Snake gourd curry or chichinda sabji – a simple dry curry recipe prepared with snake gourd that pairs well with roti and rice!
Snake gourd, or pudalangai as we say in Tamil, is one of the common gourds that grow in tropical/sub-tropical weather, and growing up, it was part of our regular menu. It’s one of my favorite vegetables, and my mom usually makes kootu with pudalangai. But today, I will share pudalangai curry for chapati, a dry curry with minimal spices.
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In Hindi, we call snake gourd chichinda. Call this chichinda sabzi or padwal bhaji, this curry is super easy to make, and you can pair it with dal and rice or with phulka or roti. I learned this recipe from my friend’s mom; if you notice, it’s more like my cabbage curry/sabzi.
Simple and easy no-onion, no-garlic sabzi
As I mentioned, we need only minimal spices, and the procedure is very simple. First, we do the tempering and roast the spices in the ghee. Then we add the veggie and cook till it becomes tender and soft. The spices that we use are coriander powder, red chili powder, and turmeric powder. When combined with salt, these three can create great magic in food. The key thing here is your first fry the spices and then add the chopped veggie.
Ingredients required
Ghee: We use ghee to temper the spices. Ghee does add a nice flavor to this curry, but feel free to use the oil of your choice for a vegan version.
Cumin seeds and asafoetida: While all my recipes call for mustard and cumin, for this recipe, I use only cumin seeds, and along with that, I add a pinch of asafoetida too. Skip asafoetida for a gluten-free version or gluten-free asafoetida.
Ground spices: We use the basic Indian spices – ground coriander, chili, and turmeric. You can swap this with your favorite sabzi masala or even sambar powder.
Snake gourd: We need 3 cups of chopped snake gourd. If you can source tender ones, that’s great. But make sure to taste a small piece and ensure it’s not bitter. Bitter snake gourd ruins the curry.
Along with these ingredients, we also need salt, water, and chickpea flour/besan. And I did not add any herbs – curry leaves or cilantro.
Please check the recipe card for exact measurements, and make sure to check the FAQ section.
Frequently asked questions
Trim the snake gourd edges and cut them in half. Then slit the half vertically. Using a spoon, scoop out the pith and the seeds. If you are using tender snake gourd, you can use the pith for making chutney. If not, discard them. Rinse the snake gourd after removing the pith and pat them dry. Then chop it into bite-sized pieces.
Yes, you can. I got used to cooking the snake gourd in an open pot for this sabzi. But you can steam the chopped snake gourd in the pressure cooker for two whistles or in Instant Pot for 2 minutes at high pressure and release the pressure after 5 minutes. Steaming them before definitely cuts down the cooking time.
Chickpea flour is optional. It helps bind the spices and veggies together and slightly adds some crust, which I like. You can also use rice flour or almond flour instead of chickpea/besan.
How to make snake gourd curry
- Heat a pan or kadai and add the ghee. When the ghee melts and is hot, add the cumin seeds and asafoetida. When the cumin seeds sizzle, reduce the heat to medium-low and add the coriander powder, red chili powder, and turmeric powder. Fry for 20 to 30 seconds. Keep stirring, and do not leave the spices unattended.
- Now add ¼ cup of water and mix the spices.
- Next, add the chopped snake gourd.
- Mix well. Ensure the spices are coated evenly.
- Sprinkle 2 tbsp of water and cover, and cook for 3 to 4 minutes.
- Remove the lid, add two more tbsp of water and salt, and cover and cook until the vegetable is soft and tender. Depending on how tender the vegetable is, the cooking time might vary. It took me 12 mts. For every two minutes, remove the lid and mix the vegetable. If it’s too dry, sprinkle 1 to 2 tbsp of water.
- Add the besan/chickpea flour and mix well when the snake gourd is tender and nicely cooked.
- Cook for 2 to 3 minutes, and then turn off the heat. The curry is ready. Serve warm with rice or roti.
Recipe Notes & VVK Tips
- Ghee adds a nice flavor, and if you are fine with using dairy-based products, I highly recommend ghee. But if you have dietary restrictions, use the oil of your choice.
- Make sure to use tender and not bitter snake gourd for this curry.
- While roasting the spices, reduce the heat to medium-low to low as we don’t want to over-roast and burn them. Adding a splash of water also helps.
- As always, adjust the spices and salt to taste.
Quick and easy side dishes for roti
I have some delicious picks for you if you are looking for dry curries and sabzi for roti. Please check these recipes, and I am sure you will love them.
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📖 Recipe
Snake Gourd Curry | Chichinda Sabji
Ingredients
Measurement Details: 1 cup =240ml; 1 tbsp = 15ml; 1 tsp = 5ml;
- 1 tbsp ghee use oil for the vegan version
- 1 tsp cumin seeds
- a pinch of asafoetida skip for a gluten-free version
- 2 tsp ground coriander
- 1 tsp red chili powder or to taste
- ¼ tsp ground turmeric
- 3 cups snake gourd chopped approx 360 grams
- ¾ tsp salt or to taste
- ⅓ to ½ cup water divided
- 1 tbsp chickpea flour/besan option
Instructions
- Heat a pan or kadai and add the ghee. When the ghee melts and is hot, add the cumin seeds and asafoetida. When the cumin seeds sizzle, reduce the heat to medium-low and add the coriander powder, red chili powder, and turmeric powder. Fry for 20 to 30 seconds. Keep stirring, and do not leave the spices unattended.
- Now add ¼ cup of water and mix the spices.
- Next, add the chopped snake gourd.
- Mix well. Ensure the spices are coated evenly.
- Sprinkle 2 tbsp of water and cover, and cook for 3 to 4 minutes.
- Remove the lid, add two more tbsp of water and salt, and cover and cook until the vegetable is soft and tender. Depending on how tender the vegetable is, the cooking time might vary. It took me 12 mts. For every two minutes, remove the lid and mix the vegetable. If it’s too dry, sprinkle 1 to 2 tbsp of water.
- Add the besan/chickpea flour and mix well when the snake gourd is tender and nicely cooked.
- Cook for 2 to 3 minutes, and then turn off the heat. The curry is ready. Serve warm with rice or roti.
Notes
- Ghee adds a nice flavor, and if you are fine with using dairy-based products, I highly recommend ghee. But if you have dietary restrictions, use the oil of your choice.
- Make sure to use tender and not bitter snake gourd for this curry.
- While roasting the spices, reduce the heat to medium-low to low as we don’t want to over-roast and burn them. Adding a splash of water also helps.
- As always, adjust the spices and salt to taste.
Nutrition
I am not a nutritionist. The nutritional information is provided as a courtesy and is an estimate only. It varies depending upon the product types or brands.
Update Notes: Earlier posted on 2015, now updated with new pictures, recipe card and FAQ section.
I am a fan of dry vegetable sides and I love this one.
Thanks a lot Varada.
This is a new way of cooking snake gourd. Will try it some time.
I am not a great fan of this veggie but some varieties I can tolerate. I can try this for my husband though!
This is one of my favorite veggies too and we add coconut as well to the curry. Your version too sounds delicious.
It’s been years I ate snakegaurd. This looks pretty simple.The struggle would be to find snake gaurd in Cleveland :)
http://dreaminloud.com
There are so many ways that this simple vegetable can be prepared. I make it with a bit of cooked moong and with grated coconut.
looks nice… husband likes dry fry this looks good will try this
Thanks and let me know how it turned out.
Love this :) I so miss all these veggies here
Thanks.. true. I miss certain veggies here too.
I dont bother to have this fingerlicking goodness curry with some rice, delicious..
Wow Vidhya! this looks nice. I have not made this way! Will try it soon :)
Thanks GB. This style goes well with phulkas. Do let me know how it turned out.
One of my favourite curries. The only thing is that I don’t add water but let it cook on its own. Cover the kadhai with a plate and add water on top of the plate. Takes longer but I like it that way.
Ohhh. Thanks for that technique. Will try that way.
Healthy and flavorful curry…bookmarked it
Sowmia – Sowmia’s Galley
Thanks Sowmia
I m not a big of this veggie so I buy it occassionally.. Ur version loks super interesting da
Thanks ma. After coming to US I am not trying this that often. But love this way. Its good for rotis and pulkas.