Snake Gourd (podalangai) Chutney

This is a tasty chutney and a good way to get people to eat snake gourd. Snake gourd is a highly nutritious, easily digestable and cooling vegetable. It is also a vegetable that is an integral part of Ayurvedic food.

 Basic Recipe:

Ingredients:

1 snake gourd/podalangai : deseeded and diced into small cubes

10 mint leaves : washed and dried

A sprig of coriander leaves : washed and chopped

Ginger  ½ “ piece : washed, remove skin and chop

Pepper  4  ( based on taste)

Method :

Step 1:  Boil the snake gourd in ½ cup of water. 

            Cover the pan to prevent loss of vitamins.

            Ensure that the vegetable is cooked

Step 2:  Once the water has almost evaporated, add the ginger, mint leaves and coriander leaves. 

            Stir for a minute

Step 3:  Grind the above ingredients.

Step 4: Add salt to taste

Step 5 : Serve with Rice, Chappatis, Dosas and Iddlies

Optional Additions :

Step 2:

a.     Add green chillies to taste

b.     Add marble sized tamarind

Step 4: 

Take ½ tsp oil in a small pan, when it is hot, add 1/4tsp of mustard and let it sputter. Now add ¼ tsp of urid dal and curry leaves. When the dal turns golden color, pour the contents onto the top of the chutney. This gives the chutney a different flavour.

Dietary Considerations of the Basic Recipe :

• Gluten Free
• Oil Free
• Nut Free
• Tamarind Free

Additional Nutrition information :  http://www.medindia.net/patients/lifestyleandwellness/snake-gourd-glory.htm