Poricha Kootu(Snake gourd)

This poricha Kootu was a new item to me when my MIL introduced it to me after my marriage.At my parent's house they add minimal amount of coconut in all cooking. But it was the other way round at my inlaws place.My MIL told she is going to make this poricha kootu and I literally took out the meaning...as a Kootu which is porichatu(deep fried)!!!This is an authentic Brahmin style of cooking ..I was struggling to cope up with the new environment and the food habit but got used to it after few months..Now I can make poricha kootu very easily(though I don't take much of it).

 

I make it only during the festival time ( we don't use onions,garlic on any festival day).Sometimes I make it in gravy consistency and pack it for lunch to the kids...As this dish doesn't call for onions/garlic it is very apt to make when we want our work to be done soon.

 

Make it,Have it...Enzoieee

 

For the recipe Please press READ MORE..

 

INGREDIENTS:

1 Snake gourd/Podalangai(Chopped finely)
1/4 Cup of Thoor/Moong Dhal(Cooked and smashed)
Salt to taste

Roast and grind:
2 Nos of Red Chillies
1 Tsp of black peppercorns
1/2 Tsp of Cumin/Jeera seeds
3 Tsp of Urad Dhal
1/4 Cup of grated coconut(If u like more coconut u can add 1/2 a cup)

To Temper:
1 Tbsp of Coconut oil
1/4 Tsp of mustard seeds
1/8 Tsp of Hing/Asafoetida
2 strands of Curry leaves

 

PROCEDURE:

 

 

 

Slice the snakegourd /Vegetable into small pieces.

Cook it in a wide pan.

 Roast Chilli,Urad dhal,Pepper,Jeera in a kadai with 1 tsp of oil

 

 

Grind the roasted items with the coconut and make it into smooth paste

Add the paste to the cooked snakegourd and make it to boil for some time till the raw smell goes off.Add the required amount of salt.

 

 

To it add the boiled and smashed Dhal(Pressure cook the dhal with 1/4 tsp of turmeric powder).stir well and cook for few minutes

Then add tempered items to it.

If you want it to have for the rice make it in a gravy form.If u like to have it as a sidedish for rice make it to a thick gravy.

 

Handy tips:

 

• Instead of snakegourd we can make kootu out of vegetables like broad beans(Avaraikaai),Chow Chow,Zucchini,Beans or a mixture of 2 to 3 vegetables.
• Make it thick and serve as a side dish for the lunch.make it semigravy and have with hot rice.
• Moong dhal can also be used instead of thoor dhal
• Normal cooking oil can also be used instead of coconut oil
• I love the pepper taste so added pepper more than the chillies .If u like red chillies more then increase the number.