Kovakkai fry, commonly known as tindli, tindora or tendli, a simple to make dry curry with coconut. A delicious curry that can be served with rice.

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South Indian Lunch Thali

Lunch thali series, a long time wish to share my daily lunch ideas in the blog. I regularly share my lunch plate in Instagram , under the #icampinmykitchenlunch. Its been a long time wish to record those simple everyday lunch thali's in the blog as a series. Thanks to Blogging Marathon theme Lunch Thali, this week I will be sharing few simple everyday lunch ideas.

Indian Thali Meals

An Indian thali can be very elaborate with n number of dishes and also simple with a dal, subzi and rice. This brilliant Rajasthani thali and Himachal Thali are a glimpse of an elaborate Indian Thali. Srivalli made Thali's with Indian Street food her Delhi Street food thali and Mumbai Street food thali's are totally tempting.

Today I m featuring a simple south-indian lunch thali. Something that I cook day in and day out. At home lunch is comprised of rice, kootu, dry curry, either sambar or rasam and curd. Some days it is just dal and rice and there are days i cook a storm like this Tamil New Year Special

The Menu

Today's lunch thali contains

Kovakkai fry/Tindora fry/Ivy gourd fry
Bhindi/Okra & Capsicum Sambar
Black eyed bean salad
Mango Pickle
Steaming hot White Basmati Rice.

If looking for a weekend thali of rasam and vathakuzhambu, check this delicious yennaikathrikai kuzhambu and lemon rasam thali.

The Ingredients

Tindora/Ivy Gourd/Tendli is the main hero of the recipe
Tomatoes, I have used 1 medium sized tomato in this recipe. It is optional, but adds a nice tang to the sauté.
Spice, I normally use either Sambar podi or Curry podi for my dry curries. You can also grind equal amounts of red chilli and coriander seeds and use that spice for the dry subzi.
Coconut, I love adding coconut to dry subzi's, adds lots of flavor to it. Again if you have any dietary restrictions to avoid then you can omit coconut.
Tempering, for a south-indian curry, it goes without saying mustard seeds, curry leaves and hing.

Step by Step Instructions to make Tindora Fry

Please check recipe card below for exact measurements of each ingredient used and also for the detailed instructions

Wash and chop the tendli/tindora in to thin roundels. Some prefer to cut it vertically, some prefer to cut into roundels. I do both ways.
Heat a pan with oil, splutter mustard seeds, add hing and curry leaves. Add chopped tomatoes and turmeric powder to this and sauté until tomatoes turn soft and mushy.
Now add the chopped tindora to this and saute. Add sambar powder and salt. Mix well.

Sprinkle water 2-3 times, cover and cook until the tindora is soft. Takes around 10-12 minutes in medium flame. Open and stir once or twice while it is cooking.
Once the vegetable is soft, remove cover and add grated coconut to this and mix well.

Let this cook without cover for another 8-10 minutes, until the bottom turns a bit golden and brown. Keep stirring once or twice in the process.
Take it off the stove and serve it with rice.

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More Dry Subzi

Some more

Recipe

Kovakkai Fry | Tindora Fry | South Indian Lunch 1

Kovakkai fry, commonly known as tindli, tindora or tendli, a simple to make dry curry with coconut. A delicious curry that can be served with rice.

5 from 4 votes

Print Pin Rate

Course: Side Dish, Sides

Cuisine: Asian, Indian, South-Indian, Tambrahm

Keyword: Dry curry recipe, Dry subzi recipe, How to make tindora fry, Quick and easy tendli fry, Rice accompaniment recipe, Tendli curry, Tendli subzi, Tindora curry

Prep Time: 15

Cook Time: 20

Total Time: 35

Servings:

Calories:

Ingredients

4 cups Chopped tindora/tendli/ivy gourd approximately 4-5 cups
1 no medium sized tomato, chopped
1½ teaspoon sambar podi/red chili & coriander powder see notes
⅓ cup shredded coconut fresh coconut
1 tsp salt or to taste

Tempering

1½ tablespoon oil i used coconut oil
¾ teaspoon mustard seeds
¼ teaspoon hing/asafoetida
few curry leaves

Instructions

Wash the tindora well in a bowl of water. I usually soak them in water for 10 minutes. Wash and drain them completely. You can either cut into thin roundels or vertically into thin strips.
I personally prefer roundels and have observed they cook faster when cut into roundels. Again it is a personal preference and observation, might not be the same for all.
Heat a wide bottom pan with oil, when hot splutter mustard seeds, add hing and curry leaves. To this now add chopped tomatoes, and turmeric powder. Let the tomatoes cook until soft and mushy.
To the mushy tomatoes, add chopped tindora, add sambar powder or red chili and coriander powder, salt and mix well.
Sprinkle water 2-3 times, cover and cook in a medium flame for 10-12 minutes. Open and stir in between twice. Check if the bottom is burning, if so then sprinkle little water and continue to cook with cover.
After 10-12 minutes, the tindora must have turned soft. Check doneness by pressing one in between your fingers, if still hard, let it cook covered for 2-3 more minutes.
To the cooked tindora add coconut. Mix well. Let this continue to cook without cover for another 8-10 minutes, for the bottom to turn a bit brown and golden.
Keep the flame medium or even low. Stir once or twice in between. If you feel it is burning in the bottom, sprinkle very little water and mix well.
After the said time, the tindora would have nicely crisped up in the bottom. Mix it well. I personally prefer few crispy tindora and few soft. Creates wonderful texture when you eat the vegetable.
Take it off the stove, serve it warm with rice. This delicious tindora fry can be packed for lunch too.

Notes

I usually add either sambar powder or curry powder to my dry curries.
Sometimes, I grind equal amount of round red chilies (gundu milagai) and coriander seeds and use this powder to flavor my dry subzi.
I have used 1.5 teaspoon of spice powder in the recipe. Since i have used a tomato and coconut, that amount of spice was needed. In case you feel it will be too spicy for you, then reduce it to 1 tsp.

Disclaimer

I m not a Doctor or a Nutritionist The Nutrition information provided above comes from the plugin and is only an estimate.

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Serve this delicious tindora curry with rice. This crispy tendli fry can also be packed in lunch boxes for schools and offices.

I personally like to make a roti roll with this ivy gourd subzi, they taste absolutely delicious and easy to pack for kids lunch box.