kundru alu tamatar ki subzi

 

I like kundru (Ivy gourd or tendli) a lot although my mom used to cook it only like this kundru ki lehsuni bhujia. I remember my research guide Dr. Maya Goyle used to bring a really nice kundru ki subzi and as she would always pack a lunch box for me as well, I have enjoyed a lot of her cooking too. A senior in my lab also used to bring some Tamil style food and that also had some kundru sometimes, the reason was that everyone cooked whatever was in season back then. I have been blessed indeed in matters of food. 

Later when I made some other versions of kundru in my own kitchen, the flavours were the reminiscences of those lunch boxes we enjoyed together, exchanging recipe notes most of the times. 

Recently when I tried adding kundru to the potatoes my husband loves in his lunch box, I thought of adding some tomatoes to make it a saucy subzi that can be eaten on its own with boiled eggs. He has stopped taking rotis or rice in his lunch box to keep it light, he thinks a full meal makes him feel sleepy in the office. I agree to that.

The saucy kundru ki subzi turned out to be so flavourful that I have been repeating it whenever I see some fresh kundru in the market. 

Ingredients 

(2 large servings) 

250 gm kundru sliced thickly 

One large potato (100 gm or so) boiled, peeled and diced

2 large tomatoes (150 gm approx) diced 

2 tsp minced garlic 

1/2 tsp red chili powder or to taste or paprika powder

Salt to taste 

1/4 tsp turmeric powder 

Pinch of pepper powder 

1 tbsp mustard oil 

1/2 tsp seeds of fenugreek 

Procedure 

Heat the mustard oil in a deep pan and tip in the fenugreek seeds. Add the minced garlic as soon as the fenugreek turns deep brown and aromatic, tip in the sliced kundru over it and toss to mix. 

Now add the cubed potatoes, toss to mix well. Add the salt, turmeric, pepper and chili powders and mix. Keep tossing for 3-4 minutes till the vegetables look glazed. Now add the tomatoes, mix and cover to cook for 5 minutes on low flame. 

The tomatoes should get pulpy by the end of 5 minutes. Mix well and sprinkle some water if you need to make it more saucy. 

Serve as desired. It makes a nice subzi to be served with roti or dal chawal meals, we usually eat it with boiled eggs as a salad for our lunch. The instagram picture will give you an idea how we prefer eating many of subzis.

Kundru ki subzi with potatoes and tomatoes is the simplest of recipes I have made till date. Sometimes I just add everything together and cover for 8-10 minutes and give it a good stir in the last step. The subzi tastes great every time. The garlic, chili or paprika and tomatoes make a flavourful base for kundru, which is a slightly tart vegetable and has a great texture too. 

everyday subzi: kundru pyaz nariyal ki subzi | ivy gourd stir fry with shallots, coconut and curry patta in sambar masala

Kundru is the Ivy gourd, Tendli or Tindora in different parts of India. It is one of those convenient vegetables that don't need peeling so the preparation time is really suitable for most urban cooks. Just rinse the kundru and slice them, it cooks faster than many vegetables unless you want to change the texture. I like it with a bite so almost half cooked is good for me. Kundru has great nutritional value too, read it all here.

Everyday subzis cannot be simpler than this. Kundru ki subzi is not a very welcome dish in most families but I have always loved this slightly sour little gourd. The most frequently made stir fry with ivy gourds was this kundru ki lasuni bhujia that we always love with our daal chawal meals. This recipe with coconut was introduced to me by a senior in my research days. She used to bring it in her lunch box and we used to share our food, not to mention that I always loved whatever she brought just because it smelled of sesame oil and had loads of coconut in it always.

After so many years when I started making this kundru with coconut and southern spices, I had very little memory of what I tasted back then so I resorted to this quick stir fry with ready made sambar masala. It didn't disappoint me at all.

ingredients
(2 servings)
sliced kundru 1.5 cup (250 gm)
sliced shallots (or baby onions) 100 gm or 3/4 cup
curry patta about 12 strings or a generous handful
grated fresh coconut 2 tbsp (I used frozen)
sambar powder 1 tbsp
salt to taste
sesame oil 1 tbsp

procedure

Heat the sesame oil in a kadhai. Preferably cast iron kadhai or a thick base pan would be good. Tip in the curry patta as soon as the oil gets hot, followed immediately by onions and sliced kundru.

Add salt and keep tossing the vegetables, lower the heat after a couple of minutes and keep cooking for about 5-8 minutes or till the kundru gets cooked and the onions get nicely caramelized.

Now add the sambar powder and the grated coconut, stir and cook for a couple of minutes and take the pan off the stove. Serve hot or at room temperature, this stir fry tasted great any way.

This is a good subzi for lunch box and keeps well in the fridge for a couple of days.

kundru ki lehsuni bhujia : ivy gourd cooked with chilly garlic

Kundru is also called as tendli, tindora or Ivy gourd. A vegetable you don't need to peel and that helps a lot when you eat loads of vegetables every single day. I love okra and green beans more for the same reasons. These vegetables can be cooked just after rinsing them well, I wont mind the stalk attached to my okra or even the green beans. Kundru or tendli has nothing to be discarded, such a good design by nature. just slice them in rounds or in wedges and stir fry whatever way you like it.

Great source of soluble fiber and vitamins(A and C) and minerals. Good anti-oxidant food. The tiny Ivy gourds have potential to  stabilize mast cells (related to allergies), good antihistamine and anti anaphylactic. It means it is a good choice for people prone to allergies as it modulates the immune system. These are considered to be good for glucose regulation for diabetic patients too. Read here and here.

For diabetics and for everyone who is prone to allergies, kundru can be a good vegetable to be consumed 3-4 times a week. Here is an easy stir fry that cooked in about 10 minutes and takes about 5 minutes of preparation time. Kundru ki lehsuni bhujia ..

ingredients...
(2 servings)
kundru or ivy gourd 300 gm
garlic cloves 4-5 fat ones or about 10 small Indian ones
dry red chilies 2
green chilies 2
salt to taste
turmeric powder 1 tsp
mustard oil 2 tbsp
fenugreek seeds 1/2 tsp or less if you find them too bitter

preparation...

Rinse well, pat dry and slice all the kundru in thin rounds. You can keep them thick or just cut them all in irregular pieces. This bhujia can take it any which way. You can discard the pointed ends of the kundru but it's not mandatory.

Heat oil in a kadhai and add the methi (fenugreek seeds). Wait till the become darker and aromatic, and then add all the sliced kundru. Stir well to coat with hot oil and add salt also. Keep stirring on medium flame till it starts looking glazed and brownish. Turmeric will be added as soon as the kundru starts getting limp.

In the meanwhile make a paste of garlic and two types o chilies. This can be done in the chutney jar of your mixie or in a mortar and pestle. Add the paste as soon as the kundru slices are turning brown.

Keep stirring and cooking for 5-7 minutes more or till the garlicky aroma feels good.

Serve hot or at room temperature with daal chawal or with roti or parathas. It makes a nice lunch box subzi too. The slightly sour taste of the kundru complements the garlic very well. Chilly heat can be adjusted to taste but I like it fairly hot when having it with khichdi or daal chawal. Milder when I have it in huge amounts when I have my subzi based meals. I eat only subzi many times for a meal.

There are a few more versions of kundru I cook, but all my versions are dry stir fries. Do you cook them in gravies too? Share your recipe if you do.