Ridge Gourd with Shrimp - Peerkangai eraal poriyal

These months of being cooped up in the house, some of us ought to have realized how fortunate we are. Those of us who have the ability to work from home have actually in my opinion have a better quality of life. All the commuting and sitting in traffic has stopped and we find ourselves with extra time. How to best make use of the time? There are a lot of people who don't have the luxury of a paycheck struggling to meet their daily needs. I have heard friends and folks complain about not being able to take vacations and do thing that they normally take for granted. I guess a little perspective is required. I am in no way diminishing the mental stress and pressure this has put on everybody.

There are things that people can do to help other in need, which while providing relief from everyday stress can actually be good for the soul. Contact your local food pantry and see if they need help. Contact your local farmer and see if you can volunteer. Join an exercise group and start to get fit(virtually of course). Our farm has hosted a lot of volunteers this season and I have heard from them that the experience has been satisfying and the bonus of getting fresh air and being around green things. In turn it has reduced a lot of burden on the farm as well. It has been a mutually rewarding experience.

Moving on to the recipe, Ridge Gourd, was not something I looked forward to enjoyed very much growing up. Once I started growing them I have realized how versatile they really are. With their natural sweetness, just quickly sauteing them is sufficient. My friend who uses fried fish, shrimp or small fish to most of her vegetables told me that her grandma always cooked ridge gourd with some shrimp. Srilankan style. Thought I have know for a while, I tried it only this year and boy am I glad. Shrimp and Ridge Gourd are a match made in heaven.

If you have some tiny shrimp good else just chop up the regular shrimp into smaller pieces. Not a very hard recipe at all. Just a few simple everyday ingredients. I wouldn't add too many spices to it as it will overwhelm the inherent sweetness of the ridge gourd and shrimp.

Here's the recipe in pictures,

Prepare the shrimp, cut into small pieces and set aside.
Saute the onions and ridge gourd with seasonings and green chilies and and add the shrimp.
Saute till the moisture evaporates and desired consistency is reached.

Ridge Gourd with Shrimp
Preparation Time:10 minutes
Cooking Time: 15-20 minutes
Ingredients

1. 2-3 medium sized young ridge gourd, ridges scrapped and cut into small cubes. About 4 cups of ridge gourd.
2. 1/2 cup chopped red onions
3. 3-4 slit green or red chilies
4. 1 tsp sambhar powder or curry masala powder
5. 1 cup of chopped shrimp (about 8-10 medium sized shrimp)
6. 2 tsp of oil
7. seasongings: mustard seeds, cumin seeds
8. salt to taste

Method

1. Heat a flat bottomed saute pan, add oil, when hot add mustard seeds and cumin seeds.
2. Add in onion and green chilies and saute till the onions become translucent.
3. Add chopped ridge gourd and cook till the ridge gourd is soft (about 6-8 minutes)
4. Add the sambhar powder and mix it in.
5. Add salt and the shrimp and cook for another 3-4 minutes till the shrimp turns pink. Turn off the heat. Do not overcook.

Goes well with rice or as a side dish. Like what you are reading? Subscribe!

Gongura Pachadi - Gongura Thokku - Gongura Pickle

First up, sorry for going silent all through summer. The farm work, office work all consipred to keep me extremely busy but I have been cooking a lot of freshly harvested vegetables and have learnt some new recipes.

Local farms are, don't want to say this lightly are being given the importance they truly deserve, hopefully will continue the renaissance brought on by the corona virus. I have gotten far more enquiries and interest in the farm than ever before. I particulary do not enjoy the other aspects of keeping the farm running successfully, but enjoy growing and all aspects of it. I have been Gongura for about 3 years now.

I did not grow up eating Gongura, in fact never heard of it till about a few years ago and hearing of people talking longingly of this vegetable. Now I have come to like it and also knowing how to cook with it helps.

While this thokku I make with eggplant and gongura is very tasty, I like this Andhra style pachadi made with just Gongura, a tiny bit more. While the summer before last that thokku was my go to favorite, this summer it is this recipe. I saw on youtube. Thanks to the you tuber, I have a fail safe recipe in my hands. A friend forwarded this recipe and since it is in Telugu I never would have chanced on it if she hadn't. So glad she did.

Here's the recipe in pictures,

Dry roast cumin seeds and fenugreek seeds and make a powder. Set aside.
Wash and dry the Gongura leaves completely. Cut onions and peel garlic.
Using a mortar and pestle pound the red chili powder, salt and onion.
In a wide mouthed pan, heat oil and when hot add the garlic and red chilies followed by the Gongura leaves.
Saute the Gongura leaves well till they look completely wilted. Add the pounded onions.
Saute till the oil starts to separate.
Add the roasted powder and mix well and turn off the heat.

My problem is this desire to blend Gongura but leaving the leaves whole is the trick to this pachadi's taste and texture. It is important to dry the leaves completely. Spread them on a kitchen towel and air dry or leave it in the sun for an hour. The first time I made this pickle I used a clay pot. Food cooked in clay pots have a special taste. So if you have it use it. It is also the original non stick cooking utensil :)

Taste great with rice. Spread on a warm chapathi it tastes truly fantastic.

Gongura Pachadi
Preparation Time:20 minutes
Cooking Time: 30 minutes
Ingredients

1. 1 lb Gongura leaves
2. 1/2 cup Sesame Oil
3. 1/2 cup of small onions, red onions or shallots
4. 10-15 small garlic cloves
5. 4-5 red chilies
6. 1 tbsp red chili powder
7. 2 tsp cumin seeds
8. 1 tsp fenugreek seeds
9. salt to taste
10. seasoning: 1/4 tsp mustard seeds, cumin seeds and a few fenugreek seeds, curry leaves

Method

1. In a saute pan dry roast cumin seeds and when it starts to turn color set aside. Now add the fenugreek seeds and roast till it turns color. Transfer both to a coffee grinder or blender and powder.
2. Use a mortar and pestle to pound the onions. Add the red chili powder and salt followed by the onions and pound the onions till they are mashed. Set aside.
3. In a wide mouthed pan or kadai, heat oil and add the seasonings and when mustard starts to pop, add the curry leaves if using followed by red chillies and garlic. Let them start to turn color.
4. Add the gongura leaves and saute till they are completely wilted. About 6-8 minutes.
5. Add the pounded onions and let it cook for another 5-6 minutes. Continue to cook till the oil separates.
6. Now add the powdered cumin and fenugreek seeds and mix it in.

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