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.