Tendli or Ivy Gourd is a vegetable that is popular in South Indian and Konkani regions of the Indian sub-continent. Made in a variety of ways, Tendli’s bitterness doesn’t dissuade its fans from preparing it as a side dish which complements main course. Stir-frying it is a sure fire way to keep its nutrition intact. As the dish and its making technique both use hardly any oil it is beneficial health-wise and tasty too. Stir frying is a favoured cooking technique because it renders the flavours of veggies and meat in full. It leaves the vegetables of your choice crisp, without destroying their nutrition. The best part about stir-frying is that it uses very little oil, allowing the vegetables to cook in their own juices. Not only that, stir fries are primarily a no-fuss, one pan dish – mostly a wok.
Origin
This dish is known as ‘tendli bibbe upkari’ in the Konkan region of India and is one of the easiest to cook since it involves one of the fastest ways of cooking – the stir fry. Originally a Chinese technique which involves cooking the ingredients on high heat, in little or no oil, stir fry has come to be accepted as a healthy technique world wide.
Ivy gourds are good for health | Instagram - @california_gardening
Cooking time: 30 minutes
Servings: 4-6 servings
Ingredients:
- 3 tbsp - Coconut Oil
- 250 gms – Ivy Gourd / Tendli
- 250 gms – Raw/ tender cashews
- 1 tsp – Mustard Oil
- 1 tsp – Chana Dal
- 1 tsp - Urad Dal
- 10 – Green chillies
- 8-10 – Curry leaves
- Grated Coconut
- Salt to taste
- 1 tbsp – sugar
Method:
- Take the cashews, wash thoroughly and soak overnight. Remove peels and keep aside
- Cut the ivy gourd length wise and chop each into four pieces, keep aside
- Tempering:
- Heat the oil in a pan
- Add mustard seeds, let them splutter
- Add chana dal
- Add Urad dal
- Roast these on medium flame till the dals turn golden in colour (do not over brown)
- Add the green chillies after cutting them in half
- Add gourd to the mix
- Add cashews, mix well
- Add salt to taste and mix again
- Add a bit of water and allow it cook for another 15 mins
- Once the gourd has changed colour add grated coconut to the mix
- Add sugar – to remove any further traces of bitterness
- Cover and let cook for another 5 minutes
- Serve hot.
Tendli is helpful in preventing obesity, boosting metabolism and very economical where calories are concerned. It has been used in the Ayurveda for treating diabetics, since it improves glucose tolerance. The vitamin C in the veggie promotes skin health. Add to that, the goodness of cashews and coconut and you have a winner on your hands.
