South Indies: Heerekayi Bajji/Ridge Gourd Chutney

It's been a while, since I posted a  typical South Indian recipe. The one that I have for you today is Ridge Gourd Chutney or Heerekayi Bajji in Kannada. In the Bangalore-Mysore regions of Karnataka, Bajji is a kind of chutney made out of cooked vegetables & not just coconut. Another popular Bajji from this region is made using smoked eggplant .. That recipe is for another day ...

You Will Need:

• 2 cups Ridge Gourd
• 1/2 cup fresh coconut - grated
• 5 green chillies
• 1 tbsp tamarind extract
• A small lump of jaggery
• 1 tsp mustard seeds
• 1/2 tsp fenugreek seeds
• Salt as pet taste
• 1 tsp oil

How To:

• Peel ridge gourd & dice them into cubes. Pressure cook ridge gourd & green chillies. Allow it to cool & set aside.
• Grind together, cooked ridge gourd & green chillies alongwith coconut, tamarind extract, jaggery & salt, into a smooth paste.
• Transfer to a bowl & temper with mustard & fenugreek seeds.

Serve with Rice .. Enjoi !!!!

This is a great way to make use of Ridge Gourd. This can be served alongwith Idli/Dosa too, But it tastes best if eaten alongwith Rice.

NOTE: You can even saute diced Ridge Gourd in a small amount of oil till cooked. This definitely tastes better than the pressure cook method. If you have time on your hand & if you don't mind that little extra oil, go ahead & try it this way