Sorakaya Pachadi ( Bottle Gourd Chutney)

Updated: August 7, 2022, By Swasthi

Sorakaya Pachadi is a spicy, hot and tangy Andhra style bottle gourd chutney. Pachadi translates to something crushed and here sautéed bottle gourd is crushed with cumin seeds, garlic, chilies, lentils and tamarind. It is finished with a tempering of cumin, mustard seeds, garlic, red chilies, hing and curry leaves for a flavor packed dish.

About Sorakaya Pachadi

This Sorakaya Pachadi is a nutrition packed side and is a staple in the Telugu speaking households and restaurants. Our traditional meal is incomplete without a fresh roti pachadi (chutney made in a mortar pestle) on the side. Mixed with hot rice and ghee, it’s a delight to the taste buds.

Sorakaya is the Telugu word for Bottle gourd. Though they are not a squash they are known as opo squash and the longer variety are known as long melon. In Hindi these are known as lauki and used to make numerous dishes like Lauki sabzi (curry), Stir fry Bottle Gourd curry, parathas and Sorakkai Kootu.

The next time you are too bored with a lauki sabzi or stir fry, try out this recipe and I am sure you will love it. Though traditionally this was made using a stone mortar pestle, you can make it using a mixer/grinder or a blender.

Unlike the other kind of Indian chutney, this is not made super fine or smooth. A slight coarse texture is desired and you can easily get that by pulsing the ingredients in your blender. You can make a small batch of this and serve it for a couple of days. I reheat it in the IP for a few minutes but it can be done on the stovetop in a pan. This sorakaya pachadi can be eaten with rice, dosa, chapati or roti.

Make sure you use a tender and firm bottle gourd. Avoid using old/ mature veggie with plenty of seeds as they can taste bitter. I use a small amount of white sesame seeds here, you may omit them if you do not have.

sorakaya bottle gourd swasthis recipes lauki

Photo Guide

Step by step Instructions

1. Dry roast red chilies, chana dal and urad dal to golden and aromatic. To the same pan, add sesame seeds and cumin. Roast until the sesame seeds begin to splutter. Transfer to a wide plate and cool.

toasting dal sesame

2. Add a tsp of oil to the same pan, fry green chilies and garlic or ginger until the chilies are blistered. Remove to a plate. Add the peeled and chopped bottle gourd. Saute on a high flame for 3 to 4 mins. Cover and cook until they turn completely soft and lose the raw flavor. I have sauteed the gourd and tomatoes separately but if you want, you can do them together.

frying chilies gourd in oil

3. Transfer the cooled dal to the chutney jar and move the bottle gourd to the plate.

cooled dals to the jar for sorakaya pachadi recipe

4. If you don’t like to use tomato, you can omit this step. Add chopped tomato to the pan and sprinkle turmeric and salt. Saute till the tomatoes turn completely mushy. Move this to the plate and cool down.

frying tomatoes until mushy to make sorakaya pachadi

5. Powder the dal to a fine powder.

powdered dals in jar

6. Scrape off the sides and add cooled bottle gourd, tomato, green chilies, and ginger/ garlic.

blending tomato gourd

7. Grind to a coarse chutney. Heat oil in the same pan. Add mustard seeds, cumin seeds, urad dal, broken red chili, crushed garlic and curry leaves (pat dry to avoid splatters). When the dal turns golden, turn off the heat. Add hing, tamarind paste and the sorakaya pachadi. Mix well and taste test to adjust salt and tamarind. If you want you may add 1 tablespoon coriander leaves but they are not used traditionally.

season with mustard cumin hing to make sorakaya pachadi

Serve sorakaya pachadi with rice and ghee or with dosa , chapathi.

Sorakaya Pachadi Recipe

Expert Tips

  • You can substitute green chilies with red chilies and ginger with garlic. Using 2 kinds of chilies impart better flavors. If you want you may use only red or only green.
  • If you want you may add tamarind at the time of grinding.
  • I prefer not to cook down the lentils with veggies because the nutty flavor is lost. But if you want, you may saute and cook down all the ingredients together.

Related Recipes

Recipe Card

Sorakaya Pachadi Recipe

Sorakaya Pachadi (Bottle Gourd Chutney)

5 from 12 votes
Sauteed bottle gourd is crushed with chilies, tomatoes and spices, finished off with a tempering to make a delicious side dish. Serve with hot rice and ghee, dosa, roti and chapati.
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For best results follow the step-by-step photos above the recipe card

Prep Time15 minutes
Cook Time15 minutes
Total Time30 minutes
Servings1 cup
AuthorSwasthi

Ingredients (US cup = 240ml )

  • 2 cups bottle gourd peeled and cubed
  • 3 to 4 garlic cloves or a thin slice of peeled ginger
  • 2 teaspoons chana dal
  • 2 teaspoons urad dal
  • 2 teaspoons white sesame seeds (omit if you don't have)
  • ½ to ¾ cup tomatoes (omit if you don't prefer)
  • 2 dried red chilies
  • 3 green chilies or replace with red chilies
  • ½ teaspoon cumin seeds
  • ½ teaspoon salt (adjust to taste)
  • teaspoon turmeric
  • 1 teaspoon Tamarind paste (adjust as needed, cut down if using concentrate)

To Temper

  • 2 teaspoon Oil
  • 1 to 2 cloves garlic , crushed
  • 1 dried red chili ,broken
  • ¼ teaspoon mustard seeds
  • ½ teaspoon urad dal optional
  • ¼ teaspoon cumin seeds optional
  • 1 pinch hing optional
  • 1 sprig curry leaves (pat dry)


Instructions

  • Wash bottle gourd under running water. Peel and chop to bite sized pieces.
  • Heat a pan and dry roast red chilies, chana dal and urad dal till light golden and aromatic. Add sesame seeds and cumin. Roast until the sesame seeds begin to splutter. Remove to a plate to cool down.
  • Heat oil in the same pan. Fry garlic and green chilies until blistered. Remove to a plate. Add bottle gourd, tomatoes, salt and turmeric. Saute for 3 to 4 mins on a high heat and cook covered until the gourd is tender. Cool down.
  • Meanwhile powder the roasted lentils to a fine powder and add the bottle gourd mixture, green chilies and garlic. Make a coarse paste.
  • Heat oil to temper in the same pan. Add mustard, cumin, urad dal, crushed garlic, red chilies and curry leaves. Let fry until the dal turns golden.
  • Turn off and add the hing, tamarind paste and sorakaya pachadi. Mix well and taste test to add more salt or tamarind paste.
  • Serve sorakaya pachadi with hot rice and ghee. It also goes well with roti, chapati or dosa.


Notes

  • Traditionally garlic and cumin seeds are added raw but I am cooking them first. If you want you may add them directly to blend.
  • If you want you may avoid tomatoes and tamarind. Simply squeeze lemon juice at the time of serving.

NUTRITION INFO (estimation only)

Nutrition Facts
Sorakaya Pachadi (Bottle Gourd Chutney)
Amount Per Serving
Calories 336 Calories from Fat 72
% Daily Value*
Fat 8g12%
Sodium 646mg28%
Potassium 1287mg37%
Carbohydrates 58g19%
Fiber 14g58%
Sugar 17g19%
Protein 12g24%
Vitamin A 1615IU32%
Vitamin C 262.9mg319%
Calcium 212mg21%
Iron 8.6mg48%
* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2000 calorie diet.
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About Swasthi

Iโ€™m Swasthi Shreekanth, the recipe developer, food photographer & food writer behind Swasthi’s Recipes. My aim is to help you cook great Indian food with my time-tested recipes. After 2 decades of experience in practical Indian cooking I started this blog to help people cook better & more often at home. Whether you are a novice or an experienced cook I am sure Swasthiโ€™s Recipes will assist you to enhance your cooking skills. More about me

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5 stars
Your blog is awesome….
What i like more is you indicate the perfect season to prepare the dishes. And also mentioning the changes to be made to the recipe in different seasons is a brilliant thing and thank you for that. Eating unseasonal food nowadays making everyone sick. Your blog is a boon to me

5 stars
Tried this recipe, and it came out extremely well! thank you so much!

Good

5 stars
Tried sorakay and mullangi pachadi…… Came out very well…. My husband liked them a lot.
Thanks much for wonderful recipe’s Swasthi….. ๐Ÿ™‚

If possible could you please make a post on coriander leaves pickle??

5 stars
Superb. I did exactly and the dish was very tasty with all the right ingredients. Thanks

I stumbled upon your blog while searching for some recipes.The recipes you have posted look authentic and delicious I willl definitely try them and post the feedback