By Dassana Amit
Last Updated: January 3, 2023
Vegetarian
4.50 from 12 votes • 6 Comments
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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 occasionsand 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.
Step-by-Step Guide
How to make padwal bhaji (snake gourd recipe)
Preparation:
1. Firstly rinse2 tablespoons chana dal and then soak them in⅓cup 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 add½ teaspoon cumin seeds.
6.Stir and let the cumin seeds also crackle.
7.Then add chopped padwal (snake gourd).
8. Add7 to 8 curry leaves (whole or chopped) and1 green chili (chopped).
9. Mix well.
10. Now add ¼ teaspoon turmeric powder and1 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 add3 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. Add2 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:
- Suva moong dal sabzi
- Drumstick bhaji
- Ridge gourd bhaji
- Gawar bhaji
- Shimla Mirch ki Sabji
Please be sure to rate the recipe in the recipe card or leave a comment below if you have made it. For more vegetarian inspirations, Sign Up for my emails or follow me on Instagram, Youtube, Facebook, Pinterest or Twitter.
Snake Gourd Recipe | Padwal Bhaji | Chichinda ki sabji
By Dassana Amit
This Chichinda sabzi recipe is a delicious & easy dish made withsnake gourd (padwal) and bengal gram (chana dal).
4.50 from 12 votes
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Prep Time 5 minutes mins
Cook Time 20 minutes mins
Total Time 25 minutes mins
Cuisine Konkani & Malvani, Maharashtrian
Course Main Course, Side Dish
Diet Vegetarian
Difficulty Level Moderate
Servings 3
Units
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 add3 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.
Lastlyadd 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 Info (Approximate Values)
Nutrition Facts
Snake Gourd Recipe | Padwal Bhaji | Chichinda ki sabji
Amount Per Serving
Calories 154Calories from Fat 90
% Daily Value*
Fat 10g15%
Saturated Fat 2g13%
Sodium 485mg21%
Potassium 71mg2%
Carbohydrates 14g5%
Fiber 4g17%
Sugar 1g1%
Protein 3g6%
Vitamin A 106IU2%
Vitamin B2 (Riboflavin) 1mg59%
Vitamin B3 (Niacin) 27mg135%
Vitamin C 48mg58%
Vitamin E 3mg20%
Vitamin K 1µg1%
Calcium 69mg7%
Vitamin B9 (Folate) 299µg75%
Iron 3mg17%
Magnesium 48mg12%
Phosphorus 41mg4%
Zinc 1mg7%
* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2000 calorie diet.
This Snake Gourd Recipe post from the archives first published in September 2017 has been updated and republished on January 2023.
