Heeraykaai Thovvay

One of the dishes that I wanted mom to prepare for me when I went to India was this Thovvay prepared with ridge gourd and toor dhal.[Heeray kaai-Ridge gourd;Thovvay -dhal ].It is fairly simple to prepare and this is the first dish that comes to my mind if I am bored of the same old sambar to go with rice.

Mom used :

Toor dhal – ¼ cup
Ridge gourd -1

Seasoning :

Oil -1 teaspoon
Mustard- ½ a teaspoon
Split urad dhal-1/2 a teaspoon
Gram dhal-1 teaspoon
Green chilies-2 ,slit
Asafoetida powder- a pinch
Curry leaves a few

Salt to taste

Lemon juice-to taste[optional]

1. Pressure cook the dal with enough water till soft.Mash lightly and keep aside.
2. Peel and chop ridge gourd into 1/2 ” cubes.
3. Heat oil in a small pan,add mustard,urad dhal,gram dhal and wait till the dal turns brown.
4. Put in asafetida ,slit green chillies and curry leaves and wait till the curry leaves crisp.
5. Put in the ridge gourd and add a little water and cover and cook till the vegetable is soft but not mushy.
6. Put in the cooked dhal,add salt and mix well.
7. Bring to a boil and remove from flame
8. If using lemon juice, add to the dal mixture when it is luke-warm.
9. Garnish with coriander leaves[optional]

Serve with steamed rice and sour stew.

Note:

• You can also prepare this with moong dhal.
• Green chillies gives a nice taste to the dish but you can also use red chillies.
• Can use ghee instead of oil.

Here is another Tovvay served with a sour stew prepared with sun-dried vegetable featured as perfect pair.Also read how these this ‘made for each other’ dish is brimming with goodness.

Happy cooking…