Peerkangai Thayir Pachadi / Ridge Gourd in an Yogurt Sauce!!!!

Hi guys!!!

I pick up a ridge gourd from the Indian grocery store every other week and end up making sambar with it. I never really took the effort of trying something else with it. Last week, when again I took the ridge gourd out of my refrigerator thinking about the usual sambar, I suddenly realized that I had no shallots in hand. I hate the idea of using the big onions in sambar. So, I had to prepare something else. The first thing that struck me was the "kootu" but then I remembered this pachadi. I have had this pachadi in a restaurant and thought I'd give a try in re-creating it.

Now lets see the recipe.

Ingredients:

Peerkangai / Ridge Gourd - 1 big
Onion - 1
Green chillies - 1 or 2
Ginger - 1/2"
Grated coconut - 2 tbsp
Curd - 1/4 cup
Turmeric powder - 1/2 tsp
Cumin seeds - 1 tsp
Mustard seeds - 1 tsp
Urad dal - 1/2 tsp
Curry leaves - for seasoning
Corriander leaves - a small bunch
Oil - 2 tbsp
Salt - as per taste

Procedure:

1. Peel the ridge gourd and slice them into tiny cubes. Grind the coconut, green chillies, ginger, curd and half of the cumin seeds together into a paste.
2. Now heat the oil in a kadai and add the mustard seeds, cumin seeds, urad dal and curry leaves. Next add the chopped onion and cubed ridge gourd followed by turmeric powder and salt. Close  the lid and cook for about 5-10 minutes on medium flame.
3. When the vegetable is almost cooked add the ground paste and mix well. Check the salt and simmer for another 5 minutes.
4. Chop some corriander leaves into the pachadi and switch off heat.

Serve with rice and kara kuzhambu!!!