Podalangai Podi Thooval | புடலங்காய் போடி தூவல் | Snake gourd stir fry with Moong dal Spice Mix

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. 

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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  

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Vazhai Thandu Usli

Vazhai Thandu Usli or Banana Stem dry Curry is a healthy vegan, GF dish made with Chopped Banana pith and lentils. Served as an accompaniment to Rasam or Sambhar.

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Aloo Shimla Zunka

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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

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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 teaspoon salt 
• ½ teaspoon Turmeric 

For the spice paste

• ¼ cup Coconut (fresh or frozen, grated)
• 2 dry red chillies
• 1 teaspoon Cumin (jeera / jeeragam)
• ½ teaspoon Whole Pepper

For the tempering:

• 1 teaspoon oil
• 1 sprig curry leaves
• 1 teaspoon Split black gram (urad dal)

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How to make Podalangai Podi Thooval

1. Wash the moong dal and soak in hot water (just enough to immerse it) for 15 mins, 
2. Meanwhile, lightly peel, halve and deseed the snakegourd,  cut into desired uniform shape
3. While the veggies and lentils are cooking, coarsely grind the ingredients for spice paste without adding any additional water. Keep aside 
4. Method 1 : Pressure cook the snakegourd and soaked lentils with the turmeric for just 1 whistle and switch off
5. 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.
6. If you have followed Method 1 or Method 2 (our preferred way), proceed to next stage
7. For the tempering, heat oil in a pan
8. Splutter mustard seeds, curry leaves and urad dal. 
9. 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
10. Then add the salt and the cooked veggies with the moong dal.
11. Give it a quick stir. 
12. Adjust salt and seasoning 
13. Serve hot with rasam / sambar / Kuzhambu or with curd rice. 

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Podalangai Podi Thooval | Snake gourd stir fry

Kalyani

South Indian style Snake gourd stir fry with Moong dal Spice Mix served with Sambhar or Kuzhambu

5 from 6 votes

Print Recipe Pin Recipe

Prep Time 15 minutes mins

Cook Time 15 minutes mins

Total Time 30 minutes mins

Course Side Dish

Cuisine Indian, South Indian

Servings 3 people

Equipment

• pan
• Pressure Cooker
• Knife

Ingredients

  

1x2x3x

• 150 grams Snakegourd Pudalangai / Padavalkai
• 100 grams Split green gram Moong dal / Pasi Paruppu
• 1 teaspoon salt
• ½ teaspoon Turmeric

Spice Mix

• ¼ cup Coconut fresh or frozen, grated
• 2 dry red chillies
• 1 teaspoon Cumin jeera / jeeragam
• ½ teaspoon Whole Pepper

Tempering

• 1 teaspoon oil
• 1 sprig curry leaves
• 1 teaspoon 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.

Keyword Curry, dry curry, Karamudhu, kari, No Onion No garlic, Podalangai, Podi curry, Pudalangai, pudalangai Kari, Satvik, Side Dish, Side dish for Chapati, South Indian, Thooval

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