Beerakaya Tomato Kura
Beerakaya aka ridge gourd is a favorite vegetable of mine. Most often I make a milk based ridge gourd dish, Beerakaya Paalu Posina Kura, which makes for a delectable side with both rice and rotis or beerakaya kootu or ridge gourd pachadi.
Today, its a Beerakaya Tomato Kura, an everyday Andhra style vegetarian curry, simple to make and tasty. Do not omit the jaggery and saunf (aniseed) because they both give this curry a savory yet sweet flavor. Ridge gourd tomato curry goes best with rotis but tastes equally good with rice.
Ridge gourd Tomato Curry
Beerakaya Tomato Kura ~ Ridge gourd Tomato Curry Recipe
Prep time: 10 min
Cook time: 40 min
Yield: 4
Main Ingredients:
ridge gourd tomato
Ingredients
- Ridge gourd - 2 to 3, medium size, peeled and chopped into small pieces (use tender ridge gourd)
- Tomatoes - 2, finely chopped
- Onion - 1, finely chopped
- Green chilies - 2, slit length wise
- Turmeric powder - 1/4 tsp
- Red chili powder - 1 tsp
- Coriander powder - 1/4 tsp
- Methi powder - small pinch (roasted fenugreek powder)
- Saunf powder - large pinch, (aniseed)
- Jaggery - 1/2 tsp (or sugar)
- Coriander leaves - 1 tbsp, finely chopped
- Poppu/Tadka/Tempering:
- Mustard seeds - 1/2 tsp
- Garlic cloves - 5, lightly crushed
- Curry leaves - 1 sprig
- Cooking oil - 1 tbsp
Method
- Heat oil in a cooking vessel, add the mustard seeds and allow to splutter. Add crushed garlic and curry leaves and saute for a few seconds.
- Add the chopped onions and green chilies and saute for 4 mts. Add turmeric powder and chopped ridge gourd and cook on low to medium flame for 4 mts.
- Place lid and cook for 10 mts. Add red chili powder, coriander powder. saunf powder and roasted methi powder and cook for 2 mts.
- Add the chopped tomatoes and cook with out lid for 5 mts. Place lid and cook for 5 mts. Add a small cup of water, salt, jaggery and garam masala powder and place lid.
- Cook on medium flame till it reaches curry consistency. Once done, remove onto a serving bowl and garnish with chopped coriander leaves.
- Serve warm with rice or rotis.
Tips
- Towards the end of the cooking process, you can add a pinch of garam masala as a variation to the above curry recipe.
- If you do not have roasted methi powder, you omit it OR add 1/4 tsp of kasuri methi (dried fenugreek leaves) when sauteing the onions.
Beerakaya Tomato Kura, an Andhra style vegetarian curry that is simple and quick to make. Ridge gourd tomato curry goes well with rice and rotis.
