Here is another healthy vegetable that you can easily make to pair with a steamy bowl of rice.
Snake Gourd is a well-known veggie in Sri-Lanka. Easily found at the local markets or in our backyard.
It’s a skinny long green vegetable. The insides are soft and white fluffy flesh with seeds in them. It comes in different sizes and shapes. I know this because my mom is a passionate gardener and she managed to grow a few small and a healthy very long pudalangai one summer. It was so long she had to share it with the neighbours.
I tasted my very first pudalangai poriyal (stir-fry) at a very young age. I didn’t mind the flavour and so I wouldn’t be complaining whenever mom cooked. After all, it comes with impressive health benefits, did you know…
BENEFITS
Snake Gourds are great in relieving respiratory problems. Treats stubborn sinus and phlegm related problems. Soothes continuous coughs.
The healing components in the snake-gourds are able to help with heartburn and minimize acidity. Able to treat liver problems, arterial disorders, and diabetes.
This vegetable has the ability to do many more to maintain good health. It’s loaded with minerals, vitamins but very few in calories.
So why not… this stir-fry recipe can be easily made with spices you already have in the kitchen. So go for it. Only things you’ll need are the snake gourd and the grated coconuts. The rest is easy..read below for the recipe. It’s in step by step details below.
Snake Gourd Stir-Fry (Patola/Pudalangai) – Healthy Recipe Under 30min
Ingredients
- 2 Pudalangai
- 1-2 tbsp Olive oil
- 1/2 tsp Mustard seed
- 1 Sun-dried chilli
- few Curry leaves
- 1/4 medium-size Onion
- 1/2 tsp Turmeric powder
- 1 Green chilli
- 1/4 cup Coconut grated
- Salt as needed
Instructions
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NOTE – The entire cooking process is done on medium/high heat. If at any point you get a whiff of burning or see it smoke up the kitchen, reduce the heat to continue cooking.
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Start by washing the vegetable first then cutting it lengthwise all the way. Remove and discard the inside seeds and white flesh along with the edges that we won’t be needing.
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Next, slice the pudalangai fairly thin. Soak the sliced pieces in salt water for about 5-10min. Drain then set aside for later use.
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On medium/high heat, use a heavy wide enough skillet or pan to heat up the oil. Add mustard seeds and let it sizzle. When it is starting to sputter add the sun-dried red chilli, and a few curry leaves to sizzle as well.
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Add the sliced onions and saute for a few minutes until the onions have softened.
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Next, add turmeric powder, sliced green chilli as well as the pudalangai slices. Give it a good mix and let it cook for about 10min. While it is cooking, continue to mix so that the vegetable gets evenly cooked and won’t burn the bottom.
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Once the vegetable has softened add the grated coconut, sprinkle the salt as needed and continue to mix for another 5 more minutes or until the vegetable is completely cooked and softened.
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When done, remove from the heat and serve it with a bowl of steamy rice.
For more healthy recipes like this one, take a look at our category HERE. Choose from many curries, sambals, snacks and desserts to satisfy your cravings.
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