Spicy Bottle-gourd curry with Coconut
Ingredients:
- 1 medium size bottle gourd (washed and cut in medium size cubes)
- 1 cup coconut (scraped)
- 3-4 tablespoon onions (chopped)
- 1″ ginger
- 5-6 cloves of garlic
- 1″ cinnamon
- 4 – 6 cloves
- A pinch of asafoetida
- 8 -10 curry leaves
- 8-10 peppercorns
- 2-3 tablespoon tamarind pulp
- 3 dried red chilies
(whole) - 2 tablespoon coriander seeds
- 1 tablespoon cumin seeds
- 1 teaspoon mustard seeds
- 1 teaspoon turmeric powder
- 3-4 tablespoon mustard oil
- Salt to taste
Preparation:
- Roast coriander and cumin seeds in a tawa and keep aside.
- Make a fine paste with roasted cumin seeds, coriander seeds, ginger, garlic, whole red
chilies, peppercorns, cloves, cinnamon, turmeric powder and scraped coconut (reserve 1 tablespoon of scraped coconut for garnishing) and keep aside. - Heat oil in a pan, sauté asafoetida and mustard seeds.
- When they begin to crackle, add curry leaves and chopped onions and fry it.
- Add bottle-gourd pieces and stir fry for 5 min.
- Add the spices paste and mix it properly.
- Add 2 cups of water, stir and bring it to boil.
- After few min add tamarind pulp, salt and mix with gravy properly and cook it for 5-6 min in a medium flame with cover.
- When the gravy becomes thick, turn off the gas.
- Serve hot, decorated with grated coconut.