Dondakaya Vepudu || Tindora / Kovaikkai curry

Ivy Gourd/ Tindora/ Tendli/ Kovaikkai is one least looked on vegetable. It is not very commonly seen in my grocery store. However, when I find them, I grab some of them to make poriyal, chutney, and this Dondakaya Vepudu. The first time I tasted this Dondakaya Vepudu was in an Indian restaurant back in Chicago on a buffet menu. I had no idea how it will taste and grabbed a spoon on my plate. The next rounds in the buffet, all I had was only this Dondakaya vepudu and nothing else. It tasted so good, that I tried recreating them at home. The crunch from the Ivy gourd by itself along with the peanuts and freshly pounded masala powder will definitely make your tastebuds ask more. A simple Tomato Pappu with this Dondakaya vepudu is a wonderful combination.

Check out the TINDORA CHUTNEY recipe too.

Instructions

1. Heat a pan and add a teaspoon of Oil. Once hot, add a quarter cup of peanuts to it. Sprinkle a little bit of red chilli powder and roast them till golden colour. Remove from pan and set aside.
2. In the same pan, add grated coconut and red chili. Roast them for 2 - 3 mins and remove them.
3. In a mixer jar, add the roasted coconut, red chili, garlic, Jeera seeds, and roasted Bengal gram. Grind them coarsely to a powder.
4. Add oil to the same pan and once it turns hot, add mustard seeds, Urad Dal, and Curry leaves. Sautee them until they are golden. Add Chopped onions to it and saute until they are half-cooked.
5. Add Tindora/ Kovakkai/ Dondakaya to it. Saute them for a minute or two.
6. Add turmeric powder, coriander powder, red chilli powder and salt. Sautee them until the spice powders coat the vegetables. Sprinkle some water and cook them with a lid.
7. Once they are cooked, open the lid and add powdered coconut masala to it. Mix them so the coconut coats them. Add Asafoetida powder and let cook for 2 mins until raw smell goes off.
8. Finally, add the roasted peanuts and give a quick toss. Serve hot with rice, ghee, and Dal/ Pappu.