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.
3 to 4garlic clovesor a thin slice of peeled ginger
2teaspoonschana dal
2teaspoonsurad dal
2teaspoonswhite sesame seeds(omit if you don't have)
½ to ¾cuptomatoes(omit if you don't prefer)
2dried red chilies
3green chilies or replace with red chilies
½teaspooncumin seeds
½teaspoonsalt(adjust to taste)
⅛teaspoonturmeric
1teaspoonTamarind paste(adjust as needed, cut down if using concentrate)
To Temper
2teaspoonOil
1 to 2clovesgarlic, crushed
1dried red chili,broken
¼teaspoonmustard seeds
½teaspoonurad daloptional
¼teaspooncumin seeds optional
1pinchhingoptional
1sprigcurry 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.