Peerkangai Kadaiyal is a village style preparation. This is a Tamil Nadu style preparation. Kadaiyal means adding the required vegetables and cooking well and mashing with wooden masher called mathu and tempered with some tempering. Peerkangai Kadaiyal goes well with stemed rice or dosa. Peerkangai is also known as Ridge Gourd, Turai or Beerakaya .
Ridgegourd is extremely rich in dietary fibre and enriched with all thevital elements that include Vitamin-C, zinc, iron, riboflavin,magnesium, thiamine and traces of another minerals. It is low insaturated fat, cholesterol and calories that aids in weight loss.Ridge gourd contains good amount of cellulose and high in watercontent that helps to relieve from constipation. It is high inbeta-carotene which is good for enhancing eye sight. It is good forpeople with diabetes.
Peerkangai Kadaiyal / Mashed Ridge Gourd Curry
Ingredients
- Ridge Gourd / Peerkangai – 3
- Small Onions – 10
- Tomato – 1
- Green Chillies – 3
- Salt – as needed or 1 tsp.
- Tamarind – small lemon sized
- Curry Leaves – a handful
- Coriander Leaves – a handful
- Gingelly Oil – 2 tsps.
For Seasoning:
- Gingelly Oil – 1 tsp.
- Mustard Seeds – ½ tsp.
- Ured Dhal – 1 tsp.
- Cumin Seeds – 1 tsp.
- Methi Seeds – ¼ tsp.
- Red Chillies – 2
- Small Onions – 3
- Garlic – 3 or 4 cloves
Instructions
- Take the peerkangai and peel the skin and cut the soft part into small pieces. Do not throw the peels. We can use them to make thogayal or chutney.
- In a broad pan, take gingelly oil and add small onions and fry well.
- Now add green chillies and chopped tomato and fry well.
- Add turmeric powder, salt and tamarind and mix well.
- You can now add peerkangai and mix well. No need to add water to make this kadaiyal as this vegetable itself will have some water. If you want you can sprinkle some water and cook well.
- After 7 minutes, it will cook well.
- Now switch off the stove and use the wooden masher and mash well.
- In a pan heat oil and add mustard seeds.
- When it splutters, add ured dhal, cumin seeds and methi seeds and fry for half a minute.
- Add red chillies and finely chopped small onions and garlic and fry well.
- Add this to the mashed vegetables.
- Garnish with curry leaves and coriander leaves.