Simple and interesting kovakkai thogayal – A delicious accompaniment for rice along with a dollop of ghee. This recipe is very easy to make with basic ingredients from the pantry.
Growing up in Chennai, my love for South Indian recipes is pretty obvious. My most preferred South Indian lunch would be a bowl of Rasam Rice and Ladies Finger Fry. Now, what is better than some thogayal as an accompaniment? Haven’t heard of this combination? Then, you definitely have to try it!
On a lazy weekend, when I was watching television, I happened to see a cookery show where the cook displayed kovakkai thogayal as one of her elements in a dish. That’s when I realized a thogayal could be made out of this vegetable. I searched on google and found several variations for this thogayal. After a lot of thinking, I decided to create my variation and my entire family loved it.
I made this Kovakkai Thogayal a couple of times over the last 2 weeks and finally decided to share that recipe here because it’s definitely worth making. This thogayal is simple, delicious and healthy as well.
Kovakkai Thogayal
Thogayal is very popular in a South Indian Kitchen. It almost resembles a chutney but is thicker in consistency. Mostly, vegetables, vegetable peel and greens are used to make thogayal. This makes it an easy, delicious and healthy dish as well.
Kovakkai / Ivy Gourd is a vegetable that tastes great when made the right way. The combination of kovakkai, red chillies, tamarind, dal and coriander seeds makes this thogayal very flavourful.
While I love having thogayal along with rasam rice, vatha kuzhambu rice etc, thogayal is best served along with plain rice and ghee/ oil. Kovakkai thogayal can also be had along with dosa, idli, rotis.
How to make Kovakkai Thogayal
Cut Kovakkai into small pieces and keep it aside.
In a pan, add little oil. Once hot, add coriander seeds and saute on low flame for a minute. Next, add chana dal and urad dal. Saute till it becomes golden brown. Make sure you don’t burn it.
Add red chilli and fry for a minute.
Next add the chopped kovakkai, chopped garlic. Saute for 5 minutes on medium flame.
Add a marble sized tamarind. and few curry leaves. Saute for 2 minutes and switch off.
Let the mixture cool down. Add it to a mixer grinder. Add the required amount of salt.
Next, add little water and grind it to a paste. Do not make it too runny. The consistency should be pretty thick.
Kovakkai Thogayal is ready. Serve it with hot rice and ghee.
Variations
In this recipe, we do not cook the kovakkai completely. We saute just for a few minutes and I can you assure that you won’t get any raw smell. But, for a variation, you can fry the kovakkai separately until it turns golden brown.
Garlic can be avoided in this thogayal.
Grated coconut, coriander leaves can also be added to the recipe.
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Kovakkai Thogayal | Ivy Gourd Chutney
Ingredients
- 2 cups Kovakkai/ Ivy Gourd Cut into small pieces
- 3 cloves Garlic
- 1 tbsp Chana Dal
- 1/2 tbsp Coriander seeds
- 3 Red Chilli
- 1 tbsp Urad dal
- Tamarind a small marble size
- 15 Curry Leaves
- Salt as needed
- 1 tbsp Oil
Instructions
- Cut Kovakkai into small pieces and keep it aside.
- In a pan, add oil. Once hot, add coriander seeds and saute on low flame for a minute.
- Next, add chana dal and urad dal. Saute till it becomes golden brown. Make sure you don't burn it.
- Add red chilli and fry for a minute.
- Next, add the chopped kovakkai and chopped garlic cloves. Saute for 5 minutes on medium flame.
- Add marble-sized tamarind and a few curry leaves. Saute for 2 minutes and switch off.
- Let the mixture cool down. Add it to a mixer grinder. Add the required amount of salt.
- Next, add little water and grind it to a paste. Do not make it too runny. The consistency should be pretty thick.
- Kovakkai Thogayal is ready. Serve it with hot rice and ghee.