Wednesday, July 22, 2020

DONDAKAYA MASALA

DONDAKAYA MASALA

Today's recipe is for a side dish from Andhra cuisine in which we use ivy gourd stuffed with masala. This goes great with rice and rotis.

Ivy Gourd, called Dondakaya in Telugu, is a commonly available vegetable in India. It is known as Tindora in Hindi, Tendle in my mother tongue, Konkani,  Kovakkai in Tamil, and Thondekayi in Kannada.

According to this article in Lybrate, Ivy Gourd has many properties that are good for our health.

Elsewhere in this blog, you will find recipes with ivy gourd such as Tendle Talasani from our Konkani cuisine, Thondekayi Yennegayi from North Karnataka, and Tindora Masala from North India.

I have adapted this from Dondakaya Masala Curry by Hyderabadi Ruchilu.




Ingredients:-
  • Dondakaya ( Ivy Gourd), 1/2 kg
  • Groundnuts, 2 tbsp
  • Coriander Seeds, 2 tbsp
  • Sesame Seeds, 2 tbsp
  • Cumin Seeds, 1 tsp
  • Fresh Coconut Gratings, 2 tbsp
  • Chilli Powder, 2 tsp or to taste
  • Kitchen King Masala, 1/4 tsp
  • Ginger Garlic Paste, 1 tsp
  • Turmeric Powder, 1/2 tsp
  • Tamarind, marble sized ball
  • Medium-sized Onion, 1
  • Salt, to taste 
  • Oil, 2 tbsp
Method:- 

Wash the ivy gourds and snip off the two ends
Make criss-cross slits in each of them without breaking them ( required for stuffing the ivy gourd with masala). Keep aside.
Chop the onion. Keep aside.

Dry roast the groundnuts in a broad, thick-bottomed kadhai  on medium heat for about 3-4 minutes. When they change colour and give off a good aroma add the coriander seeds, followed by the sesame seeds and when they start popping, add the cumin seeds and roast for a few seconds
To this add the fresh coconut gratings and sauté for a few seconds and switch off the gas
Allow the roasted ingredients to cool, then transfer to a small mixer jar
Add salt, chilli powder, tamarind, Kitchen King masala and grind to a thick, smooth paste, adding very little water
Transfer this to a bowl
Stuff the slits in the ivy gourds with this prepared masala. Please see pictures below.








Heat 2 tbsp oil in the same kadhai and when it gets hot add the chopped onion and sauté till it becomes translucent
Add the turmeric powder and the ginger garlic paste and sauté till the raw smell goes
To this add the stuffed ivy gourd- one by one
Cook covered on medium heat for about 10 minutes, flipping periodically
Cover and cook the flipped ivy gourds for another 10 minutes
Add the remaining ground paste and 1/2 cup of water and mix well
Cook for another 10-15 minutes or till the oil separates
Switch off the gas
Lastly, garnish the Dondakaya Masala with finely chopped coriander leaves
Serve hot with rotis or rice




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