Kovakkai ( Tindora, Ivy-Gourd, Dondakaya ) And Carrot Curry

          As my kitchen is not completely ready and I haven't cooked anything interesting for the last couple of weeks, I am simply posting dishes that I had cooked and clicked some time back. Hopefully, my kitchen should be done soon, before I run out of posts. I had made this Kovakkai And Carrot curry, months back, as a side dish to go with moru kuzhambu and rice. Whenever I cooked kovakkai/tindora/dondakaya/ivy-gourd, I usually sauteed them well along with onions and spices, this time I had only about 20 small kovakkais, so I cooked them along with a couple of carrots and a spicy onion paste. This curry goes well with both rice and rotis, serve it along with a dal/lentils for a complete balanced meal..

Need To Have

• Kovakkai/Tindora/Dondakaya/Ivy Gourd - 20, sliced into 4
• Carrots - 2, sliced into thin strips
• Mustard Seeds - 1/2 teaspoon
• Curry Leaves - 10
• Salt to taste

To Make A Paste

• Onion - 1 small
• Fennel Seeds - 1/2 teaspoon
• Red Chilly Powder - 1 teaspoon
• Turmeric Powder - 1/4 teaspoon

Method

          Grind together all the ingredients given under ' to grind ' into a smooth paste.

          Heat some oil, add the mustard seeds, when it starts spluttering, add the sliced tindora/kovakkai, saute it for 6 to 7 minutes.

          Then add the carrots, paste and salt, mix it well, add about 1/4 cup water, cover and cook on low heat till the vegetables are cooked completely. Now add the curry leaves, add some oil around the edges and keep sauteing for another 5 to 7 mins, then remove and serve.

Note
You can add some grated coconut at the end, before removing, or grind 2 tablespoons of coconut along with the rest of the ingredients for the paste.