Simple, wholesome, Vegan South Indian Curry or Kootu Recipe using Snake gourd or Pudalangai, lentils in a coconut gravy. Healthy and Wholesome Vegetarian Side Dish.
Pudalangai kootu or Snake Gourd Kootu is a South Indian lentil curry or vegetable stew made with snake gourd, lentils and coconut. Delicious vegetarian side served with sambar, rasam and rice.
Pudalangai Kootu recipe that I share today is No Onion No Garlic Tamil Brahmin style of preparation. It combines cooked snake gourd, lentils, coconut gravy and finished with a tempering of mustard seeds and curry leaves.
We cook Kootu 1-2 times in a week. It is wholesome, one pot (veggie plus lentils) and can be served with chapati or rice.
Kootu can be made with vegetables like Cabbage, Kohlrabi, Banana Stem, Banana Flower and leafy vegetables like Methi, Drumstick Leaves (moringa).
South Indian Pudalangai Kootu is Gluten-free, Vegan, Vegetarian, nut-free and soy-free.
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Ingredients
Pudalangai (Snake Gourd, Padwal or padval) - I have added some carrot. We love the combination at home and why complain about adding more veggies, right?
Lentils (Paruppu) - Pasi Paruppu or Yellow Moong Dal is what I have used for Kootu. We also make kootu with split pigeon peas or toor dal. Moong Dal is easier to digest, light on stomach.
Coconut Gravy forms the base of the kootu comprising of fresh grated coconut, cumin seeds and whole red chilies. It is ground to a paste and added to the cooked lentils and pudalangai.
Tempering - I use coconut oil for tempering. Mustard seeds, urad dal, curry leaves and red chilies is tempered in hot oil and poured over the Kootu. In South Indian homes, tempering is more of a signal which means lunch will be served in 5-10 mins.
Come Summers and I love cooking with Gourds in my kitchen. The rich water content in Gourds make it ideal to consume on hot summer days.
How to make Pudalangai Kootu Recipe
Rinse Pudalangai, cut both ends. Hold pudalangai firmly on a chopping board and run the knife lengthwise from top to bottom.
Using knife or spoon, scoop out the soft flesh and seeds from each side of the pudalangai. Finely chop and add to a bowl together with half cup of chopped carrots.
Pressure cook vegetables with turmeric powder for 1 whistle. Let the pressure release naturally before opening. You can also steam the vegetable in a steamer pot.
Measure and add moong dal or pasi paruppu to a bowl. Rinse lentils 2-3 times until water runs clear. Soak for 15 mins and pressure cook the dal for 2-3 whistles until soft and mushy. (Refer pic on the left below)
Meanwhile, in a chutney jar, add grated coconut, cumin seeds and whole dry red chilies. Grind to a smooth paste using about 1/4 cup water. Keep aside.
Mash the cooked lentils with a whisk.
Heat a pan, add the cooked vegetables and lentils. Add salt to taste and let it cook for 1-2 mins.
Add some water, coconut gravy and mix well. Taste check and add salt, if required. At this stage, feel free to adjust consistency by adding more water.
When Kootu starts simmering, switch off heat and prepare for tempering. Do not boil Kootu.
Heat a small tempering pan, add oil, mustard seeds, urad dal, dry red chilies broken into 2-3 pieces and curry leaves. Curry leaves will splutter (refer to the pic). Pour tempering over the kootu. Cover and let it rest for 1-2 mins. Mix and serve.
Serving Suggestion
The consistency of Kootu is thick. However, it can be easily altered depending on what it is served with. For Rice, we prefer thin consistency (add extra water) and for roti or chapati, the consistency is thick.
Serve Pudalangai Kootu with Brown Rice, Cooked Millets, Basmati Rice and Quinoa.
Roti, Phulka, Plain Paratha and / or Dosa can be served with Kootu.
Traditional method of serving Kootu in a South Indian home is as a side to Sambar-Rice or Rasam-Rice.
Shelf Life | Storage | Re-heating
Shelf life of Pudalangai Kootu is 24 - 48 hours. Since the dish contains fresh coconut, it is best to consume it quickly.
Ensure Kootu is at room temperature and not "hot" before transferring the container from kitchen counter to refrigerator.
Heat leftovers (portion-wise) in a microwave and/or stove-top.
More South Indian Kootu recipes to try
Peerkangai Kootu (Ridge Gourd / Turai)
Vendhaya Keerai Kootu (Methi, Fenugreek)
Murungai Keerai Kootu (Drumstick Leaves, Moringa)
Noolkol Kootu (Kohrabi)
Vazhaithandu Kootu (Banana Stem)
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Pudalangai Kootu Recipe | Snake Gourd Kootu
Equipment
- Pressure Cooker
Ingredients
- 200 gms Pudalangai (Snake Gourd)
- ½ cup Chopped Carrots
- ½ cup Pasi Paruppu or Yellow Moong Dal
- ½ teaspoon Turmeric Powder
- Water
- Salt to taste
Coconut Gravy Ingredients
- ½ cup Freshly grated coconut
- 1 teaspoon Jeera or cumin seeds
- 3-4 Whole Red chillies
- Water about 1/4 to 1/2 cup for grinding
Ingredients for Tempering
- ½ tablespoon Coconut Oil
- 1/2 teaspoon Mustard Seeds
- 1/2 teaspoon Urad Dal
- 3-4 Whole Dry Red Chillies
- Curry Leaves as required
Instructions
- Rinse and soak paasi paruppu or yellow moong dal for 15 minutes. Pressure cook dal for 2-3 whistles until soft and mushy.
- Rinse Pudalangai, cut both ends. Hold pudalangai firmly on a chopping board and run the knife lengthwise from top to bottom.
- Using knife or spoon, scoop out the soft flesh and seeds from each side of the pudalangai. Finely chop and keep aside.
- Pressure cook pudalangai and 1/2 cup chopped carrot with turmeric powder for 1 whistle. Let the pressure release naturally before opening. You can also steam the vegetables in a steamer pot.
- Meanwhile, in a chutney jar, add 1/2 cup grated coconut, cumin seeds and whole dry red chilies. Grind to a smooth paste using about 1/2 cup water. Keep aside.
- Mash the cooked lentils with a whisk. Heat a pan, add the cooked vegetables and lentils. Add salt to taste and let it cook for 1-2 mins.
- Add some water, coconut gravy and mix well. Taste check and add salt, if required. At this stage, feel free to adjust consistency by adding more water.
- When Kootu starts simmering, switch off heat and prepare for tempering. Do not boil Kootu.
- Heat a small tempering pan, add oil, mustard seeds, urad dal, dry red chilies broken into 2-3 pieces and curry leaves. Curry leaves will splutter.
- Pour tempering over the kootu. Cover and let it rest for 1-2 mins. Mix and serve.
Notes
- Shelf life of Pudalangai Kootu is 24 - 48 hours. Since the dish contains fresh coconut, it is best to consume it quickly.
- Ensure Kootu is at room temperature and not "hot" before transferring the container from kitchen counter to refrigerator.
- Heat leftovers (portion-wise) in a microwave and/or stove-top.
- South Indian Pudalangai Kootu is Gluten-free, Vegan, Vegetarian, nut-free and soy-free.
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We will be back again with yet another exciting recipe .. Until then, stay healthy and happy!
Vidya Narayan
Why should we cook dal and vegetables separately? Can we cook together?
Hi Aparna,
As you can see from the pictures in the post, I have pressure cooked them separately because Pudalangai doesn't need a lot of water to cook and if I add them with the soaked lentils and water, it will become very mushy. I avoid overcooking vegetables and follow this method. Hope this helps.
Thank you