Chhachindra Besara Bhaja / Stuffed Snake Gourd

Hi Readers,

This is another Traditional Odia dish. In Odia cusine Besara(mustard paste) is commonly used  to stuff vegetables ad fry it. The interesting part is I never had stuffed snake gourd before my marriage. I had it in my in-laws place for the first time. My mom only used to prepare stir fry with snake gourds. I wanted to make the same dish as by my Mom in law. The best part is my husband taught me how to make the recipe.

So, here goes the recipe.

Ingredients :- 

1 large Snake Gourd (Chhachindra in Odia)

1 tbsp turmeric powder

2 tbsp mustard paste

1 tbsp garlic paste

1/2 tbsp cumin powder

salt to taste

2 tbsp oil

1 tbsp chopped coriander leaves for garnish

Method :-

Wash and cut snake gourd into 3 inch long pieces. Slit one side of it and remove the seeds. Heat a pan and add little oil to greese. Add the snake gourd pieces, sprinkle little turmeric and salt, cover and cook for 2 mins. Keep turning the sides so that it cooks from all sides. Remove the vegetable and in same pan add little more oil , add turmeric powder, mustard paste, garlic paste, cumin powder and salt. Cook in simmer just enough to evaporate the water . Do not over cook otherwise, mustard paste will turn bitter. Remove the paste. Now apply this paste in the inner part of Snake gourd and press gently to stick both sides. Now again fry these snake gourds so that brown spots appear on both the sides. Serve hot garnished with coriander leaves.