Sautéed Tindora(Ivy Gourd) / Kovakka Mezhukuverati

This is a favorite vegetable among most Keralites and they have a number of ways of cooking it. I like it best in this form and it is super easy to make it. This style is called mezhukuverati  in Malayalam, meaning sautéed vegetable.

Ingredients

2 lb kovakka /tindora/ivy gourd  slice into 4, along the length of the gourd.
5 shallots sliced
2 –3 green chilies
1/2 tsp turmeric powder
2 sprigs of curry leaves
1 tsp black mustard seeds
salt to taste
3 –4 tbsp refined vegetable oil

Directions

Heat oil in a pan, add mustard seeds and let them pop.

Add shallots, chilies and curry leaves and sauté until the shallots are slightly caramelized.

Add tindora, turmeric, salt and sauté intermittently until cooked. 

Serve with rice

To help the gourd cook faster you can set the flame to medium and close the pan with a lid and let it cook in the steam for a 5 – 10 minutes. Keep checking often to prevent burning at the bottom. When it is almost done, open the lid, sauté further and let all the water evaporate.