Traditional Kovakkai Rice Recipe

Toprepare the masala paste, dry roast all the ingredients listed for the masalapaste except (garlic, ginger, turmeric and asafoetida) until you get a nicearoma from all the spices and the coconut starts turning golden. (Do no burn the coconut). When done, grind everything along with the garlic, ginger,turmeric, asafoetida and little water. Set this aside

If you want to cook the vegetable separately to make it crispy either deep fry it or saute it with a little saute until they get nice and roasted. Set it aside. If you don't want to do that, add the chopped kovakkai along with the rice and skip this step

Turn on the saute mode in IP and add oil. Add the cumin seeds, mustard seeds, greenchilies, curry leaves and let the mustard splutter

Then add the onions and saute well until the onions startsturning golden brown. Now add the chopped kovakkai/tendli/ivy gourd and saute for 2 minutes. (If you roasted/ fried the kovakkai in the previously, you will not add it to the instant pot now)

Add the ground masala paste and saute for 2 more minutes. Make sure the masala paste does not burn. If you think the masala is sticking to the bottom, add 2 tbsp of water and deglaze the pan.

Switch off the saute mode. Add the peas, 21/2 cups water, rice, enough salt for the rice and cook on manual high pressure for 6 minutes. Let the pressure settle naturally. Open up and fluff with a fork.

If you did not add the kovakkai to the instant pot, you will add the roasted kovakkai to the cooked rice and mix it once it becomes a little cool.

Serve this traditional kovakkai rice with chips/ raita

Cook rice in a pressure cooker and set it aside to cool. My water to rice ratio for cooking the rice is 1:2. You can spread the cooked rice in a big plate so that they cool faster and don’t form lumps

To prepare the masala paste, dry roast all the ingredients listed for the masala paste except (garlic, ginger, turmeric and asafoetida) until you get a nice aroma from all the spices and the coconut starts turning golden. (Do no burn the coconut). When done, grind everything along with the garlic, ginger, turmeric, asafoetida and little water. Set this aside.

Deep fry the chopped/sliced kovakkai/ivy gourd and set it aside in a paper towel to remove the excess oil. Alternatively, saute them in couple of tsps of oil until they are cooked and soft.Set it aside.

Now take a large wok or pan, add 1 to 2 tbsp oil/ghee and add the curry leaves, green chilies and saute for a minute. Then add finely chopped onions and saute until the onions start turning golden brown. Then add the ground masala paste and peas to the onions and saute them until you see oil separating from the sides. The peas will also be cooked by then

Now add the cooked rice, salt as needed and mix well. Add the deep fried or sauteed kovakkai/ivy gourd to the rice and mix everything well until the vegetable is distributed evenly.

Serve hot with some papads/ raitha.