Tindora Fry (Dondakaya koora)

This is a simple tindora fry, in which onions and the tindora are pan fried with some red chillie powder and garam masala. Then finished with a dash of lemon and jaggery. Simple but still a satisfying fry which can be eaten either with chapathi or rice.

Recipe:

• Tindora (Dondakaya)- about 20 to 25
• Med onion- 1
• Dhania (coriander) powder- 1/4th tsp
• Jeera (cumin) powder- 1/4th tsp
• Garam masala – 1/4th tsp
• Red chillie powder- ½ tsp
• Jaggery or sugar- ¼ tsp
• Cilantro
• Lemon juice.

Cut each tindora to four pieces lengthwise. Put the cut tindora in a microwaveable bowl, cover the lid and cook till they are about eighty percent done (I cooked for 5 minutes in my microwave). Like I always say, this reduces the amount of cooking and since you cook in the microwave you need very little oil to pan fry them.

Now take a wide skillet add 2 tsps of oil and do the tadka with few mustard seeds, 1 tsp chana dal, ½ tsp urad dal and a pinch of asafatodia (hing).

Then add the cooked tindora and the onions and fry them till the onions turn translucent and tindora become soft. This takes about ten minutes. Now add the dhania, jeera powder, garam masala, red chilli powder and jaggery with some salt. Cook for another five minutes. Finish it of with some chopped cilantro and freshly squeezed lemon juice.