Sauteed Chayote with Coconut Flakes

Chayote was an untried, untasted vegetable for me until an article in The Awl piqued me enough to cook with it.

Since then, it is as if Destiny has been conspiring to make me eat the chayote. Every few days I get a sign that points me towards this modest squash. The latest was this scene from the film Chef:

Don’t know what Saif heard when he held the said vegetable to his ear, but his arched brows communicate a solid "I approve" for the chayote that cannot but transmit to the audience. 

That very evening, I brought back a bag of chayote from the market.

I usually cook the chayote in this easy stew form. Today I went for a south-Indian style sautéed chayote with fresh coconut flakes.

You Need:

• Chayote (chow chow) – 3 (500 grams)
• Green chilies – 2 or 3
• Chana dal – 1 tablespoon
• Split urad dal – 1 teaspoon
• Dry red chili – 1
• Mustard seeds – 1/2 teaspoon
• Asafoetida powder – a pinch
• Oil* – 1/2 tablespoon
• Coconut – 1 small cup of cubes (~ 2 tablespoons flakes)

*Peanut/sesame/coconut oil works well with this recipe.

In the picture above (clockwise from top-right): chana and urad dal, coconut cubes, green chilies, chayote (chow chow).

How To Make Sautéed Chayote with Coconut Flakes:

1. Prep steps

a) Soak the dals [two hours before you cook]: Place a tablespoon of chana dal and a teaspoon of urad dal in a small bowl. Wash the dals in several changes of water till the water runs clear.

Fill the bowl to the brim with water and let the dals soak in the water undisturbed for two hours. The dals would have plumped up and softened in this time.

Drain the water from the soaked dals. Keep aside for now.

b) Peel and chop the chayote: Peel the chayote and chop it into bite-sized pieces. The chayote’s surface may have tricky folds on it – to peel those parts out, make inward triangle-shaped notches with the knife and pry the skin out. Discard the seed.

c) Make coconut flakes: I use my good old chutney grinder for this – place broken fresh coconut in the grinder and activate it for a couple of seconds. Check and repeat if it hasn’t reached flake-like consistency yet.

You could grind finer too – I just prefer the coconut flaky in this recipe.

d) Chop the green chilies.

2. Cook

Heat half a tablespoon of oil in a pan.

When the oil is hot, add to it mustard seeds and as soon as they splutter, follow with asafoetida powder, and a broken red chili.

Stir and add the soaked and drained chana+urad dal.

Sauté for 3-4 minutes on medium/low heat, or till the dals have turned a shade darker.

Follow with chopped green chilies, chayote and salt to taste. Give it a good stir.

Cook covered on medium heat for the next few minutes, stirring once in a while in between to allow even cooking. I cook this till the chayote is tender but retains shape when pressed with a spatula – this takes 7-8 minutes. Cook a few minutes longer if you want the veggies softer.

At this stage, add fresh coconut.

Stir and switch off the heat.

Let the dish stand covered for another 5 minutes.

Sautéed chayote with coconut flakes is ready.

Serve warm.

Meal below: chapatis, raw mango dal, sautéed chayote with coconut flakes.

Notes:

Looking for more ways to use fresh grated/flaked coconut? Try pineapple sweet corn rice with coconut, cabbage coconut curry, a fresh chana dal kosambari…or go the sweet way: coconut date bonbons, cranberry banana chia pudding.

Also try other chayote dishes: chow chow raita, chayote tomato curry, chayote apple salad.