Snake Gourd Dhal currry/ Padavalanga Parippu Curry

Ingredients

Snake Gourd  cut into 1 cm squares - 500 gm
Toor dhal - 1/2  cup
Green chilly slit lengthwise - 5
Onion small  sliced- 1
garlic sliced - 4-5
Turmeric powder. 12 tsp
Chilly powder - 1 tsp
salt to taste

To grind
Coconut shredded - 1 cup
Cumin powder - 1/2 tsp

Tempering
Ghee / coconut oil - 1 Tbs
Dry red chilly - 2
Curry leaves - 1-2 sprigs
Shallots - 2

Preparation

Cook toor dhal in a pressure cooker ( soaking in water few hours makes it faster if you are cooking in a regular pot)

Once pressure released, add snake gaurd, onion, garlic, green chillies, chilly powder, turmeric powder and salt. Close the cooker, cook on high heat. Turn off the stove once pressure build up in the cooker, when it is just about to whistle. That way you can avoid overcooking the snake gaurd.

Add the coconut paste to the dhal snake gourd mixture and boil.  Check and adjust salt.

To season heat up oil / ghee in a small pan, splutter mustard seed, add sliced shallots, dry red chilly and curry leaves, once shallots turns brown, pour it over the curry and mix well. Padavalanga parippu curry is ready.