Transform humble snake gourd into a cool, tangy yogurt curry that’s perfect for a light lunch or as a spicy side for biryani and rice.
In this Perugu Pachadi(Snake Gourd Raita), tender pieces of snake gourd mingle with a coarsely ground coconut-chili paste, creamy curd, and a fragrant tempering of mustard, cumin, and curry leaves, resulting in a refreshing dish that soothes the palate and boosts your veggie intake.
Why You’ll Love This Raita
- Mildly Spiced & Cooling: The yogurt base balances the gentle heat of green chilies and warming spices.
- Textural Contrast: Soft, boiled snake gourd pieces meet the crunch of tempering lentils and curry leaves.
- Quick & No Onion-No Garlic: Ideal for when you need a flavorful side without allium.
- Versatile Accompaniment: Pairs beautifully with hot rice, khichdi, biryani, or simply as a dip for rotis and puris.
Ingredient Breakdown
- Snake Gourd: Mildly sweet and tender—boiled until just soft so it melds seamlessly into the yogurt.
- Yogurt (Curd): The cooling, creamy base that ties all flavors together.
- Ground Coconut Mixture: Fresh coconut, ginger, and green chilies coarsely ground with rock salt—adds body, heat, and subtle sweetness.
- Tempering Spices: Mustard seeds, cumin seeds, urad dal, dried red chilies, asafoetida, and curry leaves sizzle in oil to impart a nutty, aromatic finish.
- Turmeric & Salt: Turmeric lends gentle color and anti-inflammatory benefits; salt brings out every nuance.
🌿 Vegan Swap: Replace curd with any unsweetened plant-based yogurt like coconut or almond yogurt. It keeps the creamy texture without dairy.
How It All Comes Together
- Boil the Snake Gourd: Chop snake gourd into bite-sized pieces. Boil in water with a pinch of turmeric and salt until tender but still holding shape. Drain thoroughly.
- Prepare the Coconut Paste: In a blender, pulse fresh coconut, ginger, and green chilies with rock salt until you have a coarse, rustic mixture—this is your flavor booster.
- Combine with Yogurt: In a bowl, whisk yogurt until smooth. Stir in the boiled gourd and coconut paste, adjusting yogurt or water for your preferred consistency. Taste and season with salt.
- Temper for Aroma: Heat oil in a small pan. Add urad dal, mustard and cumin seeds. Once they pop, toss in dried red chilies, a pinch of asafoetida, and curry leaves until crisp. Pour the sizzling tempering over the raita mixture.
- Garnish & Serve: Give everything a gentle stir, garnish with fresh coriander leaves, and serve immediately.
💡 Pro Tip: Grind the coconut mixture coarsely, not too smooth—it adds a nice texture and traditional touch to the raita.
How to Serve
- Use a shallow bowl: Present it in a wide, shallow bowl so the tempering sits beautifully on top and can be mixed just before eating.
- Garnish right before serving: Add fresh coriander just before placing on the table to keep it looking and tasting fresh.
- Pair with warm mains: Serve alongside hot rice, rotis, or dosas for a contrast of temperature and texture.
Packing Tips
- Use an airtight container: Choose a leak-proof container to avoid curd spillage—rinsing the container with cold water first helps prevent curd from turning sour.
- Keep tempering separate: If packing for later, store the tempering in a small container and mix just before eating to retain crunch and aroma.
- Refrigerate if possible: If carrying in a lunchbox, place in an insulated or chilled bag to keep it fresh for a few hours.
- Avoid overmixing: Stir gently just before eating to keep the texture light and avoid making it too watery.
What Goes Along
- Vegetable Pulao Or Biryani: The fragrant rice dish pairs perfectly, letting the cool raita balance warm spices.
- Soft Rotis Or Parathas: Tear off warm bread and scoop up the raita for a comforting bite.
- Masala dosa Or idli: Crisp dosa or pillowy idli with raita adds a creamy, cooling contrast.
- Mixed Vegetable pickle: A tangy, crunchy counterpoint that brightens every mouthful.
Snake Gourd Raita
Description
This Andhra-style Snake Gourd Raita features tender, boiled snake gourd tossed in creamy yogurt and a coarse coconut-ginger-green chili paste, finished with a hot tempering of mustard seeds, cumin, urad dal, red chilies, asafoetida, and curry leaves. It’s a refreshing, no-onion-no-garlic side that complements rice, biryani, or Indian breads.
Ingredients
To make snake gourd raita
Tempering
Instructions
Prep Work
-
Chop snake gourd
Cut the snake gourd into small, bite-sized pieces.
-
Grate coconut & ginger
Grate the coconut and ginger; slit the green chillies.
-
Boil snake gourd
Boil gourd pieces in water with a pinch of salt and turmeric until tender for 8 minutes. -
Drain boiled gourd
Pour into a sieve and let the water drain completely.
Method
-
Mix coconut mixture
Into a mixer, add grated coconut, ginger, green chilli and rock salt; pulse coarsely.
-
Combine curd & gourd
In a bowl, whisk the curd until smooth with little water. Fold in the drained gourd and coconut mixture. -
Season to taste
Add the remaining salt, taste and adjust seasoning.
-
Prepare tempering
Heat oil in a small pan. Once hot, add mustard seeds, cumin seeds and urad dal. -
Finish tempering
When seeds pop, add red chilli, hing and curry leaves; sauté till crisp. -
Assemble & garnish
Pour the tempering over the raita. Stir gently and top with chopped coriander.
Equipment
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Nutrition Facts
Servings 4
- Amount Per Serving
- Calories 120kcal
- % Daily Value *
- Total Fat 7g11%
- Saturated Fat 4g20%
- Cholesterol 12mg4%
- Sodium 250mg11%
- Total Carbohydrate 2g1%
- Dietary Fiber 2g8%
- Sugars 4g
- Protein 5g10%
- Vitamin C 4 mg
- Calcium 120 mg
- Iron 1 mg
* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2,000 calorie diet. Your daily value may be higher or lower depending on your calorie needs.
