Stuffed Dondakaya (Kovakkai / Tindora)

For those who are all fans of stuffed Brinjal (Guthi vankaya), here is one more similar recipe which tastes equally good. Unlike the brinjals, tindora has a crunchy taste which makes it different.

Ingredients:

Tindora (Dondakaya) – ¼ kg

Onion – 1 medium roughly chopped

Green chillies – 3 slit lengthwise

Cumin seeds – 1 tbsp

Mustard seeds – ¼ tbsp

Urid dal – 1 ½ tbsp

Chana dal – 1 tbsp

Curry leaves

Garlic – 2 to 3 pods finely chopped

Red chillies – 5 to 6 (chilli flakes 1 tbsp)

Dhania powder – 1 tbsp

Tamarind – size of a small lemon (or pulp – ½ tbsp)

Turmeric powder - 1 pinch

Oil – 2 tbsp

Salt to taste

Preparation:

• Wash and trim the edges of tindoras and cut them cross wise along their length.
• Now dry roast the cumin seeds, urid dal, chana dal and red chillies till brown and grind them along with onion adding salt and dhania powder.
• Now stuff the tindoras with this paste and keep them aside.
• Heat oil in a pan and add the mustard seeds, garlic and green chillies and fry them till garlic turns brown.
• Now add the stuffed tindora to the pan and close the lid and let them fry for  about 3 min. and turn them and cook again on the other side so that they get fried evenly all the sides. Now add the remaining paste and let it cook till the raw smell of onion is gone.
• Add the turmeric powder, curry leaves and some water and let it cooked closed for about 5 min.
• Now add the extracted tamarind pulp with enough water, adjust the salt and chilli (you can add extra chilli powder if needed) and cook closed for about 5 minutes or till the tindoras are completely cooked.
• Serve hot with rice.