Kovakkai Fry, Kovakkai Poriyal

Tamil Style recipe for Kovakkai Fry / Poriyal with coconut. Tindora Ivy Gourd Dondakaya Vepudu.

Kovakkai or Ivy gourd / tindora grows in a vine. It grows like a wild fire. It can grow 3-4 inches a day. Don’t believe me? Try planting one today. When purchasing kovakkai make sure its not very ripe. Ripe kovakkai tastes very sour. There are various folklore tales which say that ripe kovakkai is poisonous. But I have cooked it at times and I have survived to tell this story. So nothing is going to happen if you consume ripe kovakkai. But its not going to be very tasty and you might need a Gelusil or Tums later. So try avoiding the ripe ones. When picking Ivy gourd in the market, pick the ones that are dark green and very firm. They are the young ones. The pale green ones are the ripe ones. The seeds become red inside when ripe. Discard the ripe ones.

Here is how to do a simple and tasty kovakkai fry. Its one of my favorites.

Heat oil in a pan until hot. Add in the mustard seeds, urad dal and dried red chillies. Fry until the seeds splutter and the urad dal turns golden. Add in the finely chopped onions and curry leaves. Fry till the onions are soft and starting to brown.

Add in the chopped kovakkai to the pan. Add in the salt, turmeric powder and red chilli powder.

Add about half a cup of water. Around 100-125 ml. Fry the kovakkai on low flame for a good 30-40 minutes. Keep sauteing every 5 minutes to avoid scorching at the bottom. The more you fry, the more brown and yummy its gonna get. Once its nicely cooked and fried and brown around the edges, finally add the shredded coconut and saute for a couple of minutes more.

Remove off heat and serve.

• 3 tablespoon refined sunflower / vegetable oil
• 1/4 teaspoon mustard seeds
• 1 teaspoon urad dal
• 2 dried red chillies
• 2 medium onions
• 2 sprigs curry leaves
• 500 grams kovakkai – tindora
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 1/2 teaspoon turmeric powder
• 1 1/2 teaspoon red chilli powder
• 125 ml water
• 1/4 cup shredded coconut (optional)

1. Heat oil in a pan until hot. Add in the mustard seeds, urad dal and dried red chillies. Fry until the seeds splutter and the urad dal turns golden. Add in the finely chopped onions and curry leaves. Fry till the onions are soft and starting to brown.
2. Add in the chopped kovakkai to the pan. Add in the salt, turmeric powder and red chilli powder.
3. Add about half a cup of water. Around 100-125 ml. Fry the kovakkai on low flame for a good 30-40 minutes. Keep sauteing every 5 minutes to avoid scorching at the bottom. Once its nicely cooked and fried, finally add the shredded coconut and saute for a couple of minutes more.
4. Remove off heat and serve.

• Author: Kannamma - Suguna Vinodh
• Prep Time: 15 mins
• Cook Time: 45 mins
• Category: Side Dish
• Cuisine: South Indian

• 3 tablespoon refined sunflower / vegetable oil
• 1/4 teaspoon mustard seeds
• 1 teaspoon urad dal
• 2 dried red chillies
• 2 medium onions
• 2 sprigs curry leaves
• 500 grams kovakkai – tindora
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 1/2 teaspoon turmeric powder
• 1 1/2 teaspoon red chilli powder
• 125 ml water
• 1/4 cup shredded coconut (optional)

1. Heat oil in a pan until hot. Add in the mustard seeds, urad dal and dried red chillies. Fry until the seeds splutter and the urad dal turns golden. Add in the finely chopped onions and curry leaves. Fry till the onions are soft and starting to brown.
2. Add in the chopped kovakkai to the pan. Add in the salt, turmeric powder and red chilli powder.
3. Add about half a cup of water. Around 100-125 ml. Fry the kovakkai on low flame for a good 30-40 minutes. Keep sauteing every 5 minutes to avoid scorching at the bottom. Once its nicely cooked and fried, finally add the shredded coconut and saute for a couple of minutes more.
4. Remove off heat and serve.

• Author: Kannamma - Suguna Vinodh
• Prep Time: 15 mins
• Cook Time: 45 mins
• Category: Side Dish
• Cuisine: South Indian

Find it online : https://www.kannammacooks.com/kovakkai-fry/

Recipe for warm Cold and Flu fighting Soup. We call it as Kashayam in tamil. Relief from headache, throat pain and body ache.

Its the falling sick season. Everyone at home is down with a cold and fever one by one. With flu comes a whole lot of things. The fever, headache and the sneezing. Whether you are down with a cold or fever or both, this Flu fighting Soup will help you fight the monster a little bit.

This Flu fighting Soup tonic has a a lot of ingredients known for its anti-inflammatory and anti-microbial properties.

Take a pressure cooker and add in a teaspoon each of cumin seeds, black pepper corns, turmeric powder and mung/moong dal (optional). Add in a small piece of cinnamon, 2 cloves, one inch piece of ginger, 6-7 cloves garlic and a little salt to taste. Add 750 ml of water to the pan.

Pressure cook for 10 minutes on medium flame. If you are not using the pressure cooker, add 500 ml extra water to the pan and boil for 45 minutes on medium flame. Cover the pan with a lid while boiling.

After the steam has released from the cooker naturally, gently mash the garlic and the dal with a cup.

Strain the liquid.

Serve this Flu fighting Soup warm. If you wish add a teaspoon of honey to this Flu fighting Soup and serve.

• 1 teaspoon cumin seeds
• 1 teaspoon black pepper corns
• 1 teaspoon turmeric powder
• 1 teaspoon mung/moong dal (optional)
• A small piece of cinnamon
• 2 cloves
• one inch piece of ginger
• 6 - 7 cloves garlic
• 1/2 teaspoon salt to taste
• 750 ml of water
• Honey to serve

1. Take a pressure cooker and add in a teaspoon each of cumin seeds, black pepper corns, turmeric powder and mung/moong dal (optional). Add in a small piece of cinnamon, 2 cloves, one inch piece of ginger, 6-7 cloves garlic and a little salt to taste. Add 750 ml of water to the pan.
2. Pressure cook for 10 minutes on medium flame. If you are not using the pressure cooker, add 500 ml extra water to the pan and boil for 45 minutes on medium flame. Cover the pan with a lid while boiling.
3. After the steam has released from the cooker naturally, gently mash the garlic and the dal.
4. Strain the liquid.
5. Serve warm. If you wish add a teaspoon of honey and serve.

• Author: Kannamma - Suguna Vinodh
• Prep Time: 10 mins
• Cook Time: 15 mins
• Category: Home Remedy
• Cuisine: Indian