Kovakkai Fry | Dondakaya Fry

Kovakkai fry recipe with step by step photos – simple and easy home style kovakkai fry best served as a side dish with chapatis or with curd rice and dal-rice. Kovakkai is Ivy Gourd in English. Kovakkai is the Tamil name.

In the Telugu language, it is called Dondakaya. In other Indian languages, Kovakkai is also known as tendli or tindora.

Kovakkai fry also goes well in tiffin box paired with some soft phulka or roti.

Kovakkai fry is one of those easy recipes that I make at times to go as a side veggie dish with dal-rice or chapatis. For me it easy to make and all I need is to chop the kovakkai and then slow cook in a kadai. Some attention is required and that gets done when I am cooking dal along with the kovakkai.

Few more tindora or kovakkai recipes

• Tindora sabzi
• Bharwan tendli
• Aloo tendli sabzi
• Kovakkai poriyal
• Ivy gourd recipe with chickpeas

This dondakaya fry recipe is similar to the way I make Parwal fry. if you want you can even add some chopped potatoes in this dish. But first, sauté the potatoes for some minutes and then add the tindora.

How to make kovakkai fry

1. First, rinse 250 grams ivy gourds (kovakkai or tindora or tendli) very well in water. Drain the excess water. then thinly slice of the top and bottom ends and discard them. Slice the ivy gourds vertically in four parts. You will need 2.5 cups sliced ivy gourds.

2. Heat 2 tablespoons oil (sunflower, peanut or mustard oil) in a heavy and thick bottomed kadai. An iron kadai works best for this recipe. If using mustard oil, then let it come to its smoking point and then add tendli.

3. Keep the flame to a low and add the sliced kovakkai.

4. Mix very well with the oil.

5. On a low flame begin to cook the dondakaya. Keep stirring after 3 to 4 minutes.

6. Sauté till the kovakkai is half done. You will see the edges getting light golden on the kovakkai when they are half cooked.

7. Now add the spice powders – ¼ teaspoon turmeric powder, ½ teaspoon Kashmiri red chilli powder, ½ teaspoon fennel powder, ½ teaspoon cumin powder and ½ teaspoon coriander powder.

8. Next, add 1 pinch asafoetida (hing).

9. Mix the spices very well with the kovakkai.

10. Add salt as per taste.

11. Mix well and continue to sauté on a low flame till the dondakaya becomes golden, slightly crisp and is cooked well. Stir after 3 to 4 minutes.

12. Sauté till the kovakkai is cooked well.

13. Lastly add ¼ teaspoon garam masala powder, ½ teaspoon dry mango powder (amchur powder) and 2 tablespoons chopped coriander leaves.

14. Mix well and switch off the flame.

15. Serve kovakkai fry hot or warm with chapatis or with dal-rice or curd rice or sambar-rice.

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Kovakkai Fry | Dondakaya Fry

4.94 from 16 votes

By Dassana Amit

Kovakkai Fry - simple and easy home style Kovakkai Fry. This dondakaya fry recipe is best served as a side dish with chapatis or with curd rice and dal-rice.

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Prep Time 5 mins

Cook Time 20 mins

Total Time 25 mins

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Cuisine North Indian

Course: Side Dish

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Servings 3

Units

Ingredients

• ▢ 250 grams ivy gourd or 2.5 cups sliced ivy gourd (tindora or tendli or kovakkai)
• ▢ 2 tablespoons oil (sunflower, peanut or mustard oil)
• ▢ ¼ teaspoon turmeric powder (haldi)
• ▢ ½ teaspoon kashmiri red chilli powder
• ▢ ½ teaspoon fennel powder (saunf powder)
• ▢ ½ teaspoon cumin powder (jeera powder)
• ▢ ½ teaspoon coriander powder (dhania powder)
• ▢ 1 pinch asafoetida (hing)
• ▢ ¼ teaspoon garam masala powder
• ▢ ½ teaspoon dry mango powder (amchur powder)
• ▢ 2 tablespoons chopped coriander leaves

Instructions

preparation for kovakkai fry recipe

• First rinse 250 grams ivy gourds (tindora or tendli or dondakaya) very well in water. Drain the excess water. 
• Then thinly slice of the top and bottom ends and discard them. Slice the ivy gourds vertically in four parts. You will need 2.5 cups sliced ivy gourds.

making kovakkai fry

• Heat 2 tablespoons oil in a heavy and thick bottomed kadai. 
• An iron kadai works best for this recipe. If using mustard oil, then let it come to its smoking point and then add tendli.
• Keep the flame to a low and add the sliced tindora (ivy gourds).
• Mix very well with the oil.
• On a low flame begin to cook the tindora. Keep stirring after 3 to 4 minutes.
• Saute till the tindora is half done. You will see the edges getting light golden on the tindora when they are half cooked.
• Now add the spice powders - ¼ teaspoon turmeric powder, ½ teaspoon kashmiri red chilli powder, ½ teaspoon fennel powder, ½ teaspoon cumin powder, ½ teaspoon coriander powder and 1 pinch asafoetida (hing).
• Mix the spices very well with the tindora.
• Add salt as per taste.
• Mix well and continue to saute on a low flame till the tindora becomes golden, slightly crisp and is cooked well. Stir after 3 to 4 minutes.
• Saute till the dondakaya is cooked well.
• Lastly add ¼ teaspoon garam masala powder, ½ teaspoon dry mango powder and 2 tablespoons chopped coriander leaves
• Mix well and switch off the flame.
• Serve kovakkai fry hot or warm with chapatis or with dal-rice or curd rice or sambar-rice.

Notes

• Spice preferences: You can add less or more spice powders as per your taste preferences.
• Scaling the recipe: Kovakkai fry recipe can be easily halved or doubled.
• Optional veggies: 2 medium sized potatoes can also be added. First saute the potatoes for 4 to 5 minutes on a low flame and then add the ivy gourds.
• Dry Mango powder replacement: Instead of dry mango powder, you can add about ½ teaspoon lemon juice.
• Herbs: Coriander leaves can be skipped if you do not have them.
• Gluten free version: For a gluten free recipe, skip asafoetida or use gluten free asafoetida.

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