Pudalangai Poriyal - Snake Gourd Curry

http://nilasworld.blogspot.com/2006/06/pudalangai-poriyal-snake-gourd-curry_26.html

My liking for this vegetable grew considerably after coming here. Not sure why, perhaps we don't see these often in stores so it could be the rare stuff thing. They started showing up only for the past couple of months near our place. You can make yummy dishes with 'em like pudalangai-thayir kulambu/ yogurt curry, sambar and so on. It is still a relatively costly vegetable in our stores, but sure tastes good.

[ washed, peeled, unpeeled snake gourds ]

[ Seeds scooped out and sliced thin ]

Ingredients:

Snake gourd/ Pudalangai - 2 sliced thin
Mustard Seeds - 1 tsp
Urid Dal - 1 tsp
Red Chillies - 5
Sambar Powder - 1 tsp [optional]
Onion (medium size) - 1 chopped
Curry leaves few
Oil - 1 tblspn
Salt to taste
Shredded coconut - 1 tblspn [optional]

Directions:

1. Wash gourd and peel/scrape the outer skin with a knife. Cut lengthwise to scoop out seeds [they are not edible] and slice it thin as shown above.
2. Heat oil in a pan and put mustard seeds and let it crackle. Add urid dal, curry leaves, red chilles, onion in the same order and saute it till it turns light golden brown in color.
3. Add sliced gourd pieces, salt, sambar powder and mix everything; close the pan with a lid and let it cook in low-medium heat. You might want to add some shredded coconut.
   
4. It is a good side dish for rice or any kind of bread.

Note: When I cook it with slow heat I don't add water. When you mix it with salt, gourd pieces yields enough water to cook it.
Here is Indiandoc's another nice version of snake gourd recipe, she listed out the medicinal uses too. Another good reason to love this vegetable.