Snake Gourd with Chickpeas and Coconut

Snake gourd, when cooked just right, has a wonderful blend of textures - a mild crunch from the skin and a mellow softness from the flesh.

No fanfare this time, just a simple coming together of flavors that mean comfort for me. Growing up primarily on Palakkad cuisine, coconut was ubiquitous, as was plenty of vegetables. So, I went with a touch of salt, turmeric, and dry red chilies, with the proteins coming from chickpeas. I could eat a plate of this whole and call it a sumptuous dinner.

Ingredients

1 large snake gourd, cleaned and sliced

1 cup cooked chickpeas, seasoned

2 to 3 Tablespoon dry grated coconut

¼ teaspoon turmeric powder

3 dry red chilies, broken into smaller pieces

1 teaspoon cumin seeds

1 teaspoon mustard seeds

1 Tablespoon coconut oil

salt to taste

just enough water to immerse and cook the snake gourd

Preparation

1. Heat the oil in a pan, add the mustard seeds and cumin seeds; when the mustard seeds pop, add the dry red chilies, allow to toast a bit, then add the turmeric and snake gourd and saute a bit
2. Season with salt, cover and allow to cook till snake gourd is tender but not mushy; drain any excess water
3. Stir in the chickpeas and dry grated coconut, stir well, serve warm