Peerkangai Kootu is an easy, wholesome South Indian Ridge Gourd Lentil Curry. A Tamil Brahmin Style Side dish for Chapati, Rice and Sambar or Kuzhambu.
Peerkangai is also known as Turai, Tori, Turiya in Gujarati and in Maharashtra it is popular by the name of Dodaka. Ridge Gourd is the English name.
This Kootu is a No Onion No Garlic Curry recipe. We make this once or twice a month and the best part is that this is a zero waste recipe.
However, if you prefer a Onion-Tomato Gravy version of this recipe, try the Turai ki Sabzi recipe. It pairs well with phulkas, parathas and chapati. A simple, low oil, everyday sabzi for the family.
The vegetable has a thick peel or skin. Think before you discard the peels for they make a delicious thogayal or chutney and is a house favourite. Try the Peerkangai Thol Thogayal if you haven't already!
If you plan to make the chutney or thogayal later, store the peels or skin in an airtight container in your refrigerator. It stays fresh for a couple of days.
While the rest of the peerkangai gets converted into a delicious Kootu, the thogayal is mixed with rice and drizzled with sesame oil or ghee and eaten.
Gourds are low in calories, healthy and have a high amount of water content. Mumbai City, for the large part of the year, is hot and humid and hence including gourd recipes like these are extremely beneficial.
How I made the Peerkangai Kootu
Kootu requires a vegetable + Lentil + coconut gravy. For this particular Kootu recipe, I have used Toor Dal or Thuvaram paruppu.
You can make this Kootu using - Masoor Dal or Red Lentils, Yellow Moong Dal or Pasi Paruppu and/or a combination of 2-3 lentils. I keep trying all these at home regularly since lentils are the best way to ensure protein intake for vegetarians.
The lentils are soaked and pressure cooked with turmeric powder.
The ridge gourd or peerkangai was cooked on stove top instead of pressure cooking. Gourds cook very fast especially ridge gourd so I avoid pressure cooking it which leads to overcooking and extremely mushy bits of the vegetable.
If you are running short of time, you can pressure cook the lentils and the ridge gourd together with turmeric powder.
The consistency of the Kootu depends upon your personal preference and with what you are serving it with. I prefer thick consistency only when I am serving it with chapati because then no side dish or dry sabzi is needed.
Step-wise Recipe for Peerkangai Kootu
Note - The exact measurements for this recipe are provided in the recipe card below, kindly scroll below.
Wash and Peel the ridge gourd or peerkangai. As mentioned above, please retain the skin / peels and make the chutney or thogayal which can be eaten with rice.
Soak the Toor Dal in water and chop the peerkangai into thick chunks.
Drain the water used for soaking lentils, add fresh water, turmeric powder and pressure cook the lentils until they are soft.
Once the lentils have cooked, mash it well.
While the lentils are pressure cooking, heat a pan and add the chopped peerkangai with a cup of water and salt to taste. Cook this for about 5 to 7 minutes.
In a mixer grinder jar, add grated coconut, whole red chillies (break it for easy grinding) and cumin seeds (jeera). Grind this into a fine consistency paste by adding 1/2 cup water.
Note - If using frozen coconut, use hot water for grinding.
Add the cooked lentils to the peerkangai. Mix well.
Then add the coconut gravy paste. Mix well and add salt, if required. Let it reach one single boil and then switch off the flame.
Heat a small tempering pan, add oil, urad dal, mustard seeds, curry leaves and whole red chillies. Once the mustard crackles, pour the tempering over the kootu. Mix well and serve as side dish with chapati or rice.
Recipe Notes
- This Kootu stays fresh in the refrigerator for couple of days. Leftovers should be immediately transferred into your refrigerator in an airtight container.
- You can reheat this in a microwave, if serving with Adai or Dosai the next morning.
- I have used Pandi Chillies or the spicy variety for this Kootu. You can use Kashmiri red chillies or byadgi chillies, if you like. They would add to the colour. Please adjust the quantity of red chillies according to your preference.
- The Recipe is Gluten Free and Vegan.
Other Kootu Recipes on the blog -
Vendhaya Keerai Kootu - Kootu with Methi or Fenugreek Leaves
Murungai Keerai Kootu - Drumstick Leaves (Moringa) Kootu
Pudalangai Kootu - Snake Gourd Kootu
Peerkangai Kootu (Ridge Gourd Lentil Curry)
Equipment
- Pressure Cooker
Ingredients
- 500 gms Peerkangai or Ridge Gourd (Turai) OR 3 cups (1 cup is 250 ml) of chopped peerkangai
- 1/2 cup Toor Dal (Thuvaram Paruppu or Arhar Dal)
- 2 cups Water Read Notes Below
- 1/4 tsp Turmeric Powder
- Salt to taste
Ingredients for Coconut Gravy
- 3/4 cup freshly Grated coconut
- 5 nos. Red Chillies Refer Notes below
- 1 tsp Cumin Seeds 1 tsp is 5 ml measurement
- 1/2 cup Water for grinding Use Hot water if using frozen coconut
Ingredients for Tempering
- 2 tsp Coconut Oil
- 1/2 tsp Mustard Seeds
- 1/2 tsp Urad Dal or Ulutham Paruppu
- 2-3 nos. Whole dry red chillies
- Few Curry Leaves
Instructions
- Wash and Peel the ridge gourd or peerkangai and chop the peerkangai into thick chunks. Note - Retain the skin or peels to make chutney later.
- Soak the Toor Dal in water for atleast 20 minutes.
- Drain the water used for soaking lentils, add 1 cup water, turmeric powder and pressure cook the lentils until they are soft.
- Once the lentils have cooked, mash it well and keep aside.
- While the lentils are pressure cooking, heat a pan and add the chopped peerkangai with 1 cup of water and salt to taste. Cook this for about 5 to 7 minutes.
- In a mixer grinder jar, add grated coconut, whole red chillies (break it for easy grinding) and cumin seeds (jeera). Grind this into a fine consistency paste by adding 1/2 cup water. Note - If using frozen coconut, use hot water for grinding.
- Now, add the cooked and mashed lentils to the peerkangai. Mix well.
- Then add the coconut gravy paste. Mix well and add salt, if required. Let it reach one single boil and then switch off the flame.
- Heat a small tempering pan, add oil, urad dal, mustard seeds, curry leaves and whole red chillies. Once the mustard crackles, pour the tempering over the kootu. Mix well and serve as side dish with chapati or rice.
Notes
- 2 cups Water used in the recipe - 1 cup is used to pressure cook the toor dal and 1 cup for cooking the peerkangai or ridge gourd. Water for soaking etc is separate and not considered here.
- This Kootu stays fresh in the refrigerator for couple of days. Leftovers should be immediately transferred into your refrigerator in an airtight container.
- You can reheat this in a microwave, if serving with Adai or Dosai the next morning.
- I have used Pandi Chillies or the spicy variety of red chillies for this Kootu. You can use Kashmiri red chillies or byadgi chillies, if you like. They would add to the colour. Please adjust the quantity of red chillies according to your preference.
- The Recipe is Gluten Free and Vegan.
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Vidya Narayan