Peerkangai eral kootu/ Ridge gourd prawn kootu is a simple and quick to make coconut based gravy/ kootu prepared with Ridge gourd/ Peerkangai and chana dal that goes excellent with rice for lunch. I have earlier posted 3 kootu varieties like this
But this particular kootu was truly yummy because I cooked it in clay pot that I bought from ZISHTA. I have mentioned in many earlier posts as well about their collection of traditional vessels so not going to bore you guys with the same.
As many of us know not only the flesh of Ridge gourd is edible but the skin too so here are 2 recipes that I cooked with Ridge gourd earlier:
So let’s get to the making of Ridge gourd / Peerkangai kootu!
PREP TIME
COOK TIME
TOTAL TIME
SERVES
10 min
30 min
40 min
3
Ingredients
Ridge gourd/ Peerkanagi – 1
Channa dal – ½ cup
Prawn – 1 cup
Onion – 1 (medium sized)
Tomato – 1( small)
Turmeric powder – ¼ tsp
Salt – to taste
FOR GRINDING
Grated coconut – 2 tbsp
Green chilli, – 1 or 2
Garlic – 2
Ginger – small chunk (optional)
FOR TEMPERING
Mustard seeds – 1 tsp
Urad dal – ½ tsp
Jeera/ Cumin seeds – ½ tsp
Curry leaves – a sprig
Oil- 2 tbsp
Note
* 1 cup = 235 ml
How to make Peerkangai eral kootu with step by step images
Wash, Soak and pressure cook chana dal in 1 cup water for 2 whistles. Keep the cooked channa dal along with the water. Do not drain the water as it contains nutrients.
Wash, peel and chop Ridge gourd/ Peerkangai as seen in the collage.
In a blender add grated coconut, ginger garlic, green chilli and jeera. Grind it into corse paste adding little water. Keep it aside.
Heat oil in a pan/ kadai, to it add mustard seeds when it splutters add urad dal, jeera, and curry leaves. Now add chopped onion and saute.
When the onions look sauteed add the coarse ground coconut paste. Saute it for a while.
Now add chopped tomato and turmeric powder. Saute well.
When tomatoes turn soft, add chopped ridge gourd and salt. Mix well. Let it cook, there is no need to add water as this vegetable leaves enough water in which it will get cooked.
When the ridge gourd (ridge gourd gets cooked really fast so make sure to add shrimp on time) is cooking add shrimp and salt. Saute well. Let the shrimp cook for 5- 8 minutes. At this stage you can add ½ cup water but not more than that because water from ridge gourd and shrimp will be enough to cook it.
When ridge gourd and shrimp is almost cooked add cooked dal with water. Allow the mixture to boil well. Serve it hot with rice.