Bharwan (Stuffed) Tindli/Tindora (Dondakaya – Telugu)

Tindili/Tindora/Dondakaya is one of my favourite vegetables, which is widely used to prepare savoury dishes curries, bhajis and pickles in some states, can be used in versatile dishes. It’s a nutritious vegetable, which has loads of Vitamin A&C , Beta Carotenes. 

In fact it looks like mini cucumber it can be eaten raw, but when it ripens it becomes red and is discarded as it does not taste good. In English its known as Ivy Gourd. I normally like stuffed preparations as these curries/bhajis have a very distinctive taste and goes along with rice and chapattis as well.

§  PREP TIME:  20 mins §  COOK TIME:  20 mins §   SERVES: 4

Ingredients:

• 250 gms tendli/tindora/ivy gourds
• 1 tsp cumin seeds
• 3 to 4 tbsp oil
• A few chopped cilantro for garnishing (optional)

For Stuffing:

• 1 no’s Onion
• 1 tsp Ginger Garlic Paste
• 1 tsp Sesame seeds
• 2 tsp Coriander powder
• 1 tsp Red chili powder
• ½ tsp Turmeric powder
• 1/2 tsp jeera powder
• 1/2 tsp garam masala
• Salt as required

Method:

• Wash and wipe the tendli/ivy gourds.
• Slit the tendili  vertically into four without breaking them.
• Mix all the spice powders, salt together and keep them aside
• Take pan or kadai put some oil and heat it up.
• As the oil heats put onion and fry till translucent (at this stage we can add some salt to oxidse the onions)
• Add the ginger galric paste and fry till the raw smells goes away.
• Now add the mixed spice powders to the pan and fry for while, you will get nice aroma now.
• Now add the sesame seeds and cook for while.
• Let the mixture cool for while.
• Take the vertically slit tendili and gently stuff the masala without breaking the tendili 🙂
• Below is the picture of stuffed tendili before cooking.

• Now take a deep and heavy bottomed pan and put some oil and heat it up.
• Add jeera and curry leaves and let it splutter.
• Now add the stuffed tendli and cover with lid which you pour water on top and cook over low flame for 5 to 10 minutes check and let it cook for more 5 to 10 minutes at this stage you put some oil if you want to.
• Tendli will look wrinkled and reduced by size, onions will look caramelized.

You would be getting amazing aroma by now and you can remove it from the heat and take it into bowl or any container and serve.

This veggie can be served with chapathi or rice. I like this along with with rice and rasam its an amazing combo, try this out once….!!! above have shown this in a picture.

Note: Water on the lid ensures the temperature of the pan does not rise, the moisture remains inside, the vegetable cooks without getting charred and the process of the cooking is also fast.

It’s similar to dum pukht cooking (This style/technique of cooking is normally used in Awadh region of India, in which meat and vegetables are cooked over a very low flame, generally in sealed containers.