Snake gourd is called as pudalangai in Tamil and chichinda in Hindi. It’s a very healthy vegetable but not a popular one.

Snake gourd is very high in water content and has a cooling effect on the body, hence it helps in handling the summer heat.

Snake gourd is low in calories, fat-free, and good to include in weight-loss diets.

Even diabetics can include safely to reduce weight by getting enough nutrition.

It is rich in fiber to keep your digestive system healthy, wards off constipation with ease.

Fresh leaves juice are strongly laxative in effect to treat children who are suffering from constipation.

Snake gourd is good in source of minerals and vitamin contents like calcium, iron, phosphorus and substantial amount of carotene, traces of riboflavin, thiamine and niacin.

Fresh leaves juice are useful in treating heart disorders like irregular heartbeat and heart pain.

Snake gourd leaves juice is very effective in treating dandruff and alopecia (- a hair fall problem that could lead to partial or complete baldness). The juice should be massaged into the scalp. This is an easy home remedy for dandruff.

Today, I have created a very different and an interesting recipe with this healthy and humble vegetable.

I wanted to make stuffed snake gourd. I decided to use chana dal as the basic ingredient for stuffing. As I started with the initial preparation, the recipe just fell in place. It was really fun making this recipe and when the result was as exactly as I had visualised it, I was so happy. I have no words to explain the joy I felt at that time 🙂

Ingredients

For the stuffing

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Chana dal ( bengal gram/ kadalai paruppu) – 1/2 cup

Red chillies – 2- 3

Aniseed ( saunf/ sombu) – 1/2 tsp

Hing – 2 pinches

Salt to taste

Oil – 2 tsps

Finely chopped onions – 1/4th cup

Snake gourd – 2 small sized

For the gravy

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Onion – 1

Tomatoes – 3 medium sized

Garlic – 4-5 cloves

Grated coconut – 2 tbsps

Red chilli powder – 1 tsp

Kashmiri red chilli powder- 1/2 tsp

Coriander powder – 2 tsps

Turmeric powder – 1/2 tsp

Yogurt – 11/2 cups

Salt to taste

Sugar – 1 tsp

Oil- 2 tsps

Mustard – 1 tsp

Cumin seeds ( jeera) – 1/2 tsp

Fenugreek seeds( methi/ vendhayam)- 1/2 tsp

Curry leaves – few

Chopped coriander leaves – 1 tbsp

Methods

For the stuffing

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Wash and soak chana dal for 1-2 hrs.

Drain completely. Add red chillies, aniseeds, hing and salt to taste. Grind this to a coarse paste.

Heat 2 tsps of oil in a pan. Add the finely chopped onions. Sauté till it turns pale and then add the ground paste. Mix well and cook till the dal is cooked ( when you touch the dal, it should not be sticky).

Wash the snake gourds well. Cut off the ends and discard. Cut the gourds into 3 inch sized pieces. Scoop out the seeds.

Fill each piece with the stuffing and pack it tightly.

Steam the gourds till it becomes soft.

Cool and cut into roundels.

For the gravy

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Peel, wash and chop onion and garlic cloves.

Wash and chop tomatoes.

Grind the chopped onion, garlic and tomatoes along with coconut to a smooth paste.

Sauté again for few mins and then add turmeric powder, red chilli powder, coriander powder, kashmiri red chilli powder, sugar and salt to taste. Mix well and cook till oil starts floating on top.

Beat the yogurt well( there should be no lumps at all) and add to the gravy. Mix well. When it starts simmering, add the stuffed snake gourds and let it cook on s medium flame for 10-12 mins.

 

Transfer to a serving dish, drizzle some beaten yogurt over it. Garnish with chopped coriander leaves and serve hot with roti or rice:)