Sorakkai is not a veggie we used to buy when I was a child. It used to grow in the sprawling place behind my grandmother’s house creeping all over the shed where they used to keep cows and we got our supply when they come for a visit and now in the back yard of my MIL’s home. When my MIL visits us she always comes with bags heaped with plantains, yams, gourds and groundnuts. She still finds it difficult to understand that we city people spend so much on these veggies whereas they are able to get it almost for free in their place.
This Sunday hubby dear volunteered for grocery shopping as I was feeling very tired after a week of being sick with fever. It was a pleasant surprise when he came home with Bottle gourd as I myself was planning on a recipe to send for VOW. But I did not want to make the same sambars and the kootu’s that I used to make with sorakkai. I was pondering over what new recipe to make when I suddenly remembered book marking one of Raaga’s recipe for future use. This recipe is adapted from her with a few changes made to it by me.
You'll Need:
Bottle gourd / Sorakkai – 2 cups
Bottle gourd / Sorakkai – 2 cups
Channa Dal – ¼ cup
Onion, big – 1
Tomato, big – 1
Ginger garlic paste – 1 tsp
Red chilli powder – 1 tsp
Garam masala powder – ½ tsp
Mustards seeds – ½ tsp
Oil – 2 tbsp
Salt – to taste
Method:
Wash and peel the skin of sorakkai, remove the seeds inside them and dice it into cubes. First pressure cook channa dal for two whistles and after releasing pressure open the cooker and in a small katori place the sorakkai pieces with little water over the channa dal vessel and pressure it again for one whistle. Grind the onion, tomato and the ginger garlic paste to a fine paste.
In a kadai heat the oil and add the mustard seeds, when it splutters add the ground paste and cook it till the raw smell disappears and till the oil leave the sides. Now add the red chilli powder and the garam masala powder and mix well. Add a little water and cook it for 2 minutes. Now add the sorakkai, salt, channa dal and mix well. Cook it for another two minutes and the curry is ready.
Wash and peel the skin of sorakkai, remove the seeds inside them and dice it into cubes. First pressure cook channa dal for two whistles and after releasing pressure open the cooker and in a small katori place the sorakkai pieces with little water over the channa dal vessel and pressure it again for one whistle. Grind the onion, tomato and the ginger garlic paste to a fine paste.
In a kadai heat the oil and add the mustard seeds, when it splutters add the ground paste and cook it till the raw smell disappears and till the oil leave the sides. Now add the red chilli powder and the garam masala powder and mix well. Add a little water and cook it for 2 minutes. Now add the sorakkai, salt, channa dal and mix well. Cook it for another two minutes and the curry is ready.
I have sent this curry with chappatis for my kids lunch and I have tasted this with drumstick sambar rice and it tasted yummy. This curry is off to VOW and to the curry mela hosted by Srivalli.