Tinday ki Subzi ( Curried Apple gourd )

'Tinday' or 'tindi' happens to be one of those vegetables that I had never came across during the first twenty years of my life. It was only when I started working and had this Delhi girl as a room-mate, that I was introduced to this vegetable. But with her limited cooking skills, the first time we tried cooking this vegetable, it turned out to be disastrous.

And I never got around to trying it again till last month when a neighbor told me about this really simple recipe that she got from her 'Nani' . I tried it and quite loved it. And from then, I started experimenting with this vegetable. The recipe that I am sharing today is one of the spicier versions that one may come across but I am hooked onto it. Read on -

Preparation Time - 20 mins

Ingredients -

• 2 nos Tinday /apple gourd
• 1/2 cup curd
• 1/2 tsp ginger paste
• 1/2 tsp garlic paste
• 2 tsp onion paste
• 1/4 tsp coriander powder
• 1/4 tsp red chili powder
• 2 pinch turmeric seeds
• 2 pinch garam masala
• a pinch of asafoetida
• whole spices ( 1 black cardamom, 1 green cardamom, 1 inch cinnamon, 2 cloves )
• 1/2 tsp cumin seeds
• salt to taste
• 2 tsp oil

Preparation - Take the curd, ginger paste, garlic paste, half of the powdered spices and salt into a mixing bowl. Beat together. 

Peel the tinday and make a cross on each one till almost 2/3 of the length. Remove the seeds from inside. Add to the curd mixture and allow to marinate for 2-3 hours.

Cooking - Heat the oil in a pressure cooker. Add the whole spices and fry till fragrant. Remove and keep aside.

Add the cumin seeds followed by the asafoetida. Add the onion paste after 20 seconds. Fry till light brown.

Add the marinated tinda along with the marinade. Sprinkle a little salt. Close the lid and cook for 2 whistles on a medium flame.

Remove the cooker from the flame and keep aside till steam escapes. 

Open the lid and garnish with fresh cilantro .

Serve hot with white rice or rotis !!

Note - Will post another simple version in the next few days !!