Dondakaya Pachadi | Ivy Gourd Chutney | Andhra Special Recipe

After many days, I am posting an Andhra Special recipe today. What could it be if not for a freshly made pachadi/chutney? We Andhraites are much popular for the number of pickles and the spicy chutneys we make. As long as I remember, my grandma used to be the pickle queen of our family – there would be no better recipe to beat hers. Her Avakaya, Magaai, Gongura and Chinthakaya knew no boundaries and she used to pack to a whole lot of extended family. Those pickles would last one whole year and still taste awesome. In spite of spending tremendous amount of energy making bulks of pickles for an entire month, there would be no dearth for freshly made pickles throughout the year. At times, there would be nothing but rice and pickles – such a bliss that meal would be. Although we never tried anything non-traditional, of late I have been trying different pachadi recipes and this is one of them.

Dondakaya/Kovakkai/Ivy Gourd is one of our favorite vegetables. Amma would simply fry Ivy Gourd roundels in some oil and sprinkle salt and red chilli powder. Sometimes it’s the most simplest that tastes great! We are a fan of Amma’s Dondakaya Fry. Over the weekend, when I had some excess chopped Dondakaya, I tried out this pachadi/chutney and it was a huge hit. As it is, can be mixed with rice and ghee with a side of fryums. If diluted little bit, it goes well with South Indian Breakfasts as well.

To make Dondakaya Pachadi | Ivy Gourd Chutney

Servings: makes a cup
Time: 30 mins
Difficulty: Easy
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What I used –

Dondakaya/Kovakkai/Ivy Gourd, 10-12
Urad Dal, 2 tbsp
Chana Dal, 2 tbsp
Dried Red Chillies, 5-6
Oil, ½ teaspoon + 1 teaspoon + ½ tsp
Mustard Seeds, ½ tsp
Asafoetida, a generous pinch
Garlic Pods, 4-5
Curry Leaves, a few
Tamarind Paste, ½ tsp
Salt, as required

How I made –

1. In a pan, heat 1 teaspoon of oil. Add chopped Dondakaya or Ivy Gourd. Sprinkle salt required to cook the vegetable and mix well. Cook it on low flame until ¾^th done. Let it cool completely. prep1

2. In another pan, heat ½ teaspoon of oil. Add dried red chillies, urad dal, chana dal and peeled garlic pods. Fry on low flame until everything is golden is in color. Let it cool completely.

3. In a mixer jar, add the roasted red chillies mix along with salt required, tamarind paste and a generous pinch of asafoetida. Grind into a smooth powder.

4. Add the fried dondakaya and pulse through until everything is blended. Remove the chutney onto a bowl. Heat a small pan and add ½ teaspoon of oil. Add mustard seeds and let them splutter. Add washed curry leaves and switch off the heat. Add this tempering to the prepared chutney. prep4

5. Serve with hot rice and ghee/clarified butter.

Note –

While choosing the ivy gourd, make sure they are firm and on cutting they should be pale green and not orangish.
If you have time, cut the ivy gourd into thin rounds – would be easy to cook. Alternatively, you can chop them up vertically as well.
Slow cooking the ivy gourd is essential – otherwise, they may burn.
A pinch of jaggery can be added for a slight sweet taste. Skip asafoetida in that case.
Adjust the quantity of red chillies as per spiciness required.