Heerekayi Huli Thovve | Ridgegourd in tangy spicy sauce | Vegan and 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.
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 :) Tried this recipe?Let us know how it was!
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