Kantola/ Teasel Gourd Kosambri (Phagla Kosambri)

Kantola, also known as Teasel Gourd Kosambri is a dish from the state of Karnataka in India. It is made by cooking split green gram with spices and milk to make a thick paste, then adding it to boiled rice. The dish has a sweet taste with notes of coconut and cardamom

Kantola is a dish made of rice, dal, vegetables, and spices. The dish is traditionally served with Kosambri (Teasel Gourd) which has a sour taste.

Salad is known as kosambri in Kannada and kusumbri in Konkani. This is a recipe for Konkani-style kosambri/kusumbri made using shallow-fried kantola. Kantola are also known as Indian gourds or teasel gourds, and are known in Konkani as phagil. 

As a lunch side, serve this spicy kantola kosambri. It’s great with some crispy kantola and some soft, shallow-fried kantola. The onions in this spicy salad provide a wonderful crunch. 

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What’s your favorite kantola preparation? I like kantola that has been shallow fried. Delicious salted shallow fried kantola. When they’re shallow fried in oil, they become a bit crunchy on the outside and a wonderful combination of soft and crispy kantola on the inside, as seen in the photo below. Have you ever tried them? Then you should, since every time I fry kantola to create kosambri, I end up eating it all before it ever gets to the kosambri stage. I’m a total pig. 🙂

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Kantola dishes in Konkani cuisine include:

rava fry – pan fried kantola (phagla phodi in Konkani),

kantola slices (phagla phodi in Konkani), shallow fried

kantola fritters (phagla bajo in Konkani), kantola fritters (phagla bajo in Konkani), kantola fritters

kantola (phagla sasam in Konkani) shallow fried in coconut chutney

Kantola pickled in a spicy Konkani manner (phagla koot/tambut in Konkani)

salad kantola (phagla kosambri in Konkani).

Kantola is also used in different curries with other vegetables, such as in Konkani cuisine’s gajbaje ambat. There’s a lot more to kantola.

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Here’s how to make phagla kosambri.

Ingredients:

3-4 finely chopped kantola 1/2 cup coconut grated 4 red dried chili peppers 1 teaspoon seeds of coriander 1/2 tamarind (around the size of a lemon) 1 medium sized onion – 1/2 cup finely chopped onions a quarter cup of oil season with salt to taste

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2 – 3 people

Time to Prepare: 35 minutes

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Method of Preparation:

1. Remove the kantola’s stem and bottom part. They should be well cleaned.

2. Chop the kantola finely. Distribute the dice evenly.

If the kantola pieces aren’t all the same size, the smaller ones become crispy quickly and are roasted more, while the larger ones stay raw. That’s OK if you like a combination of just cooked enough and crunchy teasel gourds. If not, cut them carefully so that the pieces are all the same size.

3. Place them in a mixing basin. Mix the chopped kantola with salt and toss thoroughly.

4. Set them aside for a half-hour to absorb the salt. They release water and become mushy at this period. This step also speeds up the frying process. 

5. After half an hour, press the kantola slices with your hands to drain any extra water and place them in a non-stick pan.

6. In a nonstick frying pan, heat the oil and fry the kantola pieces until they are cooked through over a medium temperature.

7. Saute them from time to time to achieve even roasting. 

8. Remove them from the fire after they are evenly cooked. 

They begin to brown after they are cooked. When they’re somewhat browned, they tend to crisp up as they cool. If you want them extra crispy, fry them for a few minutes longer, but don’t let them burn. If you want them tender, don’t let them brown. After cooling, they stay soft and maintain their flavor, which is fantastic! Personally, I prefer soft to crunchy. Just enough fried, salty kantola, and it’s delicious! I simply gorge myself on them.

9. Allow the shallow-fried kantola to cool fully before serving. When shallow frying, the quantity of kantola is greatly reduced.

10. In the meanwhile, create the ground masala for this kosambri.

11. In a tempering pan, heat the oil, add the coriander seeds, and the broken pieces of dried red chilies, and cook for a minute. Take them off the fire and set them aside to cool.

12. Grind them, together with shredded coconut and tamarind, into a dry, coarse powder without adding any water after they’ve cooled fully. Set aside the ground masala.

13. In a mixing dish, combine the cooked kantola pieces with finely chopped onions, ground masala, and salt (if needed).

14. Serve it as a lunch or supper side dish.

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Observation:

1. If you’re in a rush, a simplified version of this kusumbri/kosambri is also available. Fried kantola may be combined with freshly grated coconut, finely chopped onions, and salt. Also, leave out the ground masala. This basic kosambri tastes fantastic as well.

2. Bitter gourd may be used in place of kantolas in this kosambri. Karathe kusumbri, as it is known in Konkani, is equally delicious. 

3. The same method may be used to make surna (elephant foot yam, suran) kosambri. 

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You may also like the following salads/kosambris/kusumbri:

Salad with Radish and Curds (Mulangi Salad)

Kusumbri Carrot (Carrot salad with delicious seasoning)

Bitter Gourd Salad Recipe from Konkani Cuisine (Karathe Kusumbri)

Also, a wonderful high-protein colorful salad. Give them a shot.

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Tags: phagil, teasel gourd, kosambri, side dish, kantola, Konkani recipe, Konkani dish, Konkani cuisine, Udupi cuisine, Mangalore cuisine, Konkani cuisine, Mangalore food, Konkani cuisine

Kantola/ Teasel Gourd Kosambri (Phagla Kosambri) is a dish from the Indian cuisine. It is made by cooking meat with vegetables and spices in a saucepan, or using pressure cooker. Reference: kantola curry.

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