Herekai palya or Ridge gourd curry

Simple things gives you lot of satisfaction and pleasure in life. That applies to eating also. Simple recipes makes you feel so satisfied and comfort and that too when you are very hungry, you always look for that satisfaction. Fridays usually my husband work from home, but today he had meetings so he said that he will come back by lunch time and went to NY. I thought of waiting for him and have lunch together. But when he came it was 3 in the noon and I was very hungry and he was too. I had made bendekai palya(Okra curry), hurlikai palya(Beans curry), herekai palya(Ridge gourd curry), mulangi raitha(white radish raitha), with saaru(Rasam), rice and we have ready to eat chapathis!

That was really satisfying meal and we really enjoyed it! Here goes the recipe of Ridge gourd curry or herekai palya.

Ingredients:

2 Ridge gourds

1/4 Tsp Urad dal

1/4 Tsp Mustard seeds
2-3 Red chillies (or Adjust acc to taste)
1/4 cup coconut
4-5 Tbsp cooked thoor dal(Optional)
Pinch of Turmeric
salt to taste
Few curry leaves
2 Tsp oil

Method:

Peel the ridge gourd skin and cut into bite size pieces. In a pan heat oil, and add mustard seeds and when it starts to pop up, add urad dal and when it turns golden brown add red chillies and immediately add the ridge gourd pieces and keep frying. It tend to stick to the bottom so keep frying now and then.

When the ridge gourd is cooked completely, add turmeric and salt to taste and mix well. Now if you have cooked thoor dal, you can add to it. It adds up to the taste and increase in quantity, since once you cook ridge gourd the volume reduces, but its optional.

And now you can add coconut and few curry leaves and serve hot with rice,rasam or eat with chapathis, that goes very well with chapathis.