Bengali Jhinge Narkol Chenchki Recipe – Stir Fried Ridge Gourd With Coconut

The Bengali Jhinge Narkol Chenchki Recipe is a traditional Bengali dry vegetable sabzi made from ridge gourd that is tossed in a delicious blend of roasted masalas, mustard paste and coconut. Jhinge (Ridge gourd) is very common among Bengalis. Jhinge is used in fish curries and in dals as well.   Course : Lunch Ingridients : 2 Ridge Gourd (Turai/ Peerkangai) , cut into dices 1/4 cup Fresh coconut , grated 4 Green Chillies , spit lengthwise 1 teaspoon Kala jeera 1 Dry Red Chilli 1 Bay leaf (tej patta) 2 teaspoon Sugar 2 tablespoon Mustard oil 2 tablespoon Mustard seeds (Rai/ Kadugu) , ground into a smooth paste 2 teaspoon Cumin powder (Jeera) 1 teaspoon Turmeric powder (Haldi) Salt , to taste Instructions To begin making the Bengali Jhinge Narkol Chenchki Recipe, first prepare all the ingredients and keep them ready to cook.Heat oil in a kadai over medium heat; add grated coconut and roast until lightly browned. Keep aside.Make a paste of the mustard by grinding it with a little water. Pestle and Mortar works well for grinding in small quantities. In the heat mustard oil to smoking point, add kala jeera, bay leaf and dried red chilli. After chilli is well roasted, add in jhinge pieces. Stir fry jhinge pieces in low flame until it is soft and cooked through,  Once it is soft stir in the salt, turmeric powder, sugar, green chilies and cumin powder.Stir fry all ingredients in low flame, jhinge will release water and hence there is no need to add any additional water. After jhinge is well cooked add roasted coconut, the mustard seed paste and stir to cook for another 3 to 4 minutes.Once done, check the salt and seasonings and adjust to suit your taste.Serve the Bengali Jhinge Narkol Chenchki along with hot Steamed Rice, Cholar Dal and Aloo Bhaja for a warm comforting weekend lunch.