Kovakkai & Peerkangai chutney (Ivy gourd & Ridge gourd chutney)

This is one of those simple recipes, that can be made in advance and stored for a week in the refrigerator. It goes very well with rice and ghee or as a side dish for idli/dosas.  I had tasted this chutney in a friend’s house couple of years back. When I first tasted it I couldn’t make out what vegetable it was but it was spicy and delicious. I got the recipe from her sometime later and have been making this since then at home. My friend said she follows the same recipe with brinjal, cabbage too . I usually make this only with kovakkai (tindora/ivygourd), but decided to add some peerkangai/ridge gourd to it this time. They made a great combination.

Ingredients:

• 11/2 cup chopped kovakkai/ivy gourd
• 1/2 cup chopped peerkangai/ridge gourd
• 1 tsp coriander seeds
• 1-2 small garlic
• 2-3 green chillies (or as per your taste)
• 1/2 tsp cumin
• 1 small piece tamarind (or 1/4 tsp paste)
• 1/2 tsp mustard seeds
• 4-5 curry leaves
• a pinch of asafoetida

Method:

In a pan, add oil and saute the chopped tindora and peerkangai until they r cooked and soft. You can add little salt while sauteing them.

Set them aside  and let the vegetables cool. In the same pan add little oil,  coriander seeds, cumin seeds, green chillies, tamarind, garlic pods and saute them until the coriander seeds turn golden brown and you get a nice aroma from the spices.

Grind the sauteed vegetables and the spices together. Add salt as necessary.

Temper the thogaya/chutneyl by heating oil in a small pan. Add the mustard seeds, asafoetida, curry leaves. When the mustard seeds crackle pour the tempering to the thogayal/chutney and mix well. Serve hot with rice or dosas!

(you can make the same recipe with just tindora alone or with brinjal/cabbage/ridge gourd/ turai)