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Heerekayi Huli Thovve | Ridgegourd in tangy spicy sauce | Vegan and GF

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Heerekayi Huli Thovve is a Gluten Free+ vegan curry from Karnataka Cuisine. It is made from Ridge gourd simmered in a coconut based tangy spicy sauce.

Everyday meals in our kitchen is primarily a medley of Tamilnadu and Karnataka food sprinkled with cuisines from rest of the country (and the world) . Today’s dish – Heerekai Huli Thovve (Heerekai = ridge gourd ; Huli = tangy ; Thovve = lentil based) is a favourite that I ate, growing up in Bangalore. Served at most Kannada weddings, this is a staple that goes great with Majjigehuli and Ambode (paruppu vada) as a classic combo.  

What is Huli Thovve and what is its place in the Kannada Cuisine?

Huli Thovve is a traditional dish from Karnataka, a state in southern India. The word “huli” in Kannada language means “sour” and “thovve” means “dal”. The dish is so named because it is made with lentils and tamarind, which give it a sour and tangy flavor.

The exact history of Huli Thovve is not known, but it is believed to have originated in the coastal regions of Karnataka, where coconut and tamarind are commonly used in cooking. Over time, the dish became popular across the state and is now a staple in most households and restaurants in Karnataka.

Huli Thovve is a versatile dish that can be made with a variety of lentils and vegetables, depending on the region and personal preferences. It is typically served with steamed rice and is a popular comfort food, especially during the monsoon season when the weather is cooler and damp.

Heerekayi Huli Thovve is a Gluten Free+ vegan curry from Karnataka Cuisine. It is made from Ridge gourd simmered in a coconut based tangy spicy sauce.Pin

Overall, Huli Thovve is a flavorful and nutritious dish that is an integral part of Karnataka cuisine and reflects the rich cultural heritage of the region.

I served this with Karuppu Ulundogarai(Whole black lentil flavoured rice) , Vellarikai Inji Pachadi (Cucumber Raita in a coconut-ginger-cumin yoghurt gravy) and that was a yum meal by itself.  Glutenfree, wholesome (and vegan too , if you would sub the yoghurt in the raita with a plan-based one) 

This is a quick side dish that goes well with steamed rice, and flavoured rice, chapati, poori or even theplas (as we discovered the next morning with leftovers). I usually make this in slightly larger quantities so as to serve us for 2 meals (for 4 people), but you may scale up or down the proportion. This is best made with fresh ridge gourd (and I was very lucky to find fresh baby ridge gourd in the market which promptly went into making this dish). 

So, lets get to make this yummy dish : Heerekai Huli Thovve

Prep time – 15 mins, Cook time – 10 mins, Serves – 4

Cuisine : Karnataka, Course: Side dish; Vegan and GF too !!

Tips to make the best Huli Thovve

1. Use the fresh gourd with very little or no seeds. Taste a piece of the raw vegetable , if its bitter (some varieties are utterly bitter), discard and start afresh. 

2. The consistency of this gravy is between a sambhar and a rasam, albeit on the thicker side. So adjust water accordingly. 

3. Tastes best with hot rice and roasted papad. Keeps for upto 2-3 days under refrigeration if the masala including fresh coconut is roasted well before grinding. Always cool the roasted masala mix before grinding. 

4. Tadka is best done with ghee for this dish, but I used oil to make it Vegan. It is your personal choice to use ghee too 🙂

Heerekayi Huli Thovve is a Gluten Free+ vegan curry from Karnataka Cuisine. It is made from Ridge gourd simmered in a coconut based tangy spicy sauce.Pin

What you need to make Heerekayi Huli THovve

Cuisine – South Indian (Karnataka) ; Course : Side Dish / Accompaniment ; Spice level : Medium

Serves : 4. Served with steamed rice / quinoa / millets

  • Ridge gourd (Tender) – 250 grams
  • Oil – 1 tsp
  • Salt – to taste
  • Turmeric – 1/2 tsp
  • Jaggery – 1/2 tsp
  • Tamarind  – 1 small gooseberry sized
  • Toor Dal – 1/2 cup (1 cup= 200 ml)

To grind (masala):

  • Fresh Coconut – 1/4 cup
  • Whole coriander seeds – 1 TBSP
  • Byadgi / Bedgi / Kashmiri Chillies – 2 nos
  • Pepper corns – 1/2 tsp
  • Cloves – 1 or 2
  • Cinnamon – 1/2 inch stick
  • Mustard seeds – 1/2 tsp
  • Urad dal – 1 tsp
  • Channa Dal – 1/2 TBSP
  • Cumin Seeds – 1/2 tsp
  • Homemade Sambhar powder – 1 TBSP (optional but recommended)

Tempering:

  • Oil – 1 tsp
  • Mustard seeds – 1 tsp
  • Broken Red chillies – 1 or 2
  • Curry leaves – few
  • Asafoetida / Hing- a generous pinch – skip for GF
Heerekayi Huli Thovve is a Gluten Free+ vegan curry from Karnataka Cuisine. It is made from Ridge gourd simmered in a coconut based tangy spicy sauce.Pin

How to make Heerekayi Huli Thovve:

Heerekayi Huli Thovve is a Gluten Free+ vegan curry from Karnataka Cuisine. It is made from Ridge gourd simmered in a coconut based tangy spicy sauce.Pin
  1. Pressure cook the toor dal with 1/4 tsp of turmeric , and the tamarind (chunk if using) separately in a  till soft and mash the toor dal well and keep aside. If using tamarind paste, don’t pressure cook. 
  2. I used baby ridge gourd, so scrape lightly, but don’t peel. If using normal ridge gourd. scrape the thorns / hard ridges out and peel the skin but not fully – the ridge gourd needs to hold shape even after slightly cook; Cut into medium sized chunks.
  3. Meanwhile, in a pan, boil the ridge gourd chunks with minimal water, salt and a dash of turmeric till the vegetable is soft but not mushy. Turn off the heat.
  4. In a seperate pan, add 2 tsp oil and roast all the ingredients except coconut and sambar powder of the masala ingredients ONE by ONE. Do not roast them together.
  5. Now turn off the heat and add coconut and sauté well for 2-3 mins . Cool, grind with the Coconut- masala mixture along with the sambhar powder and the tamarind (paste or cooked) into a smooth thick paste adding adequate water.
  6. Add this paste into the cooked ridge gourd and add requisite salt and let it come to a slow simmer. 
  7. Now add the cooked dal (reserve a little if you feel the gravy is too thick), jaggery and a little water (I used about 1/2 cup again) to get to a thickish gravy.
  8. Let it simmer for 4-5 mins till the raw smell disappears. 
  9. Make the tempering (tadka) with the mentioned ingredients. Pour into the gravy and serve this side dish hot with Chapatis / Poori / Phulka / Steamed Rice. 

PIN FOR LATER

Heerekayi Huli Thovve is a Gluten Free+ vegan curry from Karnataka Cuisine. It is made from Ridge gourd simmered in a coconut based tangy spicy sauce.Pin
Heerekayi Huli Thovve is a Gluten Free+ vegan curry from Karnataka Cuisine. It is made from Ridge gourd simmered in a coconut based tangy spicy sauce.Pin

Heerekayi Huli Thovve | Ridgegourd in tangy spicy sauce | Vegan and GF

Kalyani
Heerekayi Huli Thovve is a Gluten Free+ vegan curry from Karnataka Cuisine. It is made from Ridge gourd simmered in a coconut based tangy spicy sauce.
5 from 3 votes
Prep Time 15 minutes
Cook Time 10 minutes
Total Time 25 minutes
Course Accompaniment, Curry, Gravy, Side Dish
Cuisine Indian, Karnataka Cuisine, South Indian
Servings 4 people

Equipment

  • Pressure Cooker
  • Thick Bottomed Pan
  • Spice Grinder

Ingredients
  

  • 250 grams Ridge gourd Tender
  • 1 tsp Oil
  • 1 tsp Salt
  • 1/2 tsp Turmeric
  • 1/2 tsp Jaggery
  • 25 grams Tamarind 1 small gooseberry sized
  • 100 grams Split pigeon pea Toor Dal / Thogari Bele

Spice Paste

  • 1/4 cup Coconut fresh / frozen
  • 1 TBSP coriander seeds Dhaniya
  • 2 Kashmiri Chillies can sub with Bedgi
  • 1/2 tsp Whole black Pepper
  • 2 Cloves
  • 1/2 inch Cinnamon
  • 1/2 tsp Mustard seeds
  • 1 tsp split black lentil Urad dal
  • 1/2 TBSP Bengal Gram Channa Dal / Kadalebele
  • 1/2 tsp Cumin Seeds Jeera/Jeerige
  • 1 TBSP Sambhar powder optional but recommended

Tempering

  • 1 tsp Oil
  • 1 tsp Mustard seeds
  • 1 Red chillies halved
  • 1 sprig Curry leaves
  • 1/4 tsp Asafoetida Hing – skip for GF

Instructions
 

  • Pressure cook the toor dal with 1/4 tsp of turmeric , and the tamarind (chunk if using) separately in a  till soft and mash the toor dal well and keep aside. If using tamarind paste, don’t pressure cook.
  • I used baby ridge gourd, so scrape lightly, but don’t peel. If using normal ridge gourd. scrape the thorns / hard ridges out and peel the skin but not fully – the ridge gourd needs to hold shape even after slightly cook; Cut into medium sized chunks.
  • Meanwhile, in a pan, boil the ridge gourd chunks with minimal water, salt and a dash of turmeric till the vegetable is soft but not mushy. Turn off the heat.
  • In a seperate pan, add 2 tsp oil and roast all the ingredients except coconut and sambar powder of the masala ingredients ONE by ONE. Do not roast them together.
  • Now turn off the heat and add coconut and sauté well for 2-3 mins . Cool, grind with the Coconut- masala mixture along with the sambhar powder and the tamarind (paste or cooked) into a smooth thick paste adding adequate water.
  • Add this paste into the cooked ridge gourd and add requisite salt and let it come to a slow simmer.
  • Now add the cooked dal (reserve a little if you feel the gravy is too thick), jaggery and a little water (I used about 1/2 cup again) to get to a thickish gravy.
  • Let it simmer for 4-5 mins till the raw smell disappears.
  • Make the tempering (tadka) with the mentioned ingredients. Pour into the gravy and serve this side dish hot with Chapatis / Poori / Phulka / Steamed Rice.

Notes

Tips to make the best Huli Thovve

1. Use the fresh gourd with very little or no seeds. Taste a piece of the raw vegetable , if its bitter (some varieties are utterly bitter), discard and start afresh. 
2. The consistency of this gravy is between a sambhar and a rasam, albeit on the thicker side. So adjust water accordingly. 
3. Tastes best with hot rice and roasted papad. Keeps for upto 2-3 days under refrigeration if the masala including fresh coconut is roasted well before grinding. Always cool the roasted masala mix before grinding. 
4. Tadka is best done with ghee for this dish, but I used oil to make it Vegan. It is your personal choice to use ghee too 🙂
Keyword Easy Side, Gluten Free, Huli THovve, No Onion No garlic, Side dish for Chapati, Vegan
Tried this recipe?Let us know how it was!
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24 Comments

  1. I am at hyderabad and will try for sure.

  2. This is an interesting recipe – I usually make a chutney/ thogaiyal with ridge gourd and tuvar dal. This sambar variety is unusual at least to me, with the variety of spices including clove and cinnamon. I hope to try this soon and taste it for myself. Sujata Shukla

  3. Prathima Shivraj

    Flavour full dal must try recipe????will be my next to do recipe????

  4. This looks such a yum gravy. Colorful and full of flavours..

  5. Ridge gourd is one of the least used vegetables in our kitchen. From the look and sound of this dish of yours, I think I should start using it asap! 🙂

  6. Vidya Narayan

    Kalyani, what is not to love about this dish? Wholesome, healthy and look at the curry! Ridge gourd is my absolute fav and what i loved is the rice variety with urad dal. Super share for the theme and something unique.

  7. Absolutely delicious curry. Recipe is somewhat like sambar with lot more additional ingredients. I am going to try this recipe.

  8. Turai is one of my all time favourite vegetables and This dish would be such a welcome addition to my Turai recipes. I can almost eat it as a soup by itself.

  9. Priya Satheesh

    Your post reminds of my Mangalore friend who prepare this dish for me.. can feel the taste of it. Yum !

  10. Priya Suresh

    Quite a flavourful dish, and am sure this dish will definitely makes a excellent pair to serve with rice and rotis.

  11. THE FOOD SAMARITAN.

    This looks so nutritious,so yummy and so filling! Beautiful share!

  12. I didnt knoiw that you would come up with such a delicious share when I suggested those ingredients. Love this and I am going to make this combination soon since it is looking very inviting

  13. Priya (https://www.at200deg.com/)

    oh this is really nice. We only make a chutney. bookmarked this for family use 🙂

  14. Priya (https://www.at200deg.com/)

    We only make chutney out of ridge gourd. This is a very interesting idea to use.

  15. This ridge gourd daal curry sounds so delicious, lovely with rice or roti.

  16. WOW, such a comfort food… must taste good with steamed rice. Lovely share for theme !!!!

  17. Poonam Bachhav

    We love ridge gourd but I cook it in a different way. Your curry looks delicious and it would be a flavorful variation to my regular curry. Thanks for the share.

  18. Mayuri Patel

    5 stars
    A different and delicious sounding recipe. Like how you’ve prepared ridge gourd with toor dal and tamarind. A must try recipe.

  19. Jayashree T Rao

    5 stars
    I love ridge gourd but make it very rarely. This huli tovve looks delicious and ideal to serve with steamed rice and some pickle.

  20. Seema Sriram

    5 stars
    I love ridge gourd a lot and it is one we actually get here in summer. I am so glad to see a not-so-kootu recipe with it.

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