Snake Gourd Recipe | Padwal Bhaji | Chichinda ki sabji
Snake gourd recipe with step by step photos – Simplicity at its best is this healthy sabzi made with snake gourd and chana dal (Bengal gram). Snake gourd is also known as padwal in Marathi, Chichinda in Hindi, Pudalangai in Tamil and Potlakaya in the Telugu language. This padwal bhaji is a vegan dish and makes for a healthy and delicious meal when paired with roti or chapati.
I use various types of gourds in my everyday cooking. So, I also end up making different recipes with various gourds at times. Sometimes, I make a sabzi or bhaji with them and at times I make sambar or a curry with them. This Snake Gourd Recipe is quite a preferred choice at home.
It is not one of these veggies that have many takers, but I really feel that you should consume it once in a while, for it is a storehouse of essential nutrients.
I make this delicious snake gourd bhaji with chana dal on occasions and it is one of the favorite dishes at home. This is a no onion no garlic recipe. The addition of onion is not required but if you want then you can add onions.
I always add chana dal in most bhajis that I make, as not only the chana dal adds some texture in the dish but also tastes good and some additional protein in the food always helps.
A few sabzi recipes with chana dal I have already shared are:
- Cabbage upkari (Konkani style)
- Chawli bhaji (Maharashtrian style)
This Chichinda ki sabji is an easy and fuss-free dish that gets done in about 25 to 30 minutes. You can serve it with chapatis or phulkas.
You can also serve it as a side dish with varan-bhaat, dal-rice, sambar-rice, or rasam-rice. This Chichinda sabji also goes well in the tiffin box with some chapatis or parathas.
How to make padwal bhaji (snake gourd recipe)
Preparation:
1. Firstly rinse 2 tablespoons chana dal and then soak them in ⅓ cup boiling hot water for 30 minutes. Cover the bowl and then soak.
2. Rinse and then peel 1 snake gourd (padwal). Cut the snake gourd in two to three pieces horizontally. Now take each cylindrical piece and cut it vertically from the center in two pieces. Remove the seeds and pith and discard them.
3. Now slice in 2 to 2.5 inches pieces. You will need 2 cups of chopped snake gourd. Also chop 1 green chili. Keep aside.
4. Heat 1.5 tablespoons oil in a shallow frying pan or kadai. Lower the flame and then add ½ teaspoon mustard seeds.
5. Let the mustard seeds crackle. Then add ½ teaspoon cumin seeds.
6. Stir and let the cumin seeds also crackle.
7. Then add chopped padwal (snake gourd).
8. Add 7 to 8 curry leaves (whole or chopped) and 1 green chili (chopped).
9. Mix well.
10. Now add ¼ teaspoon turmeric powder and 1 pinch asafoetida (hing). Mix again.
11. Drain all the water from the soaked chana dal and then add the chana dal. Mix well.
12. Add salt as per taste.
13. Add 1 cup of water.
Cooking padwal bhaji
14. Cover the pan with a tight-fitting lid and simmer the snake gourd pieces on a low to medium flame till they are cooked.
15. Do check the sabzi or bhaji at intervals to see if the snake gourd pieces are cooked or not and if the water has dried up.
If the water has dried up and the padwal or chana dal is yet to cook, then add some more water. Do note that the chana dal has to cook well. You can press a few chana dal pieces to check if they are done or not.
16. When the padwal and chana dal are cooked well and all the water has dried up in the bhaji, then add 3 tablespoons of fresh grated coconut.
If there is any water then dry the sabzi completely by cooking without a lid to evaporate the water, before adding coconut.
17. Add 2 tablespoons of chopped coriander leaves.
18. Mix well.
19. Serve snake gourd bhaji with chapatis or as a side dish with dal-rice or varan bhaat. It also goes very well as a side dish with Sambar-rice or Rasam-rice.
If you are looking for more Veggie recipes then do check:
Step by Step Photo Guide Above
Ingredients
for soaking chana dal
- 2 tablespoons chana dal (bengal gram)
- ⅓ cup hot boiling water
other ingredients
- 2 cups chopped snake gourd (padwal or chichinda)
- 1.5 tablespoons oil – peanut oil or sunflower oil can be used
- ½ teaspoon mustard seeds
- ½ teaspoon cumin seeds
- 7 to 8 curry leaves – whole or chopped
- 1 green chili – chopped
- ¼ teaspoon turmeric powder
- 1 pinch asafoetida (hing)
- salt as required
- 1 cup water or add as required
- 3 tablespoons fresh grated coconut – can also use desiccated coconut
- 2 tablespoons chopped coriander leaves
Instructions
preparation for snake gourd bhaji
- Firstly rinse 2 tablespoons chana dal and then soak them in ⅓ cup hot water for 30 minutes.
- Rinse and then peel 1 snake gourd. Cut the snake gourd in two or three pieces horizontally. Now take each cylindrical piece and cut it vertically from the center in two pieces. Remove the seeds and pith and discard them.
- Now slice in 2 to 2.5 inches pieces. You will need 2 cups of chopped snake gourd. Also chop 1 green chili. Keep aside.
making snake gourd bhaji
- Heat 1.5 tablespoons oil in a shallow frying pan or kadai. Lower the flame and then add ½ teaspoon mustard seeds.
- Let the mustard seeds crackle.
- Then add ½ teaspoon cumin seeds.
- Stir and let the cumin seeds also crackle.
- Then add chopped padwal, 7 to 8 curry leaves (whole or chopped) and 1 green chili (chopped). Mix well.
- Add ¼ teaspoon turmeric powder and 1 pinch asafoetida (hing). Mix again.
- Drain all the water from the soaked chana dal and then add the chana dal. Mix well.
- Add salt as per taste.
- Add 1 cup water.
cooking snake gourd bhaji
- Cover the pan with a tight fitting lid and simmer the snake gourd pieces on a low to medium flame till they are cooked.
- Do check the bhaji at intervals to see if the snake gourd pieces are cooked or not and if the water has dried up. If the water has dried up and the padwal or chana dal is yet to cook, then add some more water. Do note that the chana dal has to cook well. You can press a few chana dal pieces to check if they are done or not.
- When the padwal and chana dal are cooked well & all the water has dried up in the bhaji, then add 3 tablespoons fresh grated coconut. if there is any water then dry the sabzi completely by cooking without a lid to evaporate the water, before adding coconut.
- Lastly add 2 tablespoons chopped coriander leaves. mix well.
- Serve snake gourd bhaji with chapatis or as a side dish with dal-rice or varan bhaat. This sabzi also goes very well as a side dish with sambar-rice or rasam-rice.
Nutrition
This Snake Gourd Recipe post from the archives first published in September 2017 has been updated and republished on January 2023.
Hi, can we use dessicated coconut instead of fresh coconut? Also, I have Ridge gourd. Can I use that in this recipe?
yes you can use desiccated coconut. of course you can add ridge gourd. this snake gourd recipe can be easily made by substituting it with ridge gourd, bottle gourd or zucchini.
Yes certainly you can
this is good ….
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Welcome Jul. Thanks a ton for your positive feedback and best wishes. Very sweet and encouraging words from you.