Kovakkai Poriyal
Thinly sliced ivy gourd stir-fried with mustard, urad dal and coconut, a everyday dry side dish found on almost every Tamil vegetarian thali.
- Prep
- 15 min
- Cook
- 20 min
- Total
- 35 min
- Servings
- 4
- Difficulty
- Easy
- Calories
- 120 kcal
Equipment
- •Kadai
Nutrition
Per serving, approximate
- Calories
- 120 kcal
- fat
- 8 g
- carbs
- 10 g
- fibre
- 3 g
- protein
- 3 g
- calories
- 120 kcal
Instructions
- 1
Heat sesame oil in a kadai (deep pan). Add mustard seeds, urad dal and dried red chillies until they sizzle and pop.
- 2
Add curry leaves and fry for a few seconds.
- 3
Add the sliced ivy gourd and turmeric. Mix well until everything is evenly coated.
- 4
Sprinkle in salt and cover the pan. Cook on medium-low heat.
- 5
Stir occasionally for about 12-15 minutes. Cook until the ivy gourd softens and the edges turn lightly brown.
- 6
Take off the lid once tender and slightly crisp. Stir in the grated coconut.
- 7
Stir-fry for a further 2 minutes to combine well. Take the pan off the heat.
- 8
Serve warm as a side dish with rice and sambar.
Chef's tips
Slice the ivy gourd thinly and evenly so it cooks at the same pace. Do not add water, as the vegetable releases enough moisture to cook through.
Ingredient substitutions
- ivy gourd → snake gourd
Storage
Refrigerate for up to 2 days.
Reheating
Reheat in a pan over medium heat, tossing until warmed through.
Common mistakes to avoid
- •Adding water, which makes the dish soggy instead of lightly crisp
- •Cutting pieces unevenly, which causes them to cook at different rates
Serving suggestions
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