BEERAKAYA - SENAGA PAPPU KURA (RIDGED GOURD AND SPLIT CHICK PEAS CURRY)

Ridged gourd –Beer kaya in telugu ,Turai or tori in Hindi and Luffa in Arabic(recently I came to know this name in Arabic) is a fruit but commonly use as a vegetable in Asia and Africa.

Ridged gourd is with green hard skin out side and soft sponge texture in side with mild sweet taste or some times little bitter taste. Normaly we don’t use they are in bitter taste but its juice is used as a effective natural remedy for jaundice.Beerakaya Senagapappu kura - ridged goured curry with split chick peas.

This one is my favorite combination with Charu(rasam) and steamed plain Rice and also a very good combination with roti, even with bread. If you have this curry and bread in hand you can make very delicious grilled sandwiches. butter the bread slices and apply this curry on one slice and cover with the other slice and toast till nice golden color on a hot grill or a pan or on a toaster and enjoy with hot tea or coffee . Now coming to the recipe.
INGREDIENTS:-----

Ridged gourd -- 2 no cut in to small pieces

Channa dal - split chick peas - Senagapappu -- 1 cup

Onion --- 1 medium chopped

Salt to taste

Red chilli powder -- 1/2 tea sp

Turmeric powder -- 1/4 tea sp

For seasoning :---

Oil -- 1 and 1/2 tab sp

Mustard seeds --- 1/2 teasp

For masala (spice mixture):---

Coconut -- 2 tab sp s Grated

Cumin seeds -- 1 tea sp

Garlic cloves -- 6 cloves

Crush all above masala ingredients in a coffee grinder or mixer grinder in to a coarse paste if required add a tab sp water.

Now last but very important ingredient is 3/4 tea sp Garam masala or you can use chat masala or pani puri masala also.

METHOD:-----

Wash and soak split chick pea(channa dal) for 1/2 hour with 1 cup of water . then add ridged gourd pieces and cook till dal become soft and vegetables are tender. This will take 20- 25 min. on a low flame.

To check if you press dal in between your finger dal should split easily.

Now add salt to taste, turmeric powder, red chilli powder, ground masala mix well and let it cook for 5 more min. in a low flame.

Heat oil in a fry pan add mustard seeds and let them popup then add chopped onion and fry till onion turn in to light brown.

Then add cooked dal and ridged gourd which we are cooking with masala to onion, mix well and let it cook for 5 min.

After 5 min. add the finel ingredient 3/4 tea sp of Garam masala, cover with a lid and switch off the flame and leave it .

Mix just before you serve,so that garam masala aroma will remain for long time.

Instead of ridged gourd you can make this curry with Bottle gourd, Egg plant,Spinach

Very easy way to make this curry -- cook dal, vegetables with ground masala,salt to taste,red chili powder,turmeric powder in a pressure cooker till 3 whistles. Remove from heat and let cool and then open the lid.

Heat oil in a small pan fry mustard seeds and add to cooked dal mix well and add garam masala close with lid and switch off the flame and leave a side for few min. and serve.