delicately cut the vegetable..loves the dish..new for me

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  21. i dont use coconut milk in this recipe da.. but it looks nice :)

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  22. Comfort food...Looks so yum...

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  23. Delicious Kootu Divya, adding coconut milk is very nice idea

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  24. looks yammy !!never heard of snake gourd before...
    nice Divya!
    Kelthum
    http://suncuisine.blogspot.com/2013/04/chicken-yam-and-potato-tajinestew.html

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  25. Yummy!
    http://kitchenista-welcometomykitchen.blogspot.com

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  26. Lovely kootu sis and I love coconut in them, you have made it perfect, love those colorful bowls I have something similar very handy they are right?

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