Dondakaaya Chutney- Kovakkai(Tindora)Chutney-Andhra Style

Andhra food recipes are known for its spicy flavour.They make variety of chutneys and Podis.Chutneys are served with the normal meal.Chutneys are very tasty,spicy and aromatic.They make many varieties for lunch.Podi,Pickle,Chutney,pappu/Rasam,curd makes a normal lunch.I was surprised by the amount of green chillies they use for the cuisine..Of course they do add ghee to overcome this spicyness!!They make chutneys with every vegetable..And they tasted too good.So I borrowed some of their chutney recipes,decreased the number of chillies and made the delicious chutneys for my kids who are very much hesitant to have these vegetables.I either give them with rice,or with a layer of chutney on dosa..

 

Now I had started to give my kids a chutney rice,Dhal rice,curd rice and a vegetable for the lunch which I feel a complete lunch for the kids!!

 

I had been pestering my friend Santhi,native of Hyderabad to make a dish for my blog..for 2 months..She makes yummy yummy and spicy dishes..I love the bittergourd Podi that she makes!!One fine day she called me to show the procedure of this dondakaya/Tindora/Kovakkai chutney.Just grabbed my camera and jumped into her kitchen..She made it within minutes and it tasted too good for hot hot rice with ghee..

 

Thank u So much Santhi for sharing this recipe with me..

 

Ivy gourd/Tindora/Dondakaya is  a small green coloured vegetable that belongs to cucumber family.They are very healthy and rich in beta-Carotene.They also reduce the blood sugar level.It can be either stir fried,deep fried or had as a chutney..It has a crunchy texture.They are also rich in protein and fibre..

 

For the recipe please press READ MORE below..

 

INGREDIENTS:

 

1/4 Kg of Dondakaya/Ivy gourd/Tindora/

15 nos of green chillies

1 Tbsp of oil

1 Tsp of butter(Optional)

1 Tbsp of Dhania/Coriander seeds

1 Tsp of Cumin Seeds/Jeera

4-5 pearls of garlic

1 strand of curry leaves

 

 

(Since it is an Andhra cuisine it will be too spicy..So decrease the number of green chillies alone and then make it if u don't want it to be too spicy.I used 8 chillies for the chutney and had with hot rice and ghee)

 

 

PROCEDURE:

 

 

Wash the vegetables and chop them in circle shapes

In a pan add oil and saute the vegetable finely for 10-15 minutes till it gets cooked.

Keep it aside.

 

 

Take the kovakkais out on to a separate plate.

Add green chillies to the same pan and saute it.When it is half way through add a tsp of butter to it and saute it finely till the raw smell goes off.Break the chillies and then saute it or else it will splutter.

Transfer the green chillies to the plate.

In the same pan add Coriander seeds (Dhania),Cumin seeds(Jeera) and saute it.

 

 

 

 

Reserve 2 tbsp of sauted tindora to be added finally to the chutney to give a crunchy texture.

In a mixie add green chillies,dhania,jeera,curryleaves,garlic,salt,Kovakkai(the remaining portion) and grind it into a thuvaiyal/Chutney consistency by adding very little water

Then add the reserved portion of the kovakkai to the mixie and just give a single blend so that u can feel the crunchy taste of the tindora/kovakkai when u taste.

 

 

Handy Tips:

 

• Reduce the number of  green chillies according to ur taste.Add ghee to  rice to compensate the spicyness
• Instead of green chilly, dry red chilli can also be used
• Saute the vegetable finely .Only then the taste will be good.
• The chutney can be preserved in a fridge for more than a week if much water is not added.
• Can smear this chutney on bread,Dosa,Roti.
• Coconut can also be added.
• You can also temper the final chutney with mustard seeds and curry leaves.