Podalangai kola urundai - Spicy Snake Gourd Fried Balls

Every year I rediscover vegetables that I have known forever in a new way. This year it was snake gourd. Something about home grown vegetables that makes it taste far better than anything in the store. Every year a certain vegetable does much better than the others. Maybe it is the seed or weather I am never able to tell why. So last summer it was snake gourds. I had to figure out several ways to eat this vegetable. A friend mentioned this recipe and when it comes to fried stuff who has the will power to resist?

Once the snake gourd is cooked especially when they are pan roasted they get a sweet taste and you eat them like you would roasted potatoes :) I rotuinely make sambhar, poriyal, kootu with snake gourd so this was a fried special.

In a blender roughly chop the snake gourd and remove the water by squeezing and add the ground roasted chickpea flour, grated ginger and garlic, finely chopped onions, green chilies and salt.
Make small lime sized balls and set aside. Set oil to heat in a wok.
Fry them in batches and drain them on paper napkins.

Podalangai kola urundai
Preparation Time:20 minutes
Cooking Time:30 minutes
Ingredients

1. 4 medium sized snake gourd grated or minced in a food processor - about 5 cups
2. 4 cloves of garlic - finely minced
3. 2 inch piece of ginger grated
4. 5 green chilies minced
5. 2 tsp cumin powder
6. 2 tsp pepper powder
7. 1/2 tbsp red chili powder (if needed)
8. 1/2 cup of
9. 2 tsp garam masala powder
10. 1 cup of roasted chick pea (pottukadalai/dahlia) powdered
11. salt to taste
12. Oil for deep frying

Method

1. Squeeze the grated snake gourd and extract the excess liquid from the snake gourd, once it is fairly dry mix in the other ingredients.
2. Make small lime sized balls.
3. Heat oil in a wide sized pan/wok/kadai and when hot,
4. Add the balls one by one and fry tiil golden brown.
5. Drain them on paper towels.

Serve with ketchup.

These are great as a snack or a side in a meal. Like what you are reading? Subscribe!