Dondakaya Masala Annam - Ivy Gourd Masala Rice

 Dondakaya is my favorite vegetable . But most of the people say that from this vegetable you don't get any health benefits. My MIL used to says that okra is good for your brain but nothing is there in dondakaya. I am totally confused with this, but My mother use this vegetable alot in her cooking. I checked nutrition values in this vegetable and I find very interesting things about this wonderful vegetable. This is rich in beta-carotene and it's juice controls blood sugar specially when you make juice with  it's leaves, that is very good for your skin. In ayurveda this juice is used in many medicines to treat fever, Asthma, Bronchitis. We cannot drink all these juices but we can use this vegetable in our cooking as much as possible right?.
                                                       Coming to the recipe, I thought i have enough ivy gourd in the fridge to make a curry for both of us. When i check only 10 to 12 gourds are there  and i don't have any other vegetable in the fridge. That time i don't have enough time to make any other dish. Then i decided to make tendli bhaath but wanted to make it with a little different flavor so i gave the flavor of sesame seeds to this rice. So let's check the recipe.....
INGREDIENTS:---
Rice ---- 1 cups
Ivy gourd (dondakayalu)  ---- 10 no.
Onion -- 1 medium
Green chillies  --- 3
Oil  ----  1 tab sp
Mustard seeds  --- 1/4 tea sp
Chana dal  ---- 1 tea sp
Urad dal --- 1 tea sp
Cumin seeds  --- 1/2 tea sp
Curry leaves --- 10 leaves
Salt  ---- 1 tea sp
Turmeric powder  -- 1/4 tea sp
FOR MASALA:--
Dry red chillies --- 10(you can reduce this amount according to your taste)
Dry coconut  --- 2 tab sp grated
Sesame seeds --- 1/2 tab sp
METHOD:---
1. Wash and add 2 cups of water to rice and cook till done spread in a plate to cool. This will take 20 minutes.
2. In the mean while dry roast dry red chillis and sesame seeds and grind with grated dry coconut in to a coarse powder and set a side, This will take 7 minutes.
3. Cut onion in to small pieces, cut green chillies in to small pieces, cut ivy gourd in to 1/2 inch pieces.
4. Heat oil in a pan add mustard seeds let them popup then add channa dal, urad dal, cumin seeds, curry leaves and fry for a while.
5. Add onion and green chilli pieces and fry for 2 minutes then add ivy gourd pieces, sprinkle a pinch of salt, 1/4 tea sp turmeric powder give a good stir cover and cook in a low heat for 10 minutes, stir in between.
6. After 10 minutes remove the lid add cooked rice, remaining salt, ground masala, mix well to combine every thing and switch off the heat, cover and let it sit for 5 minutes then serve.
Serve this rice with curd and cucumber and onion slices. Boild egg is a best combination with this rice.
This is my second recipe with the theme of 30 minutes meal for blogging marathon 19 th edition at Vallis spice your life lets check blogging marathon page
And this goes to Valli's 30 minute meal mela at cooking4allseasons