Fried snake gourd spicy curry

Snake gourd

Fried snake gourd spicy curry

Snake gourd is a long vegetable. What we are using  here are as long as 22 inches. It is commonly found in South and South East Asia. It has a mild flavor. Deep frying makes this curry very tasty. This is a dry curry with no gravy.

Snake gourd is low in calories, fat-free, fiber rich and good to include in weight-loss diets. Snake gourd is good in source of minerals and vitamins. It also provided calcium, iron, phosphorus, and carotene, traces of riboflavin, thiamine and niacin.

                                    Recipe summary
                                               For
                           Fried snake gourd spicy curry

Preparation: 40 minutes
Cooking time: 40 minutes
Serves: 6

Preparation
1. We need to clean the snake gourd vegetable. We will cut in the middle of the vegetable to make it easy to handle. With a sharp knife gently scrape off the thin outer skin of the vegetable. Remove the skin all over the vegetable. You can pull the fiber from the end of vegetable. It may not be many 3 to 5 pieces.If the snake gourd is young you may not find any fiber.

Snake gourd

2. Take 600 grams of snake gourd Now cut the vegetable into half vertically. Remove the seeds and the white membrane inside. Cut into ¾ inch cubes or bite size pieces.

3. Heat a medium sized frying pan or a wok. Add 1 cup of oil. When the oil is hot, reduce the heat to medium and add the cut pieces of the vegetable and deep fry for 15 minutes or until the vegetable become dark brown in color. This is a watery vegetable we will have to wait till most of the water evaporates. Drain and keep the fried vegetable aside. Retain the vegetable oil.

Fried snake gourd spicy curry

4. To extract tamarind juice, soak 15 grams tamarind pulp it in ¼ cup of warm water for 10 minutes. Massage and squeeze the pulp. Strain the liquid, discarding any solids. First you add only about ½ to ¾ of the juice. Add the balance after tasting and if necessary.

Method
5. Heat up the same frying pan or wok and use 1 table spoon of the left over oil. When the oil gets hot reduce the heat to medium.  Add 1 coarsely chopped onion, ¼ tsp cumin seeds, ¼ tsp fenugreek seeds, ¼ tsp fennel seeds, 10 curry leaves, 1 thinly sliced green chili, 1 red chili sliced, 5 grams grated ginger and 3 cloves thinly sliced garlic.  Stir frequently to prevent burning of the ingredients. Fry for about 10 minutes or until the onion turns lightly brown.

Spices

6. Add 1 tbsp curry powder, ¼ tsp turmeric powder, tamarind juice, ½  tsp salt  and one and a half cup of water. Bring everything to the boil and then reduce the heat to medium. Cook covered for 15 minutes.

7. Add ½ cup coconut milk, 1/8 tsp pepper powder and cook for 2 minutes covered.

Fried snake gourd

8. Add the fried snake gourd pieces. Let it cook uncovered for five minutes.


9. The curry is ready. It can be served with rice or bread.





Fried snake gourd spicy curry is ready.
                                  

                       Recipe follows in detail with pictures.

Preparation: 40 minutes
Cooking time: 40 minutes
Serves: 6

Ingredients
Main
600 grams snake gourds
Others
1 onion chopped coarsely
10 curry leaves
3 cloves garlic sliced thinly
1 green chili sliced thinly
½ cup coconut milk
½ teaspoon salt

5 grams ginger chopped fine
15 grams tamarind
2 cups vegetable oil
Spices
¼ teaspoon cumin seeds
¼ teaspoon fennel seeds
¼ teaspoon of fenugreek seeds
1/8 teaspoon black pepper powder
1/8 teaspoon turmeric powder
1 tablespoon curry powder

Onion, chili,garlic and ginger

Spices

Preparation
We need to clean the snake gourd vegetable. We will cut in the middle of the vegetable to make it easy to handle.

Snake gourd cut into half and scraping the soft skin

With a sharp knife gently scrape off the thin outer skin of the vegetable. Remove the skin all over the vegetable.

Snake gourd after removing the skin

From the picture you will notice thin hair like fibre coming out.
You can pull the fiber from the end of vegetable. It may not be many 3 to 5 pieces.If the snake gourd is young you may not find any fiber.

Removal of fibre

Fibre removed from snake gourd

Now cut the vegetable into half vertically. Remove the seeds and the white membrane inside.

Cut into ¾ inch cubes or bite size pieces.

Cut pieces of snake gourd

Heat a medium sized frying pan or a wok. Add 1 cup of oil. When the oil is hot, reduce the heat to medium and add the cut pieces of the vegetable and deep fry for 15 minutes or until the vegetable become dark brown in color. This is a watery vegetable we will have to wait till most of the water evaporates.

Frying

Drain and keep the fried vegetable aside and retain the vegetable oil.

Fried snake gourd

To extract tamarind juice, soak 15 grams tamarind pulp it in ¼ cup of warm water for 10 minutes. Massage and squeeze the pulp. Strain the liquid, discarding any solids. First you add only about ½ to ¾ of the juice. Add the balance after tasting and if necessary.

Method
Heat up the same frying pan or wok and use 1 table spoon of the left over oil. When the oil gets hot reduce the heat to medium. Add dry red chili pieces and fry for 30 seconds. Add onion, cumin seeds, fenugreek seeds, fennel seeds, curry leaves, green chili, red chili, ginger and garlic.  Stir frequently to prevent burning of the ingredients. Fry for about 10 minutes or until the onion turns lightly brown.

Add curry powder , turmeric powder, tamarind juice, salt  and one and a half cup of water. Bring everything to the boil and then reduce the heat to medium. Cook covered for 15 minutes.

Add coconut milk, pepper powder and cook for 2 minutes covered.

Add the fried snake gourd pieces. Let it cook uncovered for five minutes.

Curry nearing the end

The curry is ready. It can be served with rice or bread.

                                 Fried snake gourd spicy curry