Bottle gourd/ Churaykka pachadi

Churaykka/Lauki/bottle gourd is used in stews and curries and becomes soft and juicy when cooked. Pachadi is a simple side dish popular in Kerala made with spiced and seasoned yogurt. When cooked churaykka pachadi tastes similiar to vellarikka/cucumber pachadi. Try this cooling and refreshing pachadi,you will surely love it.

Ingredients
Churakka chopped -2 cups
Green chilly- 2
Salt to taste

To make a paste
Coconut- 1/4 cup
Cumin-a pinch
Mustard seeds- 1/3 tsp
Garlic- I clove (optional)
Yogurt- 1 1/2 cup
Mustard seeds- 1/2 tsp
Dry red chilly-2
Curry leaves- a few
Coconut oil- 2 tbs

Peel churakka, remove seeds in the center and cut bottle gourd into thin small pieces. Cook this along with green chilly, salt. Cover and cook in low heat. Vegetable will start oozing water and will get cooked. Allow this to cool down a bit.

Make a fine paste of coconut, cumin,mustard seeds and garlic.Mix this into yogurt and whisk . Pour this to the cooked bottle gourd and mix well. Put it back to stove and simmer in low flame for one minute till it gets warmed up. Switch off the flame.
Note : do not put in a high heat nor cook too much,otherwise the yogurt will separate.

Heat oil and add mustard seeds and when it splutters add dry red chilly and curry leaves and fry. Add this to the curry and mix well,serve with rice.

Try this,
Hope you will all enjoy!