Ashgourd fry | Ashgourd stir fry | Vellai Poosanikkai fry | Winter melon / White Pumpkin Stirfry

Ash gourd is also called white gourd, winter melon, winter gourd, white pumpkin. It can be used to prepare sambhar, kootu, mor kuzhambu etc. But I always make only sambar with Ashgourd and I have never tried any other recipes with it. But for the first time I made stir fry with it. This recipe was shared by my neighbor friend. It's her mother's recipe. It is a very very simple recipe and it is a perfect side dish for rice with sambar, rasam, curd.

Ingredients

• 1/2 kg White Pumpkin / Ash gourd / Winter melon / White gourd
• 1 tsp Red Chilly powder
• 1/2 tsp Turmeric powder
• Salt to taste
• 2 tbsp Oil
• Few Curry Leaves

Preparation:
Cut the pumpkin into big slices. Deseed them and slice the flesh and remove the skin. Use only the flesh part for this recipe. Chop them into bite-size pieces and keep aside.

Method:

• Heat oil in a heavy-bottomed kadai / pan. Do not overheat the oil because to avoid the burning of the spice powders.

• When the oil is warm add chilly powder, turmeric powder, salt, curry leaves and mix well and fry for few seconds.

• Now add the chopped pumpkin pieces and mix well and saute for a minute.

• Cover and cook the pumpkin in low flame for 10 minutes. Stir in between.

• After 10 minutes open the lid and cook & saute in low flame for 5 minutes.

• Once done, transfer to a bowl or plate and serve with rice and sambhar / rasam/ curd.

Tomato Biryani in Pressure Cooker | Thakkali Biryani | How to make Biryani in Pressure Cooker | Lunch Box Recipes

A simple one-pot South Indian style delicious Tomato Biryani recipe made using the pressure cooker. It is a one-pot meal, hence it is perfect for a lunch box recipe. It's is very simple and easy to make. 

 ↓ Video Recipe ↓

I love this tomato biryani more than the vegetable biryani. Even you can make it for a quick weeknight dinner. Serve this biryani with simple raitha or potato chips or fryums. It tastes best with potato chips.

Preparation Time: 10 minutes

Cooking Time: 15 minutes

Serves: 2

Ingredients :

• 1 Onion, medium-sized
• 5 Green Chillies
• 2 tsp Ginger Garlic paste
• 2 Cinnamon sticks
• 4 Cloves
• 3 Cardamon
• 1 Bayleaf
• Few Cashew nuts
• Few Mint leaves ( optional )
• Few Coriander leaves
• 1 tsp Chilly powder
• 1 tsp Turmeric powder
• 1 tsp Garam masala powder
• 1 cup of Basmati Rice
• Salt to taste
• 2 tbsp Oil
• 2 tbsp Ghee

To Grind

• 3 or 4 Tomatoes
• 1/2 tbsp Fennel seeds
• 1/2 tsp Poppy seeds

Preparation:

• Chop the onion lengthwise.

• Grind tomatoes, fennel seeds, poppy seeds in a mixer/ blender to a fine paste.

• Wash the rice and soak in 2 cups of water.

Method :

• Heat oil and ghee in a pressure cooker. When hot add cashew nuts, cinnamon sticks, cloves, cardamom, bay leaf and fry for 30 seconds.

• Add sliced onions and saute till it turns golden brown in color.

• Now add the mint leaves and saute.

• Add the tomato paste, ginger garlic paste, chilly powder, turmeric powder, salt and cook for 5 minutes.

• Next, add the soaked rice along with the water to the cooker ad mix well.

• Add turmeric powder, garam masala powder and bring it to a boil. Taste it and adjust the salt.

• Finally, add the coriander leaves and give a good mix and close the cooker with the lid.

• When the steam releases, place the whistle/ weight and cook for 2 whistles and remove from the stove.

• After the steam goes down, open the cooker and very gently mix the rice.

• Serve along with curd raitha, potato chips, pickle.

Kongunadu style " Peerkangai Bhaji kadayal " / Mashed Ridgegourd gravy - Quick South Indian gravy for Idli and Dosa made using Pressure Cooker

Today's recipe is an authentic kongunadu style " Peerkangai Bhaji Kadayal ".A quick south Indian gravy recipe from Tamilnadu for idli and dosas using Ridge gourd. It's is one of the best side dish for idli, dosa and appam.

Today I'm going to share how this recipe is made using pressure cooker. It's a simple, healthy and delicious dish which can be prepared in a few minutes when using the pressure cooker. It is actually cooked in a mud pot. But its quite time-consuming process, but very tasty. It is quite a spicy gravy. 

 

Preparation Time: 15 minutes

Cooking Time: 10 minutes

Serves: 4

Ingredients:

• 1/2 kg Ridge Gourd
• 2 Tomatoes
• 1 Potato, medium-sized
• 1 Onion, medium-sized
• 6 Green Chillies
• 5 Dry Red Chillies
• 1/2 tsp Turmeric powder
• little Tamarind
• Salt to taste

For Tempering

• 2 tbsp Oil
• 1 tbsp Channa Dal
• 1 tsp Mustard seeds
• 2 Spring Curry leaves
• 2 Dry Red Chillies

Preparation

• Wash and peel the skin of the ridge gourd. Chop the ridge gourd into pieces.

• Peel onion, chop onion and tomatoes.

• Peel the skin of the potato and cut the potatoes into chunks.

Method :

• In a pressure cooker place all the ingredients one by one i.e ridge gourd, onion, tomatoes, chillies, tamarind, turmeric powder.

• Add 1 and 1/2 cup of water to it and mix well.

• Pressure cook for 5 whistles.

• Once the steam is released from the cooker, open the lid. With the help wooden masher/ hand whisk (mathu in tamil) , mash them.

• For tempering heat oil in a small pan, add channa dal, then the mustard seeds and allow it to splutter. Add dry red chillies to it and fry. Next, add the curry leaves and switch off the flame.

• Pour over the gravy and mix it well.

• Serve with dosa and idli

Video Recipe here ↓