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Peerkangai Kootu in an orange bowl with Kerala parotta and rice in the background.
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5 from 4 votes

Peerkangai Kootu: South Indian Ridge Gourd Curry

Cook up a delicious and healthy dish with this classic Tamil recipe for Peerkangai Kootu. Made with urad dal and ridge gourd in a light and creamy coconut-based gravy, and topped with a curry leaf tadka, this vegan and gluten-free South Indian dish is sure to make your taste buds do the happy dance.
Prep Time7 minutes
Cook Time30 minutes
Total Time37 minutes
Course: Curry
Cuisine: Indian
Servings: 3
Calories: 328kcal
Author: Adam Sobel
Cost: $6

Equipment

Ingredients

  • Peerkangai
  • ¼ cup yellow split moong dal
  • 1 ⅓ cups water
  • ½ teaspoon turmeric powder
  • 3 dried chilies Byadgi or Arbol
  • 1 small green chili minced
  • 3.5 cups ridge gourd peeled and chopped
  • 1 teaspoon sugar jaggery, coconut sugar, or evaporated cane juice
  • 1 teaspoon salt

To grind:

Tadka (seasoned oil topping):

Instructions

  • Soak the moong dal in clean water for 20 minutes.
  • After soaking, drain and rinse the dal in a mesh strainer under cold running water to remove any impurities.
  • Spread the dal on a baking pan and carefully check for any pebbles or foreign matter.
  • Put the moong dal, water, turmeric, dried chilies, and fresh minced chili in a pot and bring it to a boil over high heat. Once boiling, continue to cook for 6 minutes to start softening the dal.
  • Add chopped ridge gourd, sugar, and salt to the pot. Cover the pot and lower the flame to a simmer. Add additional water if it is running low. Cook for 10-15 minutes until the peekangai and dal are soft. 
  • While the dal is cooking, use a spice grinder or blender to grind coconut, chana dal, cumin, and peppercorns into powder.
  • Once the contents of the pot are soft, stir in the ground spices.
  • Prepare the tadka in a separate pot. Heat coconut oil in a saucepan over medium heat. After 60 seconds, add mustard seeds, urad dal, cumin seeds, asafoetida, dried chilies, ginger, and curry leaves. Lower the flame to low, and allow the spices and dal to slowly release their flavors into the hot oil for ten minutes.
  • To serve, transfer the kootu to an attractive serving bowl and spoon the tadka on top. Garnish with fresh cilantro leaves.

Notes

👉Instructions for making Peerkangai Kootu in an instant pot:

    • Soak the moong dal in clean water for 20 minutes as directed.
    • Drain and rinse the soaked dal under cold running water.
    • Place the dal in the Instant Pot along with the chopped ridge gourd, turmeric, dried chilies, sugar, salt, and water.
    • Close the lid, set the valve to sealing, and cook on high pressure for 8 minutes.
    • While the dal and peerkangai are cooking, grind coconut, chana dal, cumin, and peppercorns in a spice grinder or blender to prepare the spice powder.
    • When the cooking cycle is complete, allow the pressure to release naturally for 5 minutes, then release any remaining pressure manually.
    • Open the lid and stir in the ground spices.
    • Heat coconut oil in a separate saucepan over medium heat.
    • Add the mustard seeds, urad dal, cumin seeds, asafoetida, dried chilies, ginger, and curry leaves to prepare the tadka, and sauté for a few minutes until fragrant.
    • Place the Peerkangai Kootu in an attractive serving dish, spoon the tadka on top, and garnish with fresh cilantro leaves.

👉Instructions for making Peerkangai Kootu in a pressure cooker:

    • Soak the moong dal in clean water for 20 minutes. Drain and rinse the soaked dal under cold running water.
    • In a pressure cooker, add the moong dal, chopped ridge gourd, turmeric, dried chilies, sugar, salt, and water.
    • Close the pressure cooker lid and cook on high heat until the first whistle.
    • Reduce the heat and let it cook for another 6-8 minutes or until the dal and ridge gourd are completely soft.
    • Meanwhile, prepare the spice powder by grinding coconut, chana dal, cumin, and peppercorns in a spice grinder or blender.
    • When the dal and ridge gourd are cooked, stir in the ground spices.
    • In a separate pan, prepare the tadka by heating coconut oil, adding mustard seeds, urad dal, cumin seeds, asafoetida, dried chilies, ginger, and curry leaves, and sautéing for a few minutes until fragrant.
    • Place the Peerkangai Kootu in an attractive serving dish, spoon the tadka on top, and garnish with fresh cilantro leaves.

Nutrition

Calories: 328kcal | Carbohydrates: 29g | Protein: 8g | Fat: 21g | Saturated Fat: 18g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 0.4g | Monounsaturated Fat: 1g | Sodium: 800mg | Potassium: 241mg | Fiber: 6g | Sugar: 3g | Vitamin A: 393IU | Vitamin C: 81mg | Calcium: 98mg | Iron: 3mg