Stuffed Ivy Gourd

Bharali Tondli / Bharava Tendli / Stuffed Ivy Gourd (Scarlet Gourd / Kowai)

This subji is similar to the famous Bharali Vangi (Bharava Baingan) preparation from Maharashtra. This is no onion, garlic preparation. This is a very tasty preparation of Tondli.

Ingredients (Serves 4)

Tondli small (Ivy Gourd / Scarlet Gourd / Kowai) About 400 Gms.

Til (White Seasame Seeds) ½ cup

Dried Coconut (Khobra) grated ½ cup

Chinch / Imli (Tamarind) pulp 2 tablespoons

Crushed Jaggery 2 tablespoons

Red chilly powder 1 teaspoon

Goda Masala (Spice Powder) 2 teaspoons

Fresh scraped Coconut 2 tablespoons

Coriander leaves chopped 2 tablespoons

Oil 1 teaspoon

Black Mustard Seeds ¼ teaspoon

Turmeric ¼ teaspoon

Asafoetida (Hing) a pinch

Salt to taste

Instructions

1. Wash tondli. remove both the edges. make two slits perpendicular to each other about ¾ deep.

Don’t cut it too deep; else Tondli will break while cooking.

2. Roast sesame seeds till light brown.

3. Roast grated dried coconut till light brown.

4. Grind roasted dried coconut and sesame seeds separately into a coarse powder in a grinder.

5. Add jaggery, red chilly powder, goda masala, scraped fresh coconut, chopped coriander and salt to tamarind pulp.

6. Add dry coconut powder and sesame powder to form a uniform coarse mixture, add some water if required. Consistency of this mixture should be like thick gravy.

7. Stuff about a teaspoon of solid part of the mixture into each slit tondli. This part is little tedious.

8. Heat groundnut oil in a cooking vessel on medium flame.

9. Add black mustard seeds, wait till it sputtes.

10. Add turmeric and hing (asafoetida).

11. Add the stuffed Tondli into the pan and cover the pan.

12. After 2 to 3 minutes sauté and cover the pan again.

13. After 3-4 minutes, add the remaining spice mixture (prepared in step 6).

14. Add enough water to cover the tondli.