Surakkai / Bottle gourd Kootu

Surakkai / Bottlegourd is one of the low-calorie vegetables which is usually placed & cooked in indian kitchen.It has high amount of water content.It is used in variety of dishes like curries,soups,desserts.I usually make it with cooked moong dal which gives additional nutritients.This gravy goes well with rice,dosa,and chapathi too.

 How To Check Before Purchase ?

Check by pressing your thumb finger nail,if it goes inside smoothly it is tender and it goes hard it is aged.Tender surakkai has not having seeds inside or having very fine small seeds which can be cooked and Aged has big seeds which should be avoided while cooking.

Health Benifits : Bottlegourd is rich in essential minerals,iron,protein and trace elements and also rich in fibre..Fibre helps in preventing constipation and other digestive disorders like flatulence and piles.Bottlegourd is very valuable medicine in urinary disorders due to high acidity of urine,indigestion,excessive thirst due to severe diarrhea,diabetes and excessive use of fatty or fried foods..It helps in overcoming Jaundice.Its juice(soup) is also helpful in losing weight.It prevents excessive loss of sodium,quenches thirst and helps in preventing fatique.

Types : *Round(called Calabash) *High round *Cylindrical *Bottle *Long

Surakkai Kootu Recipe :

Thats it : Cook Veggie – Add Coconut Mixture – Boil

Cooking Time : 25mins

Serves : 2persons

Ingredients :

Bottle gourd	3Cups
Moong dal	½ Cup
Turmeric powder	¼ tsp
Water	1 Cup
Coconut	¼ Cup
Green chilli	2 small
Cumin seed / Jeera	1 tsp
Salt	½ tsp+

To Temper :

Oil	1tbsp
Mustard	1tsp
Urad dhal	½ tsp
Onion chopped	¼ Cup
Asafoetida / Hing	3pinches
Red chilli	1
Curry leaves	1 sprig

Preparation :

#Wash Surakkai and cut head and tail part,peel off the outer layer skin with peeler then cut by two and scoop out the seeds.Then chop it finely as small or big pieces.

1.In a cooker,add moong dal and wash it,then add turmeric powder, ¾ Cup of water,chopped surakkai pieces and close the lid, pressure cook for 3 whistles.

2.Meanwhile,chop onion,grind coconut,jeera,green chillies with ¼ Cup of water as a paste.After pressure releases ,add this coconut mixture to the cooked surakkai and dal.

3.Add salt,mix well and boil for 3mins till it thickens.Swich off the flame.Tranfer it to the serving bowl.In a seeding pan,add oil ,mustard,after it splutters,add urad dal,onion,hing,red chilli curry leaves,fry till onion becomes dark brown.Add it to the kootu.

Surakkai Kootu is Ready...!

Serving Suggestions :

# Rice with Kuzhambu

# Dosa

# Chapathi / Roti

Notes :

1.You can use sambar powder ¾ tsp instead adding green chilli in the grinding.{If i use sambar powder to my kuzhambu then i prefer green chilli method for side dish and vice versa}

2.I satisfied with the above thick gravy consistency,if not for you then add 1tbsp curd OR Rice flour to the coconut mixture and grind it.

3.You can also add chopped onion to along with the coconut mixture grinding,then skip while seeding.