Beerakaya Senagapappu Kura/ Ridgegourd Curry with Bengal Gram

Anybody like ridge gourd? I mean like, love ridge gourd. Jump and squeal when you hear that's the curry for the day. OK, maybe not jump and squeal but really love it. I for one had never been in that category. For as long as i can remember when mom was cooking our meals, i wouldn't turn to look under the plate that was was covering ridge gourd curry. I knew it was easy to cook, i knew it had great many nutrients and was light on the stomach (making it a perfect curry for convalescents). Those were just not enough reason for me to eat this green vegetable. I mean when made into a curry. Of course i would devour the chutney made with ridge gourd. That's because i am very partial to chutneys, but you already know that. So what convinced me to eat ridge gourd in curry form finally. Well, i have not one but two reasons. 

One - i got married and my man, among the very  few vegetables he considers worth eating, agrees to eat this. Two - mom revealed that a dash of garam masala goes perfectly with ridge gourd cooked with Bengal gram. Garam masala people! That versatile spice powder (i love my spices) and no elaborate preparation of gravy either. I was in. And if you have a pressure cooker, the longest time you will spend hands-on to make this curry will be for peeling the gourd. You will have a delicious smelling kitchen and anybody else who is not a fan of this vegetable will want to peer into the dish and try a small helping at least. I now make this in my home about once a week, or at least once a fortnight. Try it, if you haven't already.

Ingredients

• 1/2 kilo Ridge gourd/ Beerakaya
• 2 tablespoons Bengal gram/ Chana dal/ Senaga pappu
• 1 tablespoon oil
• 1/2 teaspoon mustard seeds
• 1 teaspoon cumin seeds
• 2 sprigs of curry leaves (optional)
• chili powder to taste or 2 green chilies, sliced
• salt to taste
• 1/4 teaspoon garam masala (optional but highly recommended)

Before and After pressure cooking

Method

Wash the Bengal gram and soak it in water for 10-30 minutes. During this time, peel the ridge gourd and chop into 1 cm cubes. Place the soaked Bengal gram and two tablespoons of water in a dish, place the ridge gourd pieces on top and pressure cook for 3 whistles. When the pressure is off, heat oil  in a pan on medium flame. Splutter the mustard and cumin seeds. Add the green chilies and curry leaves, if using. Saute for a minute on low flame and with closed lid. Now add the cooked Bengal gram and ridge gourd. Season with salt, chili powder and garam masala. If there is too much liquid in the pan, cook on medium flame for a few minutes without a lid until you get the consistency you want. You can smash some of the cooked Bengal gram in the pan to get a thicker gravy.

La's notes: You can also add onion to this dish if you prefer extra gravy. Finely chopped onions should be added along with green chilies and an additional tablespoon of oil. Wait till the onion is translucent or slightly brown before adding the remaining ingredients.