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August 27, 2018

Raw Papaya Pickle (Instant) – Green Papaya Sweet and Sour Pickle Recipe

Raw papaya pickle
Raw papaya / Green Papaya / unripe papaya is a healthy miracle fruit that is rich in vitamins, enzymes and phytonutrients. I have tasted ripen papaya very few times in my life even though I know its health benefits like it is good for eyes, helps in weight loss etc. Somehow I don’t like its smell and taste. But recently when my neighbor gave me a big raw papaya, I had no clue of what to make with it or how to consume it. So I asked my instagram friends and readers to suggest me some raw papaya recipes. Among the recommendations, I tried raw papaya kootu, Gujarati Sambharo, and this instant raw papaya pickle.  I tried this sweet and sour green papaya pickle recipe from Tarla Dalal' ji’s website by making some small changes in the method of cooking. It came out finger licking good. Basically I love pickles with sweet and tangy taste.  As raw papaya has a natural sweet taste, this pickle suited me very well. Friends do try this instant raw papaya pickle, you will love it for sure. It tastes good for rice, roti and paratha. Lets see how to make instant raw papaya pickle with step by step pictures.
Green papaya pickle

Raw Papaya Pickle - Instant Green Papaya pickle recipe


Raw Papaya Pickle - Instant Green Papaya pickle recipe

Sweet and sour raw papaya pickle for rice, roti and paratha.



Cuisine: North Indian
Category: Pickle recipes
Serves: 1 cup
Prep time: 10 Minutes
Cook time: 20 Minutes
Total time: 30 Minutes



INGREDIENTS

1 cup - 250ml
  • Chopped raw papaya / green papaya - 1 cup
  • Turmeric powder / haldi - 1/2 tsp
  • Kashmiri red chilli powder - 2 tsp
  • Tamarind/ imli - Big gooseberry size
  • Salt - as needed
  • Powdered Jaggery - 2 to 3 tbsp (adjust based on your taste)
  • Vinegar or lemon juice - 1 tsp (optional)
To Temper and saute
  • Cooking oil - 2 tbsp
  • Mustard seeds (Rai / Sarson ) - 1 tsp
  • Fenugreek seeds (Methi) - 1/4 tsp
  • Asafetida / Hing - 1/4 tsp
  • Curry leaves (Kadi patta) - 5 nos
  • Chopped garlic (Lehsun) - 2 tbsp
  • Chopped Ginger( adrak) - 2 tbsp

HOW TO MAKE RAW PAPAYA PICKLE

  1. Wash and peel the skin or raw papaya. Remove the seeds and scrape the thread parts.
  2. Chop the green papaya into small cubes. Soak tamarind in water and take 1/2 cup extract.
  3. Heat oil in a kadai. Splutter mustard seeds, methi seeds, hing and curry leaves.
  4. Saute garlic, ginger for a minute. Add papaya pieces. Mix well.
  5. Add salt, turmeric powder, tamarind extract, red chilli powder and jaggery.
  6. Boil till thick in medium flame. Switch off the flame. Add lemon juice or vinegar.
  7. Cool down and store in a box. Tastes sweet and sour. Enjoy with rice, roti and paratha !

RAW PAPAYA PICKLE RECIPE - STEP BY STEP PICTURES

  • Wash and peel the skin of raw papaya. Remove the seeds and scrape the thread like portions in the middle of raw papaya else it will taste bitter. Chop the green papaya into small cubes and set aside. Soak tamarind in 1/2 cup warm water for 15 minutes. Take the extract and set aside.
  • raw papaya pickle
  • Heat oil in a kadai, splutter mustard seeds, fenugreek seeds, hing and curry leaves. Add chopped garlic and ginger. Saute for a minute.
  • raw papaya pickle
  • Now add the chopped raw papaya and saute for a minute. Add 1/2 cup of tamarind extract, turmeric powder, red chilli powder, jaggery, salt and hing. Add little more water if needed. 
  • raw papaya pickle
  • Let it boil till pickle becomes semi thick, papaya becomes soft and cooked.  Check for taste and add more chilli powder or salt if needed. Do not over cook or mash the papaya.
  • raw papaya pickle
  • Cool down the pickle and transfer it to a jar or glass bottle. Store in a refrigerator up to one week. It tastes both sweet and spicy. It goes well with dal rice, curd rice, roti and paratha.
          
  • Enjoy !

Note

  • Adjust the quantity of chilli powder and jaggery as per your taste.
  • You can also use 1/4 tsp of roasted fenugreek seeds powder instead of fenugreek seeds.
  • For variations, you can saute the chilli powder in oil before adding raw papaya.

Try this yummy raw papaya pickle. You will like it for sure !
Papaya pickle recipe


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August 25, 2018

Kondakadalai Sundal Recipe–Black Channa Sundal–South Indian Chana Sundal

Black chana sundal

In Tamilnadu, people make Sakkarai pongal and kondakadalai sundal for Varalakshmi pooja, Ganesh Chaturthi, Tamil new year and Navarathri festival. We make this sundal with white chana or brown chana. My MIL usually says it is auspicious to make black chana sundal( i.e Kala chana in Hindi, Black chickpeas sundal in English, Karuppu Konda kadalai sundal in Tamil) during festival days. Yesterday I prepared Sakkarai pongal and brown chana sundal for Varalakshmi vratham prasadam. Usually I make sundal in a simple way by grinding coconut, chilli and cumin seeds. I don’t ad any masala powder or fennel seeds if making for God. Some people also make this sundal by adding sundal podi. I will try post that version later during Navratri. Today lets see an easy method of making brown kondakadalai sundal recipe with step by step pictures.

Check out my other sundal recipes

konda kadalai sundal


Kondakadalai sundal - Black chana sundal recipe


Kondakadalai sundal - Black chana sundal recipe

South Indian style kondakadalai sundal recipe for festivals.



Cuisine: South Indian
Category: Sundal Recipes
Serves: Serves 4
Prep time: 10 hours
Cook time: 20 Minutes
Total time: 10H10H30 Minutes



INGREDIENTS

1 cup = 250ml
  • Brown chana / Kondakadalai / chickpeas - 1 cup
  • Water - as needed
  • Cooking soda / baking soda - a pinch (optional)
To Grind
  • Grated coconut - 1/3 cup
  • Green chilli - 1 no
  • Cumin seeds /Jeera - 1/4 tsp
To Temper
  • Coconut oil - 1 tbsp
  • Mustard seeds - 1/2 tsp
  • Curry leaves - Few
  • Asafetida / Hing - 2 pinches
  • >Red chilli – 1 no

HOW TO MAKE KONDAKADALAI SUNDAL RECIPE

  1. Wash and soak black chana / kondakadalai overnight or for 6 hours.
  2. In a pressure cooker, cook the channa till soft adding required water and a pinch of soda.
  3. Drain the excess water and set aside.
  4. Grind coconut, chilli and cumin seeds without water. Set aside.
  5. In a kadai, heat oil. Temper mustard seeds, red chilli, curry leaves and hing.
  6. Add the cooked brown chana and salt. Mix well.
  7. Add the ground coconut and saute for few minutes.
  8. Switch off the flame. You can add some lemon juice if you like.
  9. Serve hot and enjoy !

KONDAKADALAI SUNDAL - STEP BY STEP PICTURES

  • Wash and soak black chana / kondakadalai in enough water for 6 hours to overnight. You can a pinch of cooking soda while soaking for when pressure cooking the chickpeas.


  • After soaking drain the water, take the chickpeas in pressure cooker. Add required water and pressure cook in very low flame for 2 whistles. Remove the chickpeas and drain the cooked water.


  • Grind coconut, green chilli and cumin seeds to a coarse paste without adding water. Set aside.
  • kondakadalai sundal

  • Heat oil in a kadai. Temper mustard seeds, curry leaves, red chilli and hing. Add cooked chana, ground coconut mixture and required salt. Mix well and cook for few minutes in medium flame.
    • kondakadalai sundal  
    kondakadalai sundal
  • Switch off the flame. Add few drops of lemon juice if you like. Serve hot or warm.

Enjoy !      

Note

  • You can add baking soda to cook the chickpeas really soft. You can skip if you don’t want to use it.
  • For variations, you can saute 2 red chilli or green chilli and add the grated coconut at the end. This is a No grind version.
  • If you want masala flavor, you can grind fennel seeds instead of cumin seeds.
  • You can also add a pinch of garam masala powder for more masala flavor.
  • You can also add onion if you are not offering to God.
Try this easy, healthy black chana sundal and enjoy !

Chana sundal


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August 21, 2018

Garelu Recipe – Crispy Minapa Garelu Recipe - Vada Recipe in Mixie

Garelu


Medu vada / urad dal vada i.e Minapa garelu in Telugu is a popular breakfast and teatime snack recipe all over India. As Varalakshmi viratham is fast approaching, I thought of sharing this Andhra style garelu which is a must to do recipe for Varalakshmi pooja prasad/ neivedyam. My neighbors from Andhra taught me how to make this easy, perfectly crispy minapa vada batter in mixie. I also referred my mixie vada recipe and Mrudula’s cookbook Youtube video for more tips and tricks to make crispy, spongy vada just like hotel ones. Basically urad dal vada is prepared by adding onions  But if we are making for festival and pooja, we should prepare vada without onion. In that case, you can make plain vada or with pepper.

In Andhra, people make it plain without any toppings for Varalakshmi pooja. So I have shared the same in pictures. I have also shared an easy method for shaping vada for beginners. Please refer the video for more details.  As we are grinding the vada batter in mixie, there are certain points to remember to make it perfect. I have listed the tips and tricks below. Please go through the points before you start with this recipe. For grinding more quantity, grind the batter using grinder. Mixie works for small quantity. Ok, Lets see how to make medu vada in mixie with step by step pictures and video.

Check out my Vada recipe using grinder, Pepper vada, Cabbage vada, Mixed vegetable vada and Anjaneyar kovil vadai.


TIPS TO MAKE PERFECT, CRISPY MEDU VADA IN MIXIE

1.Refrigerate the dal while soaking. Soak for 3 to 4 hours.
2.Use ice cold water(dal soaked water) for grinding.
3.Do not add salt while grinding dal.
4.Beat the batter after adding rice flour.
5.Batter should be fluffy and smooth.
6.Refrigerate the batter till use.
7.Add salt and toppings (onion, pepper) only before frying vada.
8.Always grease your hands in water for shaping vada.


minapa garelu recipe

Minapa Garelu Recipe - Crispy Medu Vada Batter in Mixie


Minapa Garelu Recipe - Crispy Medu Vada Batter  in Mixie

Learn how to make Andhra style minapa garelu recipe / Urad dal vada with step by step pictures.



Cuisine: Andhra
Category: Snacks
Serves: 15 nos
Prep time: 180 Minutes
Cook time: 5 Minutes
Total time: 185 Minutes



INGREDIENTS

1 cup - 250ml
  • White round urad dal - 1 cup
  • Ice water - as needed ( I used around 1/3 cup + 1 tbsp)
  • Green chilli - 1
  • Ginger - 1/2 inch piece
  • Rice flour - 1 to 1.5 tsp (Completely optional)
To add in vada batter
  • Big onion - 1 (finely chopped)
  • Curry leaves - Few (-do-)
  • Coriander leaves - 2 tbsp (-do-)
  • Cumin seeds / Jeera - 1/2 tsp
  • Pepper corns - 1/2 tsp (optional)
  • Hing / Asafetida - 1/4 tsp
  • Salt - as needed
  • Cooking oil - to deep fry vada

HOW TO MAKE GARELU

  1. Wash and soak urad dal in required water for 4 hours in refrigerator.
  2. Grind to a coarse paste adding green chilli, ginger, soaked urad dal without adding water.
  3. Wipe the sides. Add 1/4 cup ice water. Grind to smooth paste.
  4. Add more water gradually to make a fine, smooth paste.
  5. Transfer the vada batter to a vessel. Add rice flour if needed and beat the batter well for 5 minutes.
  6. Then add the toppings like onion and other ingredients. Add salt, hing. Mix well and shape vada.
  7. Heat oil and deep fry vada by cooking both sides. Remove and serve hot with coconut chutney  as side dish !

GARELU RECIPE - STEP BY STEP PICTURES

  • Wash and soak urad dal in required water in refrigerator for 4 hours. If not 4 hours, keep the dal inside the refrigerator atleast for an hour. You can also soak the dal without refrigeration and use ice water only for grinding. Ice water helps to prevent mixie jar getting heated.

  •                         
  • In a big mixer jar, take the soaked urad dal by draining all the water completely. Reserve the soaked ice water in a bowl. Add ginger and green chilli. DO NOT ADD SALT. Grind to a coarse paste without adding water. Wipe the sides of jar and grind it well.
  •        
garelu recipe
                     
  • Add 1/4 cup of ice water and grind to paste. Wipe the sides and mix well. Add little more water in few tbsp and grind to a smooth buttery paste without any grits. Do not add more water while grinding. Its the most important point to make perfect vada batter.
  • garelu recipe
                            
  • Vada batter should be thick. It should form a stiff peak when you drop the batter. It is the right consistency. Transfer the batter to a vessel.
  • garelu recipe
                            
  • Add rice flour if necessary and beat the batter for 5 minutes using a whisk. DO NOT USE YOUR HANDS FOR BEATING THE BATTER. Batter may become watery due to the heat of your hands. Vada batter become fluffy and light.
  • garelu recipe
                            
  • Take some water in a bowl. Add a small piece of  Vada batter and check if it floats on top of water. If the batter settles down, you should grind it more or beat more.
  • Add some water to the mixie jar. Grind to wash the jar. Transfer the washed water to a small bowl and use it for greasing your hands while shaping vada.
garelu recipe
  • After beating the batter,  add salt, hing, cumin seeds, Pepper corns (optional) and prepare vada if making for pooja. If you are making for breakfast or snack, add  finely chopped onion, curry leaves, coriander leaves, cumin seeds and pepper corns (optional). Add required salt and hing. Mix well and set aside.
  • Heat oil to deep fry. Drop a pinch of batter to check the heat of oil. To shape vada, take a dosa flipper and grease it with water. Grease your hands with water and take some batter. Keep it on the dosa flipper. Make a hole in the center. Invert the ladle and drop the vada in hot oil. Shake the dosa flipper slightly for the vada to drop in oil Or dip the ladle slightly in oil so that vada releases to the oil as soon as it starts to cook.
  • For method 2 to shape vada : Grease hands with water and take a small portion of batter. Make a hole the center and shape the vada, Drop in hot oil to deep fry.
garelu recipe
  • Flip and cook both sides in medium flame till bubbles cease. Remove the vada and serve.
  • You can enjoy this crispy, hot vada with coconut chutney, sambar or make curd vada and enjoy !
  • garelu recipe

    Enjoy !

Note

  • Do not add salt while grinding the batter.
  • Beat the batter till fluffy after adding rice flour.
  • Deep fry in medium flame for even cooking.
  • Please check the beginning of this post for more tips and tricks.
Try this medu vada recipe easily in mixie and enjoy the festival !
Crispy garelu recipe

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August 17, 2018

Cabbage Peas Biryani Recipe – Cabbage Rice Recipe

Cabbage biryani recipe

Cabbage peas biryani (Muttaikose pattani biryani in Tamil ) is an interesting biryani recipe that many of us never thought of making it. In my family, both Sendhil and Raksha are not a big fan of cabbage just because of its smell. So I always look for some flavorful recipes like cabbage kurma, cabbage vada, cabbage sambar where the smell of cabbage should not be dominant.

This Indian cabbage peas biryani is one such recipe. Its a very simple recipe that can be prepared in a pressure cooker directly. I tried it for our Sunday lunch. It came out so well. Everyone liked and had it without any complaints. The best part is you cannot even find a trace of cabbage’s raw smell in this biryani. Working women and bachelors can make this cabbage rice for your lunch box easily. Lets see how to make South Indian cabbage biryani recipe with step by step pictures.

Check out my Purple cabbage poriyal, Purple cabbage salad, Cabbage stir fry, Cabbage kootu recipes too.

Cabbage biryani recipe

Cabbage Peas Biryani Recipe - Cabbage Rice Recipe


Cabbage Peas Biryani Recipe - Cabbage Rice Recipe

How to make cabbage peas biryani recipe for lunch box.


Cuisine: South Indian
Category: Biryani Recipes
Serves: 3
Prep time: 10 Minutes
Cook time: 20 Minutes
Total time: 30 Minutes


INGREDIENTS

1 cup - 250ml
  • Chopped or grated Cabbage – 1 cup
  • Basmati rice – 1 cup
  • Water – 1.75 cups
  • Big onion – 1 (Sliced thinly)
  • Green chilli- 1 to 2 nos (adjust)
  • Ginger garlic paste – 1/2 tsp
  • Mint + coriander leaves – fistful
  • Turmeric powder - 1/4 tsp
  • Red chilli powder – 1/2 tsp
  • Garam masala powder – 1/2 tsp
  • Salt- as needed
  • Curd – 2 tbsp
  • Lemon juice – Few drops (optional)
To Saute in oil
  • Cooking oil + ghee - 2 tbsp + 1 tbsp
  • Cinnamon - 1 inch piece
  • Cloves - 2 nos.
  • Cardamom - 1
  • Star anise - 1
  • Bay leaf - 1
  • Black stone flower / Kalpaasi - 2 nos

HOW TO MAKE CABBAGE PEAS BIRYANI

  1. Wash and soak basmati rice. Wash and chop cabbage, onion and set aside.
  2. In a pressure cooker base, heat oil , ghee. Saute the biryani masala spices.
  3. Add sliced onion, gg paste and green chilli. Saute till onion becomes transparent.
  4. Add chopped cabbage , green peas and saute till it shrinks. Then add spice powders and salt.
  5. Saute for a minute. Add mint + coriander leaves. Mix well. Add soaked rice, water, curd.
  6. Mix well and pressure cook in low flame for one whistle.
  7. Fluff the rice gently with a fork without breaking the rice.
  8. Serve cabbage peas biryani with onion raita !

METHOD - STEP BY STEP PICTURES


  • Wash and soak 1 cup of basmati rice in 1.75 cups of water for 15 to 30 minutes . Wash and chop cabbage into thin slices. Chop onion, green chilli and set aside.
    Cabbage biryani recipe
  • Heat oil + ghee in a pressure cooker base. ( I used a kadai and transferred to a pressure cooker later). Splutter cinnamon, cloves, cardamom, bay leaf, star anise and black stone flower. Add onion, green chilli and ginger garlic paste. Saute till onion becomes transparent and raw smell of ginger garlic emanates.
    Cabbage biryani recipe
  • Add cabbage, frozen green peas and saute till it shrinks. Add red chilli powder, turmeric powder and garam masala powder. Add mint + coriander leaves and saute for a minute. Add curd and mix well.
    Cabbage biryani recipe Cabbage biryani recipe
  • Add soaked rice, water, salt and lemon juice (optional). Mix well and pressure cook in low flame for one whistle. Open the cooker after the steam is released. Mix gently with a fork without breaking the rice. Serve hot with onion raita !
  • Cabbage biryani recipe Cabbage biryani recipe
  • Enjoy ! 
Note
  • Adjust the quantity of spice powders as you like.
  • You can add 1 chopped tomato instead of lemon juice but color of biryani changes slightly.
  • You can also use jeera rice / seeraga samba rice instead of basmati rice.

Try this easy, yummy cabbage peas biryani and share your feedback with me !
Cabbage peas biryani

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August 13, 2018

Vendakkai Poriyal With Tomato – Lady’s Finger Curry Recipe

Vendakkai poriyal with tomato


Vendakkai poriyal with tomato( Lady’s finger curry) is an easy, yummy side dish for rice. Generally South Indians make vendakkai poriyal  in two ways. One in a simple way by sautéing onion, green chilli and thinly sliced lady’s finger cooked to become crispy & soft. Optionally it can be garnished with coconut. Second version of vendakkai poriyal is without coconut. It can be prepared adding onion, tomato and masala powders. As I had already discussed Lady’s finger poriyal with coconut, I thought of sharing this vendakkai poriyal recipe with tomato. Its a dry curry recipe that can be served as side dish for rice. We enjoyed it as a side dish for sambar rice. If you like to eat dry curry, you can have this poriyal as a side dish for roti as well. It tastes great with mild tangy and spicy taste. Friends, do try this version of vendakkai poriyal with tomato, onion and share your feedback with me. Lets see how to make Tamilnadu style vendakkai poriyal with step by step pictures.

Vendakkai Poriyal Recipe With Tomato


Vendakkai Poriyal RecipeWith Tomato

Vendakkai poriyal with tomato for rice and roti !


Cuisine: South Indian
Category: Poriyal recipes
Serves: Serves 3
Prep time: 10 Minutes
Cook time: 20 Minutes
Total time: 30 Minutes


INGREDIENTS

1 cup - 250ml
  • Vendakkai / Lady's finger - 20 nos
  • Big onion - 1 no (Big)
  • Ripe tomato - 2 nos (Big)
  • Sambar powder or red chilli powder + dhania powder - 1 tsp each
  • Turmeric powder - 1/4 tsp
  • Sugar - a pinch
  • Salt - as needed
  • Water - Few tbsp
To Temper
  • Cooking oil - 2 to 3 tbsp
  • Mustard seeds - 1/2 tsp
  • Urad dal - 1 tsp
  • Chana dal - 1 tsp
  • Cumin seeds - 1/2 tsp
  • Curry leaves - Few

HOW TO MAKE VENDAKKAI PORIYAL WITH TOMATO

  1. Wash and chop vendakkai / lady’s finger into small pieces.
  2. In a kadai, heat oil and temper all the ingredients given under “To temper”.
  3. Add onion and saute till transparent. Add tomato pieces and saute till mushy.
  4. Add turmeric powder, sugar, salt, sambar powder and mix well.Add vendakkai and saute well. 
  5. Sprinkle little water. Cover the kadai with a lid and cook in low flame for few minutes.
  6. Toss it whenever needed. After the lady’s finger is cooked soft, switch off the flame.
  7. Garnish with coriander leaves. Serve with rice and roti !

VENDAKKAI PORIYAL WITH TOMATO - STEP BY STEP PICTURES

  • Wash and chop Lady’s finger / Vendakkai into small pieces. Finely chop onion, tomato into small cubes.

  • Heat oil in a kadai. Temper mustard seeds, cumin seeds, big onion, curry leaves and saute till onion becomes transparent.
    Vendakkai poriyal with tomato
  • Add tomato pieces, required salt and saute till mushy. Add sugar, turmeric powder, red chilli powder +dhania powder or sambar powder. Mix well.  Lastly add the chopped vendakkai and saute well to coat with the masala. Mix in medium to high flame till its sliminess goes off. Sprinkle few tbsp of water. Keep the flame low and cover the kadai with a lid.
    Vendakkai poriyal with tomato
  • Mix once or twice in the middle. Cook till the Lady’s finger becomes soft and cooked well. Switch off the flame. Enjoy with rice and roti ! Vendakkai poriyal with tomato

Note

  • Addition of sugar and turmeric powder helps to maintain green color of Lady’s finger.
  • You can add 1/2 tsp of garam masala powder if you like.
  • Do not add more water. Just sprinkle few tbsp of water whenever needed to cook well.
Try this easy, yummy vendakkai poriyal with onion, tomato and enjoy with rice !
Lady's finger poriyal with tomato

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August 9, 2018

Snake Gourd Sabzi – Padwal Sabzi Recipe / Chinchinda Ki Sabji

snake gourd sabzi recipe
 I tried this North Indian style snake gourd sabzi (padwal sabzi / chichinda sabji in Hindi) for the first time following Kabita’s kitchen YouTube video. Usually North Indians make Padwal sabji by adding chana dal or by stuffing padwal with spicy masala. But this chatpata padwal sabzi given by Kabita was quite interesting and easy to prepare too. So I tried it as a side dish for rice and dal fry. It was a lovely combo. More than the taste, I loved the look of this snake gourd sabzi. Its color and flavor made me drool over it. 

In the original recipe, Maggi taste maker or maggi spice cubes is recommended to use for enhanced flavor. But I couldn’t use any as I din’t have it in hand. Still it came out well and tasty. Friends, do try this North Indian style snake gourd sabzi recipe for rice and roti. You will love it ! Lets see how to make North Indian snake gourd curry / padwal sabzi with step by step pictures.



snake gourd chana dal kootu for rice if interested.

Snake gourd sabzi


Snake gourd sabzi / Padwal sabzi recipe


Snake gourd sabzi / Padwal sabzi recipe

North Indian style Snake gourd sabzi / Padwal sabzi for rice, chapati


Cuisine: North Indian
Category: Sabzi Recipes
Serves: Serves 2
Prep time: 10 Minutes
Cook time: 20 Minutes
Total time: 30 Minutes


INGREDIENTS


  • Snake gourd - 1 no (Medium sized)
  • Big onion – 2 nos (finely chopped)
  • Ripe tomato -2nos (finely chopped)
To Temper
  • Cooking oil - 3 tbsp
  • Cumin seeds - 1/2 tsp
  • Garlic cloves – 8 to 10 nos
  • Curry leaves - Few
  • Turmeric powder – 1/4 tsp
  • Red chilli powder – 1 tsp
  • Maggi masala powder – 1 packet  OR garam masala /kitchen king masala powder – 1/2 tsp
  • Sugar – 1/4 tsp
  • Salt & water – as needed
  • Coriander leaves – Few (to garnish)

METHOD

  1. Wash and deseed snake gourd / Padwal / Chinchinda. Chop into round slices.
  2. Wash and chop onion, tomato finely.
  3. In a kadai, heat oil and splutter cumin seeds.
  4. Add finely chopped onion, garlic and saute till transparent.
  5. Add finely chopped tomato and saute till mushy. Add the required salt.
  6. Add turmeric powder, red chilli powder and Maggi masala.
  7. Saute for a minute. Cover and cook in low flame. Now add chopped snake gourd.
  8. Mix well. Cover and cook in low flame foe few minutes.
  9. Open and stir whenever needed to avoid burnt bottom. Sprinkle some water to cook if needed.
  10. After the snake gourd is cooked and shrunken, switch off the flame. Garnish with coriander leaves. Serve hot with rice and chapati.

METHOD - STEP BY STEP PICTURES

  • Wash the snake gourd. Trim both the edges. Insert a knife in the middle and remove the seeds. Now snake gourd looks like a hollow tube. Chop into roundels as shown in the picture below. Wash and chop onion, tomato into fine pieces.
    Snake gourd sabzi
  • Heat oil in a kadai. Splutter cumin seeds. Saute garlic cloves. Then add finely chopped onion and curry leaves. Saute till transparent.
    Snake gourd sabzi
  • Add finely chopped tomato, required salt and saute till mushy. Snake gourd sabzi
  • Mix well. Now add turmeric powder, sugar, red chilli powder and Maggi masala powder or garam masala powder. Mix till raw smell leaves. Sprinkle little water. Cover cook for few minutes.
    Snake gourd sabzi
  • Lastly add the sliced snake gourd. Mix well in medium flame till it shrinks a bit.
    Snake gourd sabzi
  • Lower the flame. Cover the kadai with a lid. Cook for few minutes. Mix once or twice in the middle to avoid burnt bottom. You can sprinkle few tbsp of water if you feel the mixture is dry. Cover and cook till snake gourd becomes soft and shrinks well.  It takes 10 to 15 minutes in low flame for proper cooking. Make sure onion, tomato mixture is coated well.  Switch off the flame and garnish with finely chopped coriander leaves.
     Snake gourd sabzi
    Serve with rice and chapati. Enjoy !

Note

  • Adjust the quantity of chilli powder as per your taste.
  • If you skip Maggi masala powder, you can add garam masala powder or kitchen king masala powder.
  • Addition of sugar helps to retain the green color of snake gourd.
Try this easy, North Indian style snake gourd sabzi for rice and enjoy !
Padwal sabzi recipe



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