Bottle gourd(Sorekayi) masala curry

 I always look for new ways of cooking Sorekayi(bottle gourd). Sorekayi sambar is something I don’t want to make. I don’t like the bland taste of it. So this recipe I tried is from a blog I follow on FB(link given below). The uniqueness of this recipe is bottle gourd is marinated before cooking. This gives bottle gourd so much flavor. 

This curry tasted and looked more like Andhra/ Tamil Nadu cuisine, then there’s garam masala too. It has a strong coriander flavor. I added more tomatoes to the curry which complimented the flavors very nicely. It is similar to dal-less gojjus from Karnataka. And most important thing - this  gets done in less than 30 min. Do try!

Don’t throw away peels and pulp. Make sorekayi chutney with it(link below).

Some other ways of cooking sorekayi -

• Bottle gourd chana curry
• Bottle gourd dal
• Bottle gourd peel chutney
• Bottle gourd Barta 
• Bottle gourd majjige saaru 

Ingredients

Bottle gourd - 1 

Onion - 1 medium

Tomato - 2 (more gives more flavor)

Ginger-garlic paste - 1 tbsp (as needed)

Salt

For the masala 

Coriander seeds - 2 tbsp

Cumin seeds - 1 tsp

Sesame seeds - 1 tbsp

Dry red chili - 3

Coconut - 1/2 cup

Powders 

Turmeric

Red chili powder - 1 tsp

Garam masala - 1 tsp

Tadka

Oil

Mustard seeds

Urad dal

Chana dal

Garlic - 2 finely chopped(skipped this)

Curry leaves

Hing 

Method

Peel bottle gourd. 

According to original recipe - make cuts in it and smear gg paste all over. Marinate for 15-20 min and then cut into pieces. 

I didn’t want to get into the hassle of cutting a gg-paste smeared bottle gourd and messing up my wooden cutting board, hence I cut the bottle gourd into pieces first and then tossed it in gg paste and let it marinate. I also added very little salt while marinating. 

Meanwhile dry roast ‘for the masala’ ingredients except coconut in medium flame till everything turns little brown. Mix it with coconut and grind to a smooth paste using water. 

In a pan make tadka. Add oil + mustard seeds -> once it starts sizzling add urad dal + chana dal -> let the mustard splatter + hing + curry leaves + finely chopped garlic. Sauté. Add finely chopped onion -> sauté till translucent. Add finely chopped tomatoes -> sauté till it is mushy. Add turmeric and red chili powder. Add marinated bottle gourd. Add little water and cover and cook until almost done. Bottle gourd cooks quickly. Add ground mixture. Adjust salt. Add water to get gravy consistency. Cover and cook for 5-10 min in medium heat. Add garam masala, let it boil. Add coriander leaves and give it a good mix and off the stove.    

Recipe Source - “https://www.facebook.com/punjabkesariyum/videos/449579412419040/”