Ridge gourd does not have any strong flavor, taste or smell.  When made with a lot of spices, it brings out the flavor that mingles with the spices and make a great side dish which can be consumed with rice or any type of bread such as Naan, Paratha, Chappathi, or Roti.

Ingredients:

• 1 large Peerkangai (ridge gourd)
• 10 whole almonds
• 2 tablespoons grated unsweetened coconut
• 1 tablespoon cooking oil
• ¼ teaspoon mustard seed
• ½ cup chopped red onion
• 4 garlic cloves finely chopped/crushed
• ½ inch piece ginger finely chopped/crushed
• 1 teaspoon cumin seeds
• 1 green chili roughly chopped
• ¾ cup chopped tomato
• 1 teaspoon chili powder
• ¼ teaspoon turmeric powder
• 1 teaspoon garam masala
• ½ teaspoon mango powder
• Salt to taste

Method:

• Soak almonds in hot water for about 20 minutes. Drain water chop roughly into pieces (this is to ensure almond is ground finely into a paste)
• Add almonds and coconut to a blender and with little water grind into a smooth paste. Set aside.
• Peel ridge gourd and chop into about ½ inch cubes (after peeling I cut it into quarter lengthwise and then chopped into ½ inch pieces)

• Add cooking oil to a saucepan and once hot add mustard seeds. Once mustard seed start splutter, add onion and fry until translucent.
• Add garlic, ginger,  green chili and fry until garlic is cooked through. Now add cumin seed and fry for a minute
• Add chopped tomatoes, chili powder, turmeric and salt and cover and cook on low flame until tomato becomes to sauce consistency. Add little water at a time to ensure tomato does not dry or burn.  Add ground coconut almond paste with ¼ cup water and cook for five minutes.
• Add ridge gourd, garam masala and mango powder and mix will with the sauce. Add about ¼ cup water and cover and cook until ridge gourd is soft.  If you want to have more gravy in the curry add a little water just before turning off the flame.
• Add few curry leaves just before removing from flame.
• Yields: 3 servings as a side dish.

Note: Ridge gourd cooks very quickly and become mushy.  So add little water at a time when cooking this dish to ensure to keep the curry consistency.