Beerakaya Pappu / Ridgegourd dal

(Serves 4 )

Needed :

1. Beerakaya/Ridgegourd - 1
2. Toordal - 1 cup
3. Grated coconut - 1/2 cup
4. Jeera - 2 table spoons
5. Green chillies - 4
6. Turmeric - a pinch
7. Salt - a pinch
8. Oil - 1 table spoon
9. Chana dal - 1 tea spoon
10. Urad dal - 1 tea spoon
11. Mustard seeds - 1 tea spoon
12. Asofaetida - a pinch

Method :

• Scrape the edges of the outer skin of the ridgegourd.
• Wash the vegetable and cut it into pieces.
• Boil the vegetable in water till it gets cooked.
• Cook toor dal in water in a pressure cooker or microwave it for 40 minutes.
• Meanwhile grind coconut, green chillies and jeera into a coarse paste.
• Once the vegetable is cooked, add the cooked toor dal, grinded mixture, turmeric and salt.
• Add half cup of water and cook on low flame.
• After 10 minutes, season the dish with  oil, chana dal, urad dal, mustard seads and asofaetida.

Beerakaya Koora / Ridgegourd curry

Ingredients

1. Ridge gourd - 2
2. Onion - 1
3. Green chilly - 1
4. Mustard seeds - 1 teaspoon
5. Cumin seeds - 1 teaspoons
6. Urad dal - 1 teaspoon
7. Asoefatida - a pinch
8. Turmeric - 1 tea spoon
9. Salt as needed
10. Red chilli powder - 1 tea spoon
11. Milk - 1/2 cup
12. Oil - 2 tablespoons
13. Sugar - 1 tablespoon

Method

• Peel the skin of ridge gourd and wash them thouroughly.
• Cut them into pieces and have them aside.
• Chop onions and green chillies.
• Heat the oil in a pan.
• Add mustard, cumin and urad dal.
• Fry them till they splutter.
• Add a pinch of asoefatida and saute the mixture.
• Add onions and greenchillies and fry till the onions turn brown.
• Add the ridge gourd pieces and saute with the mixture.
• Add a spoon of oil if needed.
• Close the lid and cook the vegetable in steam on a medium flame.
• Saute the mixture every 5 minutes to ensure that vegetable doesn't get charred.
• Once the vegetable is half cooked, add milk and cook again with closed lid.
• Keep sauting in between and once the vegetable is totally cooked add turmeric and salt.
• If you need the curry a little spicy, add a teaspoon of red chilly powder at this stage.
• Saute the entire mixture for a minute, add a table spoon of sugar, mix and cook for half a minute with closed lid.
• Switch off the flame, place the pan with the closed lid aside.
• Serve after 10 minutes to enjoy the aroma and taste.