Another frequently cooked dish in Palakkad Iyer homes is the “Kootu”, which is served as one of the side dishes to the main meal. This dish has its origins in Tamilnadu as it is not traditionally cooked in Kerala. A “kootu” is made with one vegetable (sometimes two), Bengal gram lentils and a spice-coconut paste. This preparation does not have a gravy as such, yet cannot be defined as “dry” because the spice-coconut paste coats the vegetables and lentils resulting in a moist and semi-solid consistency.
This kootu is made with podavalangai which is known as “snake gourd” in English, probably because of its appearance and length. This is vegetable which is very commonly grown and cooked in Kerala.
It is important to use the vegetable in its tender stage, as once it is mature, podavalangai (snake gourd) tends to develop string-like fibres in it making it difficult to chew and tasteless.
The surface of a tender podavalangai/ snake gourd will spring back when depressed slightly. In fact, local vegetable vendors in Kerala would bend the vegetable and break it into two with a “pop” sound (most of them refuse to do this nowadays) to show you how fresh their produce was. Naturally, once broken and having proved that the vegetable was fresh, you would have to buy it if you wanted to come back to that shop/ market again!
Podavalangai Kootu - Snake Gourd With Lentils and Coconut
Ingredients
- 3 cups snake gourd , chopped into small pieces
- 4 tbsps Bengal gram lentils (chana dal)
- 1/4 tsp turmeric powder
- 1/2 cup coconut freshly grated
- 1 1/2 tsps cumin seeds
- 1 to 2 chillies dried red (depending on the how spicy the are)
- to taste salt
- 1 sprig curry leaves
- 1 1/2 tsps coconut oil (you may use sunflower)
- 1 1/2 tsps mustard seeds
- 1 1/2 tsps black gram lentils (urad dal)
- 1 red chilli dried (optional)
Instructions
- Soak the Bengal gram lentils (chana dal) in a little water for 1/2 an hour. Cook the snake gourd pieces and lentils together (till both are done), along with turmeric powder and salt. The lentils should be cooked well but firm and not mushy.
- I do the cooking in the microwave at 100% for 8 to 10 minutes.
- Now grind the coconut, cumin seeds and red chillies to a somewhat thick and smooth paste adding a little water.
- If you have microwaved them, put the cooked vegetable and lentils, turmeric powder, salt, and about 1/4 cup of water in a pan. Otherwise continue using the pan in which you cooked the vegetable (it should have about 1/4 cup of liquid in it). Bring to a boil and turn down the heat to medium.
- Add the coconut paste and curry leaves, and allow to the mixture to cook for about 2 to 3 minutes till everything comes together and the coconut paste thickly coats the vegetable. The preparation should be semi-solid and very moist. Take the pan off the heat and ladle out the "kootu" into a serving dish.
- Heat the oil for tempering in a small pan, and add the mustard seeds. When the splutter, add the black gram lentils and stir till the turn light golden brown. Add the chili (if using), stir once, and pour this into the serving dish.
- Stir before serving. Serve warm with rice and Sambhar or Rasam.
I'm Aparna and My Diverse Kitchen is my ovo-lacto vegetarian food blog where you'll find recipes, food stories & photography. I've been blogging since 2007 and believe the kitchen, and the dining table (by extension) is really the heart of a home. 
Looks delicious, Aparna! Haven’t had snake gourd in a long time now.
Looks good…. nice colour!
A really nice and simple recipe for weekdays–and a good way to get husbands to eat snake gourd!
Delicious kootu..looks really yummy and creamy Aparna:)
I make kootu this way too. Can just feel the taste in your recipe.Nice colour too.
A loves this and I hate it ( any surprises, I hate all healthy stuff!)We never ate it at home coz myPati left it in Kashi or something. Gave it up mostly. Smart woman 😛 I use that as an excuse and don’t cook it now also! Also – that gelato – you have me there, Aparna! So pretty they look!
This is one vegetable that I dint cook after marriage…hmm..looks yummy
I love this combination. Goes well with rasam and rice.
First time I ever see this dish, that sounds so good.
Wow thats a simple recipe to try and impress on my husband that snakegourd can be tasty too.
Kootu looks delicious! never made this before, sounds yum yum
I have this vegetable..will sure give it a try!!
Hi Aparna,I love this kootu and make it all the time. In fact, this is the only way I will eat this vegetable. There is simpler steamed curry version…but nope…with a little effort this is yummy.
very authentic and a tradtional recipe.nice picture
looks yum yum…
this is my favourite kind of kootu…sometimes i buy podavalangai for avial but end up making kootu out of it 😀
interesting recipe! I didn t know what snake gourd is now I know 🙂 Looks delicious
Lovely… we make kootu and rasam plus yelai paruppu… no sambar when there is kootu 🙂
looks too good, very authentic, nice click, love snake gourd, daddy is not very happy of me not cooking this.., he connects it with paamb (snake)!!, mom’s house they stopped cooking this!, I won’t go to kashi because i can’t leave any vegetable because i like them all!!
Never tasted this…..sounds delish….and looks yum…
I like the sound of lentils and coconut, but I’ve never had snake gourd before. I wonder if I can get that here in Ohio.
mmmmm kootu, rasam & vdaam (i guess its real name is vadakam, right?) with white rice, topped with a humungous dollop of ghee.. ye dil mange more 🙂 Loved the koottu pic with the kariveppilai leaf flower.
this is probably my fave veg to make koottu with!
Looks yummy Aparna, This is our favourite and i make this often.
That looks really good! A dish I’d love to taste…Cheers,Rosa
I must say I didn’t think this vegetable preparation would draw so many comments. Thank you. :)Saee, if he doesn’t this certainly is a good way to get him to. :)N, there are plenty of things I don’t like either!Your patti was smart. My husband’s Athai has done the same!Maybe I should do a Kashi trip, a bit early in life though. :)I know Malini. I prefer this one, though.Thanks, Snooky Doodle.Raaga, for us kootu works with almost everything. Especially on the sadya elai. Oh dear, Jayasri. That’s a bit of a situation you’re in.Ben, if you have Indian friends, just find out where they shop.