Sunday, July 10, 2011

Chichinda Ki Sabji (Snake Gourd)


Snake gourd/Potlakaya/Chichinda is another Indian gourd variety with which you can make many dishes. First time I ate snake gourd when I went to Hyderabad to stay. In this recipe I have added roasted besan to stir fried sliced snake gourd. It goes well as a side dish with Daal and Roti.

Ingredients:

  • 2 medium Snake gourds /Potlakaya / Chichinda
  • ½ tsp Mustard Seeds
  • 1 tsp Chana Dal
  • 2 – 3 whole dry Red Chilies broken in pieces
  • 1 tsp red chili powder
  • ½ tsp turmeric powder
  • ½ tsp amchoor powder
  • 1 medium Onion chopped
  • 3-4 Curry leaves
  • 3 tbsp Cooking oil
  • Salt to taste
  • 4 tbsp Gram Flour (besan)

Method:

  • In a small kadhai or pan roast the besan (without adding oil) until light brown. Keep aside for later use.
  • Wash snake gourd and scrape the outer skin with a knife. Cut lengthwise into half and scoop out seeds and white pith. Chop it into small pieces.


  • Heat oil in a pan and put mustard seeds. After they crackle, add chana dal, curry leaves, red chilies, onion in the same order and sauté till it turns light golden brown in color.
  • Add sliced gourd pieces, salt, red chili powder, turmeric powder; stir to mix well. Cook covered on low medium heat until tender. Do not add water because on low-medium heat gourd is cooked in its own juice.
  • Add the roasted besan and amchoor powder; stir-fry for 2-3 minutes till all are blended.
  • Serve with Daal and Roti.

Do You Know?

Snake gourd is the best household remedy for heart problems. The juice of the fresh leaves is useful in heart disorders like palpitation and pain in the heart on physical exertion.


5 comments:

Sunil Bhuarya said...

Thanks for providing this recipe, in these day chichinda is coming in market last year i have seen that in market but my friends said that its vegetable not good ... but i thought that at least i make it ones.. now i will make it proudly... Really very tahks to you...

Nidhi Raizada said...

Thanks Sunil.....I prefer to eat all vegetables because each vegetable has got some reasons to be eaten during its season...

Anonymous said...

Never had the courage to cook this vegetable. Then I tasted it.It's a beautiful sabzi on two accounts- (1) It is simple. A lousy cook like me needs just green chilly , mustard seeds,salt and a few minutes to cook it. Technique used to cut and cook the veg given in the blog is important(2)It is a delicious side dish. The initially foul smell evaporates in the aroma of mustard seeds. Happy to see this blog.

Nidhi Raizada said...

thanks....

Anonymous said...

Nidhiji, thank u for this recepie. Being a south indian, i have tasted it in just one way only. Either it would be a "kootu " with narial paste or just a dry subji. But your recepie has given me a hope to use it as a side dish for roti also.
thank u,
regards,
lc