Snake Gourd Mallung (Sri Lankan Snake Gourd Stir Fry)

Over the weekend, I had an inclination to try a non-Indian cuisine and I zeroed in on a Sri Lankan style. Mallung is a form of salad mixing up various ingredients, traditionally made with leafy vegetables. The green veggies are infused with the aromas of coconut and spices through a simple stir fry.
Snake gourd is a vegetable that cooks quickly once you clean it and hence this healthy recipe requires minimal time. It is made with negligible amount of oil and can be eaten in ample quantity. Make sure to choose a fresh gourd which is firm in texture. This vegan snake gourd mallung is best served with rotis or with rice and dal.
Recipe Details :
Serves: 3 pax
Time: 30 mins
Difficulty: Easy
Ingredients :

• 1 long snake gourd (500 gms)
• 1 medium sized onion, finely sliced
• 1 garlic pod, finely minced
• 2 green chillies, finely chopped
• 1 dried red chilli, finely chopped
• 1/2 tsp turmeric powder
• 1/2 cup of freshly scraped coconut or desiccated coconut
• 2 tbsp of oil
• Salt to taste

Method:

• Wash the snake gourd, peel off the skin and also remove the white layer filled with seeds from the inside of the gourd. For peeling off, because the skin is soft, it is preferred if you use the knife to scrape the skin off.
• Cut the long snake gourds into small sections. Cut each of the smaller parts in half and then into thin crescents. Place these crescents in a bowl and sprinkle salt on them and mix well.
• Heat a pan on medium flame and add the oil.
• Add onions and garlic and saute them until the onions turn translucent.
• Now add the chopped green chillies, red chilli and turmeric powder and mix them well.
• Gently squeeze and add the snake gourd now and cook for around 10 minutes on medium flame. Add salt at this stage based on the amount of salt you had sprinkled earlier in the bowl.
• Once the snake gourd crescents turn soft, add the scraped coconut and cook further for around 7 minutes.



• Switch off the flame and serve the delicious snake gourd mallung when hot.