Beerakaya pachadi

Ingredients (240 ml cup used)

• 2 cups of chopped ridge gourd, scrape off the veins and do not remove the skin

•  3 to 4 green chilies slit (adjust) or red chilies

• ¼ to ½ cup of chopped ripe and red tomato pieces

• 2 ½ tbsp. of white sesame seeds or 1 tbsp each of chana dal, urad dal

• ¼ tsp cumin

• 1.5 tbsp oil for frying

Thalimpu or temper

• 1 tbsp oil

• 1 sprig curry leaves

• pinch of mustard seeds

• pinch of cumin

• pinch hing

• ¼ tsp each of channa dal and urad dal

• generous pinch of sesame seeds (optional)

• 1 garlic clove crushed (optional)

Instructions

• Dry roast sesame seeds on a medium flame till you get a nice aroma. Set aside to cool. If using dal, fry them until golden and cool.

• Heat a wide pan with oil, fry green chilli for 2 to 3 mins. set aside

• In the same pan, add ridge gourd and fry till they are almost cooked. you can fry on high for the first 3 mins and reduce the flame. set aside to cool

• Add a teaspoon of oil to the same pan and add tomatoes, salt and turmeric, fry till the tomatoes turn mushy and then dry. do not cover and cook, the taste differs.

• Powder the roasted sesame seeds to fine.

• Add tomato, gourd, salt , cumin and green chilies and grind to smooth.

• Add oil to the pan for tempering and heat.

• Add all the ingredients except curry leaves and hing. fry till golden.

• Add curry leaves and fry till crisp. add hing. mix.

• Add ridge gourd chutney to the tempered pan and mix the seasoning.

Notes

You can use tamarind if the sourness from tomatoes is not enough. You can add little tamarind paste while grinding or you can even replace tomato with a tablespoon of Tamarind paste