potlakaya curry

Ingredients

• 2 cups of chopped snake gourd pieces
• 1 sprig curry leaves
• ¼ tsp. mustard
• ¼ tsp. cumin
• 1 tbsp. urad dal, minapappu (optional)
• 1 tbsp. chana dal, senaga pappu (optional)
• Pinch of hing
• 1 garlic clove crushed (optional)
• 1 dry chili broken or green chili
• 2 to 3 tsp. Vepudu karam / spice powder for stir fry or chutney podi
• 2 tbsp. Oil (do not reduce, it doesn’t taste good)
• Salt as needed
• Turmeric as needed

Instructions

1. Scrape off the whitish layer on the snake gourd with a knife. Take some salt and rub it on the snake gourd and wash off under running water.
2. Trim off both the ends. Cut to 2 to 3 parts.
3. Cut length wise each part and remove the seeds as well the white layers inside. Chop to pieces that are uniform in size, this ensures even frying.
4. Heat a pan with oil, add mustard, cumin, dals when they turn golden, add red chili, curry leaves and garlic. Fry till they turn crisp, add the hing.
5. Add gourd and fry on high for 2 to 3 mins, reduce the flame and fry till they are cooked well. Keep stirring to prevent burning. Sprinkle the vepudu karam. Mix well and off the heat
6. Serve with rice and rasam.