Kerala Style Padavalanga Thoran / Snakegourd Stir Fry

Snake gourd may not be a type of vegetable that is well-known around the world, but certain cultures have been utilizing this unique food variety for hundreds, and perhaps thousands, of years. They are native to Southeast Asia, including Myanmar, India, Indonesia, Sri Lanka, and other neighboring countries, as well as some parts of Australia and Africa. It is a vine plant that climbs up a tree and then unfurls its flowers and fruits to hang down to the ground.

Snake Gourd contains a rich variety of nutrients, vitamins, and minerals that are essential for human health, including significant levels of dietary fiber, a small number of calories, and high levels of protein. In terms of vitamins, snake gourd possess vitamin A, B, C, as well as manganese, magnesium, calcium, iron, potassium, and iodine. 

Our today’s recipe is Snakegourd stir fry with coconut / Padavalanga Thoran, a Kerala based recipe commonly used in most of the houses of South India. Snakegourd/ Padavalanga help our body to maintain its normal function and create a cooking effect in human body. It is very much useful in treating Type II diabetics to reduce weight and helps in constipation as this vegetable is rich in Fiber.

Ingredients:

 Snake gourd – 2 cups (cleaned and chopped)

Onions – ¾ cup chopped

Coconut – ½ cup grated

Green chilli – 2 long ones slited into half

Salt to taste

Turmeric - ½ tsp

Garlic – 2 to 3 cloves

Oil – 2 tbsp

Mustard seeds – 1 tsp

Cumin seeds – ½ tsp

Curry leaves 7 to 8 leaves

Method:

Clean and cut snake gourd in small cubes and set aside.

Chop onions into small cubes, slice garlic and slit the green chillies. 

Now in a pan add oil, then add mustard seeds, cumin seeds; when it crackles add curry leaves, green chillies, snake gourd, garlic onions, turmeric and salt.

Cover and cook in low- medium flame (no need to add any water since snake gourd has enough water in it).

Once it is cooked and all the water evaporated add grated coconut stir well and turn off the flame.  

This stir fry/ thoran goes well with boiled rice and curry.