Swaadista

If you are looking for a coconut-rich curry that’s both protein- and fiber-rich, this recipe is for you.

Made with snake gourd and field beans (called avarekalu in Kannada), cooked in a base of tomato, coconut, garlic, and spices, and tempered, this delicious curry is perfect for a weeknight dinner.

Snake gourd isn’t easy to find at Indian stores here in the US, but keep an eye out for it. For those of you who have not tasted snake gourd, I highly recommend that you try it. It has a unique and amazing taste that makes it stand out from all the other gourds used in Indian cooking. My husband and I love it, so I often cook with this vegetable.

Field beans or hyacinth beans are a seasonal vegetable. However its available in frozen form all year round.

The base of the curry is quite simple to prepare. It’s essentially just a freshly made, smooth paste of tomatoes, fresh coconut, garlic, Kashmiri red chili powder, coriander powder, turmeric, and black pepper powder.

This curry takes about 40 minutes to make right from prepping vegetables to making the curry base to cooking. You can adjust the consistency of this curry as per your preference. It tastes great with idlis, dosa, rice, or even chapatis. So, if you are planning to eat it with anything other than rice, you can make it a thicker curry. If eating with rice, just thin it out a little bit and adjust the seasoning accordingly.

I hope you try this recipe and enjoy it. Don’t forget to leave a comment or tag me on Instagram @swaadista with your creations!

Snake Gourd and Beans Coconut Curry

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Prep Time 20 minutes mins

Cook Time 20 minutes mins

Total Time 40 minutes mins

Servings: 4 people

Course: Curry, Main Course

Cuisine: Indian

Ingredients Equipment Method Notes

Ingredients

  

• 2 medium-sized snake gourds lightly scrape the skin, rinse, and dice
• 1 ½ frozen hyacinth beans or field beans (Avarekalu)
• 1 cup fresh coconut chunks
• 1 large tomato roughly diced
• 2 garlic cloves
• ¼ tsp turmeric powder
• 1 tsp kashmiri red chili powder
• ¾ tsp coriander leaves
• ¼ tsp black pepper powder
• salt to taste
• 2 tbsp melted coconut oil
• ¼ tsp mustard seeds
• ¼ tsp cumin seeds
• 1 dried red chili split into halves
• a pinch of hing
• a few curry leaves
• ¼ medium onion chopped
• 1.5 cups water
• a handful of chopped coriander leaves
• lemon juice

Equipment

• Pressure Cooker
• Blender

Method

 

1. Make the paste: Blend coconut chunks, diced tomatoes, garlic cloves, turmeric powder, Kashmiri red chili powder, coriander powder, and black pepper powder with 1/3 cup of water into a smooth paste. Keep it aside.
   
2. Heat oil and prepare the seasoning: Heat coconut oil in a pressure cooker on medium heat.

   Add mustard seeds, cumin seeds, hing, dried red chilies, and curry leaves. Once the seeds pop, add chopped onions, diced snake gourd, and the frozen beans. Sauté for a minute.
   
3. Add the coconut-tomato paste: Add the coconut-tomato paste into the pressure cooker and then add salt. Sauté for another minute.

   Pour 1.5 cups of water, stir, and bring to a boil.
   
4. Pressure cook: Close the lid and pressure cook until 3-4 whistles and turn off. Allow the pressure to release naturally.

   Adjust the consistency by adding water if necessary. Taste for salt and adjust the seasoning.
   
5. Serve: Garnish with coriander leaves and a drizzle of lemon juice; serve with rice/idli/dosa, pickles, and a salad on the side. Enjoy!
   

Notes

• You can store this curry in the refrigerator for up to 2 days and reheat it just before serving.
• Because it is rich in coconut, make sure you store it in the refrigerator as soon as it cools down, as it can go stale, especially in the summer. 

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