Black eyed peas – Bottle gourd curry: Recently when my in-law visited us, he got this black eyed peas. I have heard bottle gourd would be a great combination with black eyed peas but never once tried before. I wanted to make a different recipe than the usual karakozhumbhu type. Suddenly, I was thinking about my grandmother who use to make dry fish curry without oil and sautéing. Her dry fish curry are the best that I have ever tasted. With lots of variation to my grandma’s recipe, I have prepared this curry. I was happy with the taste that I achieved in this preparation and I’m happy to share.

Ingredients:

1/2 cup black eyed peas( soaked over night)
2 cup bottle gourd( chopped medium size)
1/2 medium sized onion ( cut length wise)
2 tomatoes(blended)
1 tblspn ginger garlic paste
lemon sized tamarind(soak for 15 minutes and extract juice)
1 quarter of small coconut ( blended and milk extracted)
1/2 tspn turmeric powder
1&1/2 tblspn chilli powder
2 tblspn coriander powder
2 green chillies
2 tblspn coconut oil
1 stalk of curry leaves
Salt to taste

Method:

1. Pressure cook the black eyed peas for 3 whistle. Transfer it to the vessel that you might use for making curry.
2. Now add the bottle gourd, tomato puree, ginger garlic paste, turmeric powder, chilli powder, coriander powder, tamarind juice, green chillies, salt and one cup water to the vessel and mix well along with the black eyed peas.
3. Cook the ingredients with closed lid for 10-15 minutes in medium flame until the bottle gourd is completely cooked.
4. Now add the coconut milk and cook for 5 minutes with closed lid.
5. Separately, In a pan, heat 2 tblspn coconut oil. Add th curry leaves and onion. Sauté for a minute and pour the tempering over the curry.
6. Let the curry get cooked for another 2 minutes. Switch off the stove.
7. Serve hot with steamed rice.

Happy cooking!