Ridge Gourd Thick Curry [Beerakaya Thokku / Peerkangai Thokku] : Side Dish

I usually feel thokku or thick currys are easy to make. In fact all the recipes you see here are simple or it would be the simplified version of the original dish ;) I prefer dosas/rotis where as hubby prefers rice for dinner and on days when I am too lazy [which would be 9 out of 10 days] to make two different side dish, I end up making a thokku. Thokku goes well with dosas, rotis and rice too. So today I am sharing an easy to make thokku that I made for dinner tonight :)

Ridge Gourd Thokku

Ingredients

• Ridge Gourd - 2 medium sized
• Onion - 2 medium sized
• Tomato - 2 medium sized
• Curry Leaves - 1 sprig
• Coriander [finely chopped] - To garnish
• Oil - 2 tbsp
• Mustard - 1 tsp
• Urad Dhal - 1 tsp
• Asafoetida - 1/2 tsp
• Turmeric Powder - 1/2 tsp
• Chilli Powder - 1 tbsp
• Sambhar Powder - 2 tbsp
• Salt - To taste 
• Water - 1 cup

Cooking Method

• Peel the ridge gourd and chop them into pieces. 
• Take oil in a pan and once oil gets heated up add mustard. Once mustard splutters add urad dhal, asafoetida and curry leaves.
• Add chopped onions and fry until the raw smell goes. Add the chopped tomatoes and ridge gourd and fry until they soften.
• Now add turmeric, chilli powder, sambhar powder and salt. Add a cup water and give a stir.
• Close it with a lid and wait until the gravy thickens. Keep stirring often if you are not using a non-stick pan, as the curry may burn too much at the bottom.
• Once it thickens switch off the stove and add chopped coriander to garnish.

Total Preparation Time - 15 mins

Serves - 3 - 4

Tips

• Seeds of the ridge gourd need not be removed and the slices can be of any size as it softens easily like tomatoes.
• Adding sambhar powder gives a nice flavour to the dish and my favourite is MTR sambhar powder.

As I said already this curry would go well with rice, rotis and dosas as well. On those lazy days when you don't have patience to make 2 different curries, this thokku or thickened curry comes very handy and it tastes yummy too.

♥ Aarthi ♥