Tindora Shaakટીંડોળાનું શાક
Ivy gourd cut into long strips and cooked dry until the edges crisp. Little oil, little time, and it never leaks in a lunchbox.
Ingredients
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- 400 g ivy gourd (tindora), cut lengthwise
- 2 tbsp oil, mustard seeds, cumin, asafoetida
- 1 tsp ginger-chilli paste
- Turmeric, coriander-cumin powder, 1 tsp sugar, salt
- 2 tbsp crushed roasted peanuts
- Lemon and coriander
Method
- Wash the tindora and cut each into four long strips.
- Temper oil with mustard seeds, cumin and asafoetida, then add the ginger-chilli paste.
- Add the tindora, turmeric and salt, cover and cook on low for 12-15 minutes.
- Uncover, add the coriander-cumin powder, sugar and crushed peanuts, and cook 4-5 minutes more.
- Finish with lemon and coriander and serve with rotli.
Tips
- Finishing uncovered is what crisps the edges.
- Fat tindora can be bitter; choose slim, firm green ones.
Storing and reheating
Being a dry sabzi it keeps two days in the fridge, and with no gravy in it, it has long been the Gujarati choice for tiffins and train journeys. Reheat it uncovered in a pan on medium heat for three or four minutes and the edges crisp up again. A microwave leaves the tindora soft and slippery.
What you can swap
- No crushed peanuts? Use powdered roasted sesame or roasted split chana; sesame brings more aroma.
- A pinch of jaggery can replace the sugar, giving a deeper flavour and a darker colour.
- No lemon? Dust a quarter teaspoon of amchur over at the end.
- If you like the masala to cling more, dry roast a teaspoon of gram flour and stir it in at the end.
What to serve with it
It belongs in an everyday Gujarati meal with hot rotli, dal, rice, kachumber and chaas. Because it is dry, it is the most dependable sabzi to pack with rotli in a morning tiffin, and many families eat it with thepla too.
Mistakes to avoid
- Look inside each tindora as you cut it. Any that are reddish or cottony in the middle are over-ripe; throw those out or the whole sabzi tastes bitter.
- Do not cook on high heat. The strips brown on the outside and stay raw inside; they need to steam slowly under a lid.
- Do not add water. Tindora release their own, and added water leaves the sabzi boiled and flat.
- Do not add the peanut powder early. It scorches and turns bitter, and clumps the masala. It goes in only after the lid comes off.
Questions people ask
Why does my tindora sabzi taste bitter?
One or two over-ripe pieces went in. If the inside is red, soft or cotton-like, that tindora is bitter. Check each strip as you cut, and taste one if you are unsure.
How do I pick good tindora?
Choose slim, evenly sized ones in a deep green, and firm when you press them. Yellowing, fat, or soft-to-the-thumbnail tindora are past their best and will be seedy and bitter inside. If you are buying loose, snap one in half at the shop; a good one breaks cleanly and looks pale green and tight inside.
Can I make it without peanuts?
Yes. Sesame powder or roasted split chana powder does the same job, and if you want to add nothing at all, just cook it uncovered for two extra minutes so the edges crisp.
