Name: Kovakkai Fry | Tindora Fry | South Indian Lunch 1
Prep time: 15 min
Cook time: 20 min
Total time: 35 min
Ingredients: 4 cups Chopped tindora/tendli/ivy gourd (approximately 4-5 cups); 1 no medium sized tomato, chopped; 1½ tsp sambar podi/red chili & coriander powder (see notes); ⅓ cup shredded coconut (fresh coconut); 1 tsp salt or to taste; 1½ tbsp oil (i used coconut oil); ¾ tsp mustard seeds; ¼ tsp hing/asafoetida; few curry leaves

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

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.

If you have tried this recipe and like it, give it a star rating or let me know in the comments below. You could also share it with me on Instagram using #icampinmmykitchen and tagging me @priyasrinivasan.
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