BEERAKAYA THOKKALA (RIDGE GOURD SKIN) CHUTNEY

Ingredients

Pealed skin of 3 to 4 ridge gourd/beerakaya/turai
4 to 5 green chillies
1 tea spoon urad dal
2 tea spoons chana dal
1 tea spoon rai (mustard)
1 tea spoon jeera (cumin)
2 tea spoons til (optional, it adds more taste to the chutney)
half lemon size tamarind
few curry leaves
4 to 5 garlic pods
2 to 3 red chillies
1 tea spoon of sugar/jaggery (optional)
1 tea spoon salt (as per taste)
2 table spoons of oil

Method

Wash the ridge gourds and peal the skin. Usually we throw away the skin. After tasting this chutney you will never throw away the pealed skin of turai. Now we are using only the pealed skin of the turai/ridge gourd. You can use the turai for preparing curry. (click for Turai Moong dal /Turai ka dal-Beerakaya pappu/ Beerakaya paalu posina koora).

Method:

Heat a table spoon of oil in a pan. Add jeera, chana dal, udat dal and til. Fry until they turn to golden color. Add green chillies and fry for a while. Remove the ingredients into a bowl, let the ingredients cool.

In the same pan add little oil and put the pealed skin of the turai. Add a pinch of salt. (This helps to cook the skin faster) Close the lid and cook in a medium flame until the skins of turai are completely cooked.

Grind the fried ingredients coarsely in a mixie.

Now add the cooked turai skins, garlic pods, jaggery, tamarind and salt. Now grind gently. Add water only if it is necessary. Take the chutney into a bowl.

Heat a teaspoon of oil in a pan. Add rai, red chillies and curry leaves. When rai starts spluttering, switch off the flame and add the thadka to the chutney............

Beerakaya Thokkala (Ridge gourd Skin) Chutney/Turai ke chilke ki chutney is ready.......... Tastes good with rice, rotis or chappatis..........Try once.......really it is delicious......