Chow chow poriyal recipe – simple and easy South Indian style chayote squash side dish. This recipe has chow chow flavored with coconut and spices.
If you are looking for a quick side dish, then this dish is perfect. This poriyal is mildly spiced and is a delicious accompaniment to rice or rotis.
While this is a dry curry, another chayote squash dish that I make often is chow chow kootu which uses both lentils and coconut. Do try it and I am sure you will love it.
About This Recipe
Chayote squash is called as chow chow in Tamil. It is also referred to as Bangalore Brinjal. It has a pale green skin and is shaped like a pear. It is widely used in South Indian cooking.
Chow chow has a cooling effect on the body and is perfect to eat during hot summers.
Chayote has a rather bland taste and in this recipe, it is pepped up by adding spices. The coconut added at the end gives a nice earthy flavor to this dish. I am sure you will love the simplicity and flavor of this delicious side dish.
Health Benefits
- Chayote Squash
- They are low in calories
- They are rich in vitamin C.
- Chayotes are a good source of dietary fiber which helps in digestion.
- They are rich in potassium too.
Ingredients You Need
- Chow Chow: It is a pear-shaped vegetable that has a pale green skin and white flesh inside. It belongs to the gourd family, along with melons and cucumbers. Chayote is bland in taste but easily absorbs the flavors of spices. There is one single large seed inside, which is discarded. Also, make sure to not overcook it as chayote can easily turn mushy.
- Coconut: Grated coconut needs to be added at the end of stir-frying the vegetable. It gives a nice taste to the bland vegetable.
- Mustard seeds: We use black mustard seeds for tempering.
- Fennel seeds: also called as sombu in Tamil and saunf in Hindi, it gives a nice refreshing taste to the stir fry.
- Split black gram dal: (or) urad dal (without skin) is added during tempering and gives a light crunch to the dish.
- Dry red chillies: Break the chillies into smaller pieces and then add to the tempering. It gives the heat to this dish. You can substitute with slit green chillies. Adjust the quantity of chillies depending on the spice level you prefer.
- Curry leaves: A sprig of curry leaves are added to the tempering. It gives a nice flavor to the stir fry. I recommend you to not skip it, if possible.
- Turmeric powder: We need to boil the chow chow with just a pinch of turmeric powder or haldi.
- Oil: I have used refined sunflower oil. You can substitute it with sesame oil, canola oil or coconut oil.
- Salt: Adjust salt as per taste.
How to make Chow Chow Poriyal step by step
Step 1: Peel the chow chow, de-seed and chop the chow chow into small cubes. Boil the chow chow along with salt and a pinch of turmeric powder till it turns soft.
Step 2: Heat oil in a pan. Add mustard seeds. Once they splutter, add urad dal, asafoetida and dry red chillies. Fry till dal turns brown. Then add fennel seeds and curry leaves.
Step 3: Fry for a few seconds and then add the cooked chow chow. Fry on a low flame for 2-3 minutes.
Step 4: Finally add the grated coconut.
Step 5: Stir fry on high heat for a minute and remove from heat. Chayote squash poriyal is now ready to be served.
More Poriyal Recipes
A few more poriyal recipes that you will love.
Recipe Tips
- Cooking Chow Chow: Before stir-frying the chayote, we need to first boil it in water till it turns soft. Alternatively, you can steam the chayote, if you prefer. Also make sure to not overcook it as it can easily turn mushy.
- Substituting Red Chillies: You can substitute fresh green chillies for the dry red chillies. Just slit it and add it to the tempering. Adjust the number of chillies as per the spiciness you prefer in the dish.
Ingredients
- 1 1/2 cups chopped chow chow (chayote squash)
- 2 tbsp fresh grated coconut
- 1/4 tsp mustard seeds
- 1/2 tsp fennel seeds (sombu / saunf)
- 1/2 tsp split urad dal (black gram dal (without skin) / ulutham paruppu)
- A pinch of turmeric powder
- A pinch of asafoetida (hing)
- 2 dry red chillies
- A few curry leaves
- 1 tsp oil
- Salt to taste
Instructions
- Peel the skin of chow chow, discard the seed and cut the peeled chow chow into small cubes. Boil the chow chow cubes along with salt and a pinch of turmeric powder in 1 cup of water. Once chow chow becomes tender, remove and keep aside.
- Heat oil in a kadai or pan. Add mustard seeds. When mustard seeds splutter, add urad dal, dry red chillies and asafoetida. Fry till dal turns golden brown. Then add fennel seeds and curry leaves. Saute for a couple of seconds.
- Now add the cooked chow chow. Fry on low flame for 2-3 minutes.
- Finally add the grated coconut and stir fry on high heat for a minute and remove from heat. Chow chow poriyal is ready to be served.
Notes
- Make sure you don’t overcook the chayote squash or it will get mashed up.
Nutrition Information
More South Indian Recipes
A few South Indian recipes that you can try
- Karuveppilai Poondu Kuzhambu – curry leaves garlic gravy
- Palakura Pappu – an Andhra style spinach dal
- Chettinad Karamani Kara Kuzhambu – black eyed peas gravy
- Cabbage Pappu – quick dal using cabbage
Nawaz Vijayakumar says
Thank you. This turned out to be easy and tasty
Jiya Jesh says
Thanks for your feedback. Glad you liked it!