What is Podalangai Podi Thooval
Podalangai Podi Thooval or Thuval is a South Indian style Snake gourd stir fry with Moong dal Spice Mix served with Sambhar or Kuzhambu . Podi in Tamil means spice powder / Spice mix, Thooval means sprinkled. Podalangai means snake gourd veggie. So Podalangai Podi Thooval is a stir fry of snake gourd with spice powder sprinkled.
Podi Thooval is a classic TamBrahm way of making stir fries (dry sautes) with water / fibre rich veggies combined with cooling lentil like Moong Dal. And a spice mix. Our ancestors surely knew how to introduce cooling foods for summer.
Cooling foods like:
- lemon juice
- raw mango
- Cow ghee
- Sattu (Channa Sattu)
- Kokum
- Tamarind
- Methi seeds
- dry ginger (saunth)
- Organic Jaggery
- Mishri (rock candy)
- Saunf (fennel seeds)
- Moong dal (split green gram)
- coconut water (elaneer)
- Banana Stem (Vazhai Thandu)
- melons (musk melon or bittermelon or watermelon etc)
- gourds (snake gourd, ash gourd, bottlegourd etc)
– all aid in digestion when the digestive juices are not at their peak and one feels tired easily. These cooling foods are used in various dishes as Ayurveda recommends them to use in their natural form as possible to keep the body cool.
No wonder we have dishes like Aam panna, Sattu Ka Sherbet, Vella Panagam, Kokum cooler, Sol Kadi, Sprouted Methi pickle, Nimbu Paani/Soda, Lemon pickle, Moong Dal Kosambir (salad), Variyali Sherbet, Gourd raitas prepared regularly in households across India during summer
You may also like similar dry curries
FAQs to make a great Podi Thooval
What can be used in place of Podalangai or Snake gourd?
Cluster beans, Cabbage, Papdi (flat bean), French beans, Raw Banana (basically all native veggies)
What is the key to a great Podi Thooval?
The spice mix has to be freshly made (as it cannot be re-used) and the Moong dal has to boiled just al-dente (not raw, not mushy, just done)
Is Onion – garlic added to this?
This dish is traditionally satvic – no onion garlic is used.
Can Frozen Coconut be used in the spice mix?
Yes fresh or frozen coconut can be used. However desiccated coconut or dried coconut (a.k.a Copra / Kopparai in tamil) cannot be used
What can be served with Podalangai Podi Thooval?
- Any Kuzhambu (tamarind based Tamilnadu special gravy without lentils)
- Mixed Veg Sambhar
- MorKuzhambu / Majjige huli (any curd based gravy)
- Any Rasam (light lentil broth)
- Curd Rice
Let’s get to making Pondalangai Podi Thooval
Prep time – 15 mins, Cook time – 15 mins, Serves – 3
Cuisine : Indian, South Indian ; Course : Side Dish ; Spice Level – Medium
Ingredients to make Podalangai Podi Thooval:
- 150 grams Snakegourd (Podalangai / Padavalkai)
- 100 grams Split green gram (Moong dal / Pasi Paruppu)
- 1 tsp salt
- 1/2 tsp Turmeric
For the spice paste
- 1/4 cup Coconut (fresh or frozen, grated)
- 2 dry red chillies
- 1 tsp Cumin (jeera / jeeragam)
- 1/2 tsp Whole Pepper
For the tempering:
- 1 tsp oil
- 1 sprig curry leaves
- 1 tsp Split black gram (urad dal)
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How to make Podalangai Podi Thooval
- Wash the moong dal and soak in hot water (just enough to immerse it) for 15 mins,
- Meanwhile, lightly peel, halve and deseed the snakegourd, cut into desired uniform shape
- While the veggies and lentils are cooking, coarsely grind the ingredients for spice paste without adding any additional water. Keep aside
- Method 1 : Pressure cook the snakegourd and soaked lentils with the turmeric for just 1 whistle and switch off
- Method 2: Par boil soaked moong dal till al dente, with the turmeric till done. Drain all water and reserve. Separately cook the snakegourd with a pinch of salt, till soft but not mushy.
- If you have followed Method 1 or Method 2 (our preferred way), proceed to next stage
- For the tempering, heat oil in a pan
- Splutter mustard seeds, curry leaves and urad dal.
- When the dal begins to brown and mustard seeds crackle, add the spice paste and saute it for 2-3 mins till any remaining water evaporates
- Then add the salt and the cooked veggies with the moong dal.
- Give it a quick stir.
- Adjust salt and seasoning
- Serve hot with rasam / sambar / Kuzhambu or with curd rice.
Podalangai Podi Thooval | Snake gourd stir fry
Equipment
- pan
- Pressure Cooker
- Knife
Ingredients
- 150 grams Snakegourd Pudalangai / Padavalkai
- 100 grams Split green gram Moong dal / Pasi Paruppu
- 1 tsp salt
- 1/2 tsp Turmeric
Spice Mix
- 1/4 cup Coconut fresh or frozen, grated
- 2 dry red chillies
- 1 tsp Cumin jeera / jeeragam
- 1/2 tsp Whole Pepper
Tempering
- 1 tsp oil
- 1 sprig curry leaves
- 1 tsp Split black gram urad dal
Instructions
- Wash the moong dal and soak in hot water (just enough to immerse it) for 15 mins,
- Meanwhile, lightly peel, halve and deseed the snakegourd, cut into desired uniform shape
- While the veggies and lentils are cooking, coarsely grind the ingredients for spice paste without adding any additional water. Keep aside
- Method 1 : Pressure cook the snakegourd and soaked lentils with the turmeric for just 1 whistle and switch off
- Method 2: Par boil soaked moong dal till al dente, with the turmeric till done. Drain all water and reserve. Separately cook the snakegourd with a pinch of salt, till soft but not mushy.
- If you have followed Method 1 or Method 2 (our preferred way), proceed to next stage
- For the tempering, heat oil in a pan
- Splutter mustard seeds, curry leaves and urad dal.
- When the dal begins to brown and mustard seeds crackle, add the spice paste and saute it for 2-3 mins till any remaining water evaporates
- Then add the salt and the cooked veggies with the moong dal.
- Give it a quick stir.
- Adjust salt and seasoning
- Serve hot with rasam / sambar / Kuzhambu or with curd rice.
Snake Gourd lentil stir-fry looks absolutely flavorful especially with the coconut spice mix and the final tempering ! I would love giving your version a try. Thanks for sharing.
thanks Poonam, do try!
Snake gourd stir fry looks super tempting. We make it regularly at my please too. It is so yummy with the coconut and the tempering. Perfect for the summers .
🙂
Amma used to make podalangai kariamudhu just this way with added moong dhal. Used to taste yumm with rasam rice. The perfectly cooked podalangai is delicious to bite into
yeah this is moong dal + that spice powder too which makes it unique.
This is such a nutritious recipe! Like you say, our ancestors sure knew how to have suitable foods in every season.
With the moong dal and the ‘podi’ going in, this snakegourd curry is bound to be super delicious!
absolutely Priya; they sure did know a lot of good stuff ..
Snake gourd stir fry looks absolutely delicious. You have used all the nutrisios ingredients in this stir fry. Perfect dish for summer.
Thank you!
Whenever I get fresh snake gourds, traditional curry like this often made in our home. Your curry sounds fabulous!
absolutely, We love it too