Quick and Easy Ivy Gourd Fry- Kovakka Fry

Today's recipe is a quick and easy vegetable fry with kovakkai/tindora/ivy gourd. Do you love ivy gourd? If you are new to this veggie, you should give it a try. Small, tender fresh ivy gourd tastes delicious, and there are so many ways you can enjoy this vegetable. It has a mild flavor and can be curried, fried, stuffed, or pickled. Fried Tindora can be paired with steamed rice and rasam or with chapati. It makes for a delicious and quick vegetarian dinner. Ivy gourd is a healthy vegetable, and when stir-fried it is still juicy and crunchy to taste. You'd be surprised at how simple and delicious this stir fry can be. It is subtly spiced with turmeric and chilly powder. The flavor of ginger, curry leaves, and coconut oil is a must for an authentic Kerala taste.

Ivy gourd is popular in India and is known as tindora,tendli, dondakaya, kovakkai, etc. It grows on vines and is also known for medicinal purposes. Back home, tindora vines can be found all around our neighborhood, especially near fences in the backyard. So if there is no vegetable to cook, then there is always this cute small cucumber-like vegetable to make curries and stir-fries. It is healthy and economical. I cannot stress enough about the health benefits of ivy gourd. It is a low-calorie vegetable and is rich in fiber, vitamins, and antioxidants. Try this recipe, and let me know how it turned out for you.

Quick and Easy Ivy Gourd Fry- Kovakka Fry

Ingredients
Kovakka/Tindora sliced- 250 grams
Shallots- 4-5 chopped
Curry leaves- a few
Chopped ginger- 1 tsp
Chilly powder- 1 1/2 tsp
Turmeric powder- 1/4 tsp
Rice flour- 1 tbs (optional)
Salt to taste
Lemon juice- 1 tsp
Mustard seeds- 1/2 tsp
Coconut oil as needed

Wash tindora and let the excess water drain out. Cut both ends (top and bottom part) and discard them. Cut the ivy gourd vertically into half and then make long thin slices and set them aside.
In a large bowl, add the ivy gourd and mix with chilly powder, turmeric powder, salt, and rice flour and set aside. Adding rice flour is optional. It adds a crispy crunch.
Heat 2 tbs oil in a pan and add mustard seeds. When it splutters, add chopped onions, ginger, and curry leaves. Saute for a minute. Add the tindora/ivy gourd and mix. Stir fry in medium flame till it changes color. If you like, you can cover and cook for two minutes to quicken the cooking process. Roast the tindora in low flame for about five minutes or till it turns slightly brown crispy. Squeeze lemon juice and mix well. Serve with rice and rasam or with chapati and dal.