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Crispy Dondakaya (Kovakkai)

crispy-dondakaya
Crispy Dondakaya

I made this recipe on a whim. A popular dondakaya preparation usually served as part of the menu on special occasions like house warming ceremonies and weddings. Crisp, light and very subtly spiced, perfect for a gloomy waiting-for-the-rains day! My favorite, easy to make and stupendously good. :)

dondakaya sliced-tendli
Dondakaya (Tendli, Tindora, Kovakkai, Ivy Gourd)

Crispy Dondakaya Recipe

Recipe Source: Amma

Prep: 30 mts

Serves: 4 persons

.

Ingredients:

250 gms /1/4 kg Dondakayalu/Tendli/Ivy Gourds

oil for deep frying

For coating/batter:

1 tbsp corn flour

1 tbsp maida/all purpose flour

salt to taste

1 tsp ginger garlic paste

1/2 tsp red chilli pwd

Seasoning/Tadka/Poppu:

1 tsp oil

1/2 tsp cumin seeds

2 sprigs fresh curry leaves

2 green chilli, slit

1 Wash the dondakayalu, nip the tip and tail ends. Slice them into thin circles as shown in the image above.
2 Heat oil for deep frying in a heavy bottomed vessel. As the oil is heating, get the batter ready. In a vessel, add sliced dondakayalu, corn flour, maida, salt, ginger garlic paste and chilli pwd. Combine well such that dondakayalu are well coated.
3 Once the oil is hot, reduce heat to medium high flame, slowly drop the batter coated dondakayalu into the oil and deep fry to a golden shade. Remove onto absorbent paper.
4 Heat a small pan, add a tsp of oil, add the cumin seeds and let them splutter. Add the curry leaves and green chillis and fry for a few seconds till the aroma emanates the kitchen. Pour this seasoning over the crispy dondakayalu and serve hot as a snack or a vepudu with rice and rasam/sambar.

crispy-tindora
Crispy Tindora

Crispy Dondakaya (Kovakkai) Recipe

Prep time: min
Cook time: min
Main Ingredients:

Crispy Dondakaya I made this recipe on a whim. A popular dondakaya preparation usually served as part of the menu on special occasions like house warming ceremonies and weddings. Crisp, light and very subtly spiced, perfect for a gloomy waiting-for-the-rains day! My favorite, easy to make and stupendously good.   Dondakaya (Tendli, Tindora, Kovakkai, Ivy [...]

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By • Aug 18th, 2009 • Category: All Recipes, Andhra Recipes, Indian Fry Recipes, Indian Snacks and Starter Recipes, Indian Vegan Recipes, Indian Vegetarian Recipes, Recipes Vegetable Dishes

  • Vidzz

    Amazing recipe as always Shailu….i cannot tell you how much i have learnt thru your website..great job!!! Cant wait for your next one!

  • shaikhmohammed

    wonderful recipe. simple and delicious. thanks.

  • http://www.splitpearsonality.blogspot.com Zaara

    Wow – this is a new way to prepare “kovakkai” for me – I’m definitely going to try it out. We are facing Kovakkai overload at our house, way too much of a bumper crop and we are running out of different ways to prepare it!

  • Priya

    Great recipe… I will try it today :)

  • srividya

    this is how my cook prepared veggie chips for my brother’s wedding at home. she made such chips by deep frying veggies like ladysfinger,banana etc. awesome!

  • http://alaivani.com Jennifer

    Kovakkai is one of my favorites! I never had it in this form. I gotta try it someday…. Have to find a buddy to share it with!!

    Thanks!

  • kavitha

    wow….looking very yummy…

  • sudha

    love to eat…

  • poornima

    Lovely recipe. I would so like to try it out, unfortunately I don’t get them here. Any other vegetable that can be done the same way?

    We at home have tried this only with Dondakaya. You can use french beans and bittergourd and follow the above procedure but you need to use besan/chick pea flour instead of maida. Just ensure you do not make a flowing batter. The mixture should just coat the sliced vegetables and then deep fried. Prepare tadka, add a dash of coriander pwd just before serving.

  • Mohana

    Hi Sailu garu,
    ee recipe chala kothaga vundi
    ee roju try chesanu, chala baga vachindi
    thanx andi
    mee recipes ki (ee website) nenu fan.

  • http://eatanddust.wordpress.com Pamela

    Hi Sailu – I keep meaning to leave you a message and say how much I enjoy your recipes. I’ve been in India (Delhi) for four years and with every day that passes there seems to be more to find out about Indian food. I’m just about starting to make sense of North India but the food of southern India is a particularly delicious mystery which you’re helping to unravel. Keep up the good work. All the best
    Pamela Timms

  • Anu

    yummy !!!!!

  • vimala

    its very nice to know varieties with dondakaya, I will try it today.

  • Sonia

    top10samayal.wordpress.com/2009/02/08/chettlnadu-chicken/#comment-51

    I saw the chettinad chicken image in this blog which matched yours. Plz look into it. This I saw when I searched google images. Plz check this blog.

  • Bindiya.L

    Hi there,
    Thanks for all the awsome recepies..keep up the good work
    -:)

  • http://subhieskitchen.blogspot.com subhie

    wow…so tempting..i was looking for tis recipe since long..am too hapi aft seeing ur post..thx for sharing….nice click too!

  • JYOTI

    Hi shailu, i can imagine how tasty the above recipe will be. I would like to substitute french beans and bittergourd and also zukini which has a similar texture…only one thing i want to avoid is deep frying is there any alternative???
    do copy your response on my e-mail.
    thanks so much, hugs and smiles.

    Jyoti, this is a popular wedding menu recipe in our parts. The same recipe does not have an alternative.

    You could bake bittergourd slices like chips. You can do the same with vegetables like potato, beetroot and arbi without the ‘batter ingredients’ by coating the vegetables with olive oil and greasing the aluminium foil as well. Once baked you could sprinkle masala pwds of your choice.

  • vaishnavi

    Hi

    i don’t have corn flour at home. can i use anything else as alternative.. and can i use kakarakaya in the same recipe instead of thondakaya?

    cheers

    Substitute with besan/chick pea flour. If using kakarakaya/bitter gourd, slightly peel, slice and sprinkle little salt and turmeric pwd. Leave aside for 15 mts. Gently squeeze out the liquid and follow rest of the above procedure.

  • Gita

    Hi Sailu,

    Dis 1 is amazing!! Wonderful Recipe…n completely different one!!
    I loved it n will surely try it!!

    Gita.

  • Krishna

    Hi,

    I really enjoy this site and even though I know how to cook, I use it to inspire me every day! For me, planning what to cook takes me the longest time :)

    Sailu, could you pls do a series on healthy pregnancy snacks or meals? I need to avoid most spices and onion and garlic. It would be great if you could post some lightly flavoured healthy options as well as combinations.

    Thank you in advance.
    Krishna (i’m a female incidentally!)

  • Arati

    Dear Shailu:

    I had bought some dondakaya the other day. Usually I make it cut lenghtwise with lots of tomatoes and my hubby loves it. So when I discovered that I was out of tomatoes, I quickly went to your website for help! Thanks for this wonderful recipe! The crispy dondakaya was much appreciated by all and it has added variety to our table. Thanks for a wonderful variation! Keep those traditional recipes coming!

  • keyini

    NIce pic looks interesting!!!

  • http://preethisrecipes.blogspot.com/ Preethi

    Looks yum…. Will surely try this.

  • Haarika

    Tried this other day. Came out really good. Thank you!

  • Shubha

    I have dished out so many of your recipes sucessfully that my husband (who is an andhrite)has also become fan of your recipes. He can cook well enough to dish a decent meal. Last time, when he was on his cooking spree, he tried this crispy dondakaya recipe.

  • Rammohan rao.N

    sailus kitchen recipes are very good. Crispy Dondakaya Recipe is very good and delicious. thanks for this article. I am now in Dubai. We tried this recipe and tasted it. We want many more recipes like this.
    bye..
    Rammohan

  • drdwaraka

    drwaraka from Bali

    Instead of Dondi can we use the Bindi in the same style?

    all recipes are great & site is user friendly

    God bless you

    I thank you.

    You are welcome, Dr Dwaraka. Yes, you can use Bhindi instead of Dondakaya.

  • Farida

    Hey Sailu,

    I tried this recipe twice and both the times my husband loved it. Whatever recipes i try from ur site turn out to be a super hit. May be …that is due to ur perfect description of the measurements of the ingredients and super clear directions…which lead to the Ultimate, Superfine, Delicious (just cant pick the right word) best dishes.

    Ohhh Sailu u r an amazing woman.
    Thanks so much.

  • Swetha

    looks yummy

  • http://www.sailusfood.com/2010/02/25/beans-pakodi-kura-french-beans-fritters-stir-fry/ Indian food, Andhra recipes and Global cuisine inspired cooking » All Recipes Stir Fries Vegan recipes» Beans Pakodi Kura ~ French beans Fritters Stir fry

    [...] beans Fritters Stir fry Beans Pakodi KuraAnother of Amma’s speciality dishes. Similar to Crispy Dondakaya (Ivy Gourd/Tindora), that was appreciated by many of you dear readers, but with a slight variation. [...]

  • sarita

    Hi Sailu

    Thanks for the great recipe. I am looking for a arbi recipe. I like your recipes and the easy and simple style they are presented. Besides they are always winners. I would love to try a arbi recipe from you. Please blog one when time permits.

    Happy Ugadi to you and family

  • Poornima

    Hi Sailu, I like ur recipies so much. everyday iam giving nice food to my husband, b’coz of u. thank u so much.