Dondakaya Vepudu ( Tindora Fry )

Dondakaya , also known as Tindora or Kundru or Ivy Guard sauted with few spices goes very well with rice and dal or sambar.
This vegetable is green on outside and white on inside with small seeds. However, the overripe tindora is red on inside. Discard such ones, they are hard to cook and spoils the entire curry.

Ingredients:

• Tindora -  1/2 lb
• Mustard seeds - 1/4 tsp
• Urad Dal - 1/4 tsp
• Chana Dal -1/4 tsp
• Cashew Nuts - 6-8
• Curry leaves - 1 spring
• Salt -to taste
• Red Chili Powder - to taste
• Turmeric - 1/8 tsp
• Asafoetida - 1/8 tsp
• Koora Podi - 1 tsp ( optional ) ( Click on it for the recipe )
• Oil - 2 tbsp

Directions:

• Nip the tip and tail ends of washed and cleaned tindoras.
• Slit each tindora into half lengthwise , and again slit each half into 2 pieces ,lengthwise. Keep aside.
• Heat oil in a pan, add mustard seeds, let them splutter. Add urad dal and chana dal and saute till they turn reddish.
• Add Cashew nuts, curry leaves, asafoetida and saute till cashew nuts turn reddish.
• Add tindora, salt, turmeric. Give it a good toss.
• Cook covered on medium, stirring several times in between.
• Cook till all the moisture is evaporated and tindora gets crispy. Add red chili powder and koora podi ( optional ). Mix well.
• Cook for a couple of minutes uncovered.
• Turn off the heat and serve with rice and dal or rasam or samabar.