Ridge Gourd Curry: For Busy Weekdays...

Ridge Gourd Curry

What a week it turned out be!!! Meetings one after another, deadlines to meet, problems to resolve, and never ending telephone conversations with clients! By the time I get back home, I feel like I am ready to hit the pillow and never bother about cooking or even eating for that matter! Yes, it was one of those crazy weeks!

While my work life has taken over my personal life, I still managed to take some time to talk to my babies, feed them and sing them lullaby! Yes, it’s been more than ten days since I have had sowed all those seeds and right now only Methi plants have sprouted with tiny (a very tiny) leaves. Keeping my fingers crossed, I hope other will follow the suit pretty soon.


As far as the cooking is concerned, we have been surviving eating a large bowl of Salad with Dal Rice or with frozen Rotis and pickle. Once really hot stove has turned really cold but microwave is thriving on all the attention it’s been getting since past few days! And it would have kept going like this if not for this delicious bowl of Ridge Gourd Curry.


This got to be one of the simplest recipes I have had created! The base gravy uses the same ingredients that I used for Stuffed Capsicums in Peanut Sauce recipe. I had some left over peanut and spice mixture for Peanut gravy and used them as base gravy ingredients for this recipe. The recipe is simple, quick and straightforward and most importantly, you needn’t stand in front of your stove stirring the ingredients. Tender ridge gourd pieces are cooked along tamarind pulp and jaggary and then in a gravy of roasted peanut powder and spices to enhance its taste. It can’t get simpler than this. Make it when you are running short of time and have no patience to chop one vegetable after another and see how simple food can taste so delicious!

Ridge Gourd

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Ridge Gourd Curry (Ridge Gourd served in Peanut Gravy)
Prep Time: 10 mins
Cooking Time: 20-30 mins
Serves: 4-5
Recipe Level: Basic/Beginner
Spice Level: Low to Medium
Serving Suggestion: With any Indian flat breads or with flavoured/steam cooked Rice

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Ingredients:
1 medium tender Ridge Gourd, slit vertically and then cut into 1 cm thick half moons
Small marble sized Tamarind Pulp/½ tsp Tamarind Paste or 2 tbsp Lime Juice
½-1 tsp Jaggery/Sugar
½ inch Ginger, grated
2 tbsp Roasted Peanuts Powder
½ tbsp Coriander Powder
¾ tsp Jeera/Cumin Powder
1 tsp Red Chilli Powder (Adjust acc to taste)
½ tsp Turmeric Powder
½-1 tsp Garam Masala (Adjust acc to taste)
Salt to taste

For Tadka:
1 tsp Mustard Seeds
Few Curry Leaves
A big pinch of Hing/Asafoetida
1 Dry Red Chilli, halved
1 tbsp Oil

Ridge Gourd Curry

Method:

1. Heat oil in a pan and add mustard seeds to it. When mustard starts to pop and splutter, add curry leaves, dry red chilli and hing and sauté for half a min.
2. Next add grated ginger and ridge gourd pieces along with turmeric powder, tamarind pulp and jaggery. Sauté, on medium flame, for about 3 minutes.
3. Next add red chilli powder, coriander powder, cumin powder and garam masala and sauté for 2-3 minutes.
4. Add about 2-3 cups of water and bring it to gentle boil. Mix in salt to taste and roasted peanut powder and mix them well.
5. Cook for another 5-10 minutes till ridge gourd is cooked well. Switch off the flame. If using Lime juice, add it now and mix well.
6. Serve this delicious Ridge Gourd in Peanut Gravy along with steam cooked rice and enjoy!

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Note:

• The ridge gourd I have used here is a tender one and hence I have kept its peel. If you are using matured ridge gourd, then don’t forget to scrape/peel the skin and then use it.
• Lemon/Lime juice should be added after you switch off the flame or else they will turn the gravy bitter.