Curry In Kadai ~ An Indian Cooking Blog

Dondakaya( Tendli ) / Ivy Gourd used to be my favorite veggie when i was kid. There are various variations of cooking Tindora( dondakaya ). You can make deep fried version, saute( stir fry), dondakaya pachadi( chutney ), raw tindora chutney, dondakaya pulusu, dondakaya ullipaya karam, dondakaya with tomato curry, etc., Of all these recipes i like to cook Tindora stir fry, as this takes less oil than deep fried version. As a kid we never had any deep fried veggies except for Potato( once in a blue moon ). For us any vegetable fry means saute or stir fry. I know for some when they mean fry, they literally deep fry veggies like fritters( vadiyalu, appadalu ). And of course fried veggies taste so good, but they are not good for heart though!! Mom makes this simple spicy Dondakaya Stir fry with onions and then spice it up with this garlic chilli powder. This fry tastes so good you can finish the whole bowl as is without any rice..

This is my second recipe for Thotakura after Thotakura Pappu. This is my husbands favourite recipe since it has been passed down from his mom to me. This is a very nutritious and healthy recipe and it needs very little oil. You can eat the whole bowl of this Amaranth leaves Stir fry even without any rice or chapathi. Yep tastes that good!


You need:

• 4 cups of tightly packed chopped thotakura leaves/amaranth along with tender stalks
• 1 red onion or yellow onion julienned
• 1 tsp red chilli powder
• 1 tbsp chana dal( Yellow split chick peas )
• 2-3 tbsp oil
• a pinch of turmeric
• 1 tbsp sugar

• 1 tsp mustard seeds
• 1 tsp cumin seeds
• 10 curry leaves

• Chop thotakura( amaranth leaves ) very finely. You can chop the tender stalks too but discard the tough stalks( You should remove the stalks skin like you do for beans )
• Bring 1-2cups of water to boil and add chopped amaranth leaves and channa dal
• Cook until the leaves are cooked( TIP: Add 1 tsp of sugar so the leaves retain their green color )
• Drain the leaves thoroughly( You can use the water to make chapathis )
• Heat oil in kadai and add cumin and mustard seeds
• When they start to crackle add curry leaves, turmeric and onions
• Fry onions till golden brown
• Add the boiled thotakura along with chana dal and saute until the the curry looks dry without any water.
• Add chilli powder, salt and sugar and saute 5 more min
• Adjust salt and spice to taste

I, myself love green leafy vegetables or greens( aaaku kooralu ) a lot. I like to buy fresh greens from the vendor back home which were just picked looking so vibrant and full of life. My grandmother( and my mom ) made sure we eat any aakukooralu( greens ) atleast once everyday. Its really hard for me to buy greens here in US so when i find thotakura i buy a lot., boil and freeze for further use. I know its not the best way to eat greens but i dont see any other alternative.
And when i buy them i make stirfry( thotakura talimpu ) , green leaves and lentil curry ( thotakura pappu ) , green leaves in tamarind sauce( thotakura pulusu ), green leaves stalks stew( kadala pulusu) and green leaves chutney( thotakura pachadi ) and enjoy them the whole week.


I remember we used to get molakoora( these greens have very small and tender leaves compared to thotakura ) back home, but i do not think i can find them anywhere in the US.

• 1 cup tightly packed chopped amaranth leaves( thotakura ).
• 1/2 cup kandi pappu or toordal(tur dal, tuwar dal) Clean and drain the dal
  
• 4-5 green chillies( slit length wise)
• 1 onions chopped into 1 inch pieces
• 1 big tomato chopped into 1 inch pieces
• 1/2 lemon sized tamarind( soaked in warm water )

• 1 tsp mustard seeds
• 1 tsp cumin seeds( jeera )
• 8-10 curry leaves
• pinch of hing
• 2tbsp oil
• 1/2 tsp turmeric

• Please discard any hard stalks from the leaves. Only add the very tender ones chopped very finely. I store the remaining stalks and make stew ( kadala pulusu ). I will post it once i make the stew.
• Chop the leaves very finely( since it takes longer to cook than spinach ).
• I usually use pressure pan to make the dal since it takes very few minutes.
• Heat the pressure pan, add oil, mustard seeds, jeera( cumin seeds ), and hing.
  
• Once it starts spluttering add curry leaves and turmeric.
• Add onions and green chillies and fry for a minute or two.
• Add the chopped thotakura(green leaves ) and tomatoes and tamarind.
  
• Add tuwar dool and fry for a min.
• Add 1 - 1 1/2 cups of water.
• Mix well and cover with pan lid and put the whistle(weight).
• Cook on medium heat for 3 whistles.
• Open the cooker only when the weight comes out easily.
• Put the cooker on flame and cook to for 5 more min stirring occasionally.
• Switch off the flame., I will add some BUTTER or GHEE to enhance the flavor.
• Adjust salt to taste.