Ridge gourd or Beerakaya is one of my family’s favorite vegetables and is used to prepare a number of dishes like beerakaya pappu, beerakaya menthu kura, beerkaya pachadi, vepudu and ridge gourd is also cooked in combination with prawns and eggs.

Today’s recipe is very simple, quick to make and tasty, where ridge gourd is cooked in milk and is prepared almost on the same lines as vankaya paalu posina kura (brinjal curry). This dish has a slight sweet flavor and goes very well with rotis or steamed white rice.

Ridge Gourd Curry Recipe
Recipe source: Amma
Prep & Cooking: 30 mts
Serves: 4-5 persons

Ingredients:
1 tbsp oil
1/2 tsp mustard seeds
5-6 crushed garlic cloves
8-10 curry leaves
1 large onion finely chopped
2-3 green chillis slit length wise
3 ridge gourds peeled and chopped into small pieces
1 tsp red chilli pwd
1/4 tsp turmeric
1/4tsp coriander pwd
salt to taste
2 cups water
1 small cup milk
chopped coriander leaves for garnish

1) Pre-heat oil in a cooking vessel. Add mustard seeds and let them splutter. Add the crushed garlic cloves and curry leaves and stir fry for a few seconds.
2) Add the chopped onions and green chillis and sauté till the onions turn pink. Add the chopped ridge gourd pieces, combine and cook on medium heat for 5 mts.
3)Reduce heat and cover with lid and cook further for another 7-8 mts. Add red chilli pwd, turmeric pwd, coriander pwd and salt and combine.
4)Add the water, bring to a boil, reduce heat, cover with lid and cook till all the water evaporates.
5) Lastly, on medium flame, slowly add the milk to the curry, while stirring continuously for 3-4 mts or till you get the desired curry consistency. Constantly stir otherwise the milk will curdle.
6) Garnish with fresh coriander leaves and serve with hot rotis or steamed white rice.

Note: You can also make it like a stir fry or vepudu by omitting step 4 and 5 and frying the ridge gourd for a longer period during step 3 process. Ensure that you choose tender ridge gourds when buying them.

Thanks to Shailaja