Kovakkai Podi Curry Recipe – Tamil Nadu Style Ivy Gourd Stir Fry

Kovakkai is a Tamil word for Ivy Gourd or little gherkins (coccinia). These are very healthy and diabetic friendly. Kovakkai Podi Curry Recipe is a unique South Indian style stir fry which uses mildly spiced lentil mix which adds spice and tastes yummy. This lentil mix can also be used with other vegetables like, brinjal, okra and beans. Course : Lunch Ingridients : 400 grams Tindora (Dondakaya/ Kovakkai) , thinly sliced vertically 1 teaspoon Mustard seeds (Rai/ Kadugu) 1/2 teaspoon White Urad Dal (Split) pinch Asafoetida (hing) 1 sprig Curry leaves 1 Dry Red Chilli 1 tablespoon Oil Salt , to taste Ingredients For Spicy Lentil Mix 2 tablespoons Coriander (Dhania) Seeds 1 tablespoon White Urad Dal (Split) 1 tablespoon Chana dal (Bengal Gram Dal) 4 Dry Red Chillies 1/4 teaspoon Asafoetida (hing) Instructions To begin making Kovakkai Podi Curry Recipe, dry roast the ingredients mentioned in the spicy lentil mix table and grind it to a coarse mix using a hand blender or Mixer and keep aside.Heat oil in a Kadai on medium flame, add the mustard seeds, urad dal and let it splutter.Add the asafoetida, dry red chilli and curry leaves and let it splutter.Now add the sliced ivy gourds and give it a good stir.Sprinkle with a little water, mix and let it cook with the lid closed. This will take around 10 minutes.Once the ivy gourds are cooked yet firm, add the lentil spice mix and stir well.Let the ivy gourds roast on low flame for another 10 minutes, and occasionally keep stirring the mix in between.Switch off the flame once it is done.Serve the spicy Kovakkai Podi Curry Recipe along with Steamed Rice, Tomato Onion sambar, Pepper Rasam and Curd for a full course Tamil Nadu Style lunch.