Chettinad Sorakkai Kurma
Recipe contributed by P.V Narayanamoorthy
Photography Credit – Asha Shreedharan
Ingredients
- ¼ kg bottle gourd (lauki), chopped into 1″ cubes
- ½ tsp cumin seeds (jeera)
- 1 medium-sized onion, finely chopped
- 2 green chillies, finely chopped (adjust according to taste)
- ½ tsp ginger-garlic paste
- 1 cup water
- ¾ tsp garam masala
- 1 tsp coriander (dhania) powder
- Unrefined salt to taste
To Grind
- 3 tbsp fresh grated or desiccated coconut
- 1 tsp white sesame seeds (til)
Method
In a blender, make a paste of the coconut and sesame seeds with minimum water. Keep aside.
Heat a pan and add the cumin seeds. When it begins to crackle, add onion. Sauté until the onion is golden brown. Add green chillies. Sauté for a minute. Add ginger-garlic paste and sauté until fragrant and it no longer smells raw. Add the chopped bottle gourd, reduce heat to simmer and cook for 2 minutes. When all the ingredients are well mixed, add a cup of water and cook covered for 5 minutes. Then, add salt, coriander powder and garam masala. Cook for another 5 minutes.
Finally, add the ground coconut paste, mix well and cook for another 10 minutes.
Remove from heat and transfer to a serving bowl. Serve hot with any Indian bread or red, brown or black rice. Enjoy!
Serves 2