Stuffed Padwal with Mutton Kheema (Stuffed Snake Gourd)

Padwal, as it is known in Maharashtra, is snake gourd in English, Parwal or Parval in Hindi, Padaley or Podoi in Konkannim.

 It is a light green snake-like vegetable with a grey-white bloom on the skin. It is ethnic to India, especially to North India. It belongs to the cucumber family & is an elongated gourd which grows from creepers. Padwal is slender, cylindrical & tapering at the ends.

While selecting padwal for cooking, avoid padwal which is yellow, puffy, have sunken water-soaked sections or are wrinkled at their tips. For stuffing padwals, select slightly thick ones & thinner ones for preparing curries or chopped dry vegetables. You can cook padwal in various ways & in innumerable combinations.

It has immense health benefits, is low in calories, very light to digest, rich in minerals, vitamins & dietary fibre. It consists of substancial amount of moisture & cools the body. It is excellent for weight watchers & diabetics. It is a popular  home remedy for jaundice & considered as a best household remedy for  heart problems, fever & also a laxative.

Today’s recipe, is simple & quick to prepare. Besides, it is very tasty with the wonderful mince stuffing. You may even stuff with vegetables or sea food. It is an excellent starter & a side dish. Do try out this delicious preparation & enjoy it! J

Ingredients :

½ kg/ 12 pieces Snake Gourd

¼ kg. Mutton Kheema

2 med. Onions (peeled & finely minced)

2  fresh red Tomatoes (pureed)/ 3 tbsps. Tomato puree

1 tbsp. fresh Ginger paste

2 tbsps. Fresh Garlic paste

3 cloves Garlic (finely minced)

2 tbsps. Coriander pwd.

½ tsp. Turmeric pwd.

½ tsp. Red Chilli pwd.

2 tbsps. Kheema Masala pwd./ Garam Masala pwd.

½ tsp. roasted Jeera pwd.

1/3 tsp. Black Pepper pwd.

A dash of Vinegar (optional)

A pinch of Sugar or to taste

Salt to taste

1/3 cup of Water

4 tbsps. Vegetable Oil

Olive oil for drizzling

A handful fresh Coriander (roughly chopped)

Procedure for the Kheema Stuffing :

Wash the kheema lightly & marinate the mutton mince with ginger-garlic paste & a little salt for about 25 mins.

Heat a pan/wok with vegetable oil till hot.

Add the chopped onions & sauté till soft.

Then add the finely chopped garlic & sauté lightly till rawness disappears.

Add turmeric pwd., red chilli pwd., jeera pwd., coriander pwd., kheema masala pwd. & sauté on low heat for a few seconds.

Add the fresh tomato puree & sauté till the tomatoes are well cooked.

Add in the marinated mutton mince & stir well. Make sure there are no lumps. Keep sautéing for about 10 mins.

Add pepper pwd., a dash of vinegar, sugar, salt to taste & stir to combine.

Add 1/3 cup water, stir & cover to cook for another 10 mins. Check in between. The mince should be quite dry.

Add freshly chopped coriander leaves & stir once.

Take it off the heat & let the mince stuffing cool down completely.

Your stuffing is ready to be filled in the snake gourd tubes.

Preparation of Snake Gourd  :

Wash & dry the snake gourd.

Cut off the ends & scrape off the white waxy surface  lightly with the edge of a knife. (Do not use a peeler).

Chop the snake gourd into about 11/2 inch pieces & gently scrape out the pith & seeds from the tubes. Make sure the tubes are intact.

Boil water in a sufficiently large pan with a pinch or two of salt.

Drop in the tubes of snake gourd when the water comes to a rolling boil.

Let it boil for 2-3 minutes or till the tubes are tender but firm.  Do not over boil.

Switch off the heat & transfer the snake gourd tubes to a bowl with a slotted spoon or alternatively you may drain out the water by pouring the contents in a sieve or strainer.

 Let the snake gourd cool down completely.

Fill firmly  the prepared kheema stuffing in each snake gourd tube & arrange on a plate/tray.

Now heat a grill pan/non stick frying pan with a little olive oil or vegetable oil.

Arrange or gently slide in the stuffed snake gourd.

Grill on each side for about 5 to 7 mins or pan fry. You may bake in the oven if you so wish.

Drizzle olive oil if required while grilling or pan frying.

Transfer to a platter & serve hot as a starter or on the side with rice & dal, pulao or with chapattis, rotis phulkas or any Indian bread.