ಹೀರೆಕಾಯಿ ಬಜ್ಜಿ/Ridge Gourd Chutney

Past week was a Flu galore at home. One after the other falling sick in a row hope mine is the last attack lucky my daughter has escaped so far. Even with the flu is there a way to get out of cooking or eating no way!. For me whether it is fever flu or cold while hot saaru(rasams) and soups provide me a healing affect but I can never be without eating pachadi/raita/yogurt/gojju. Yeah it is true, until a few years ago I would never touch anything cold during the time of cold like be it yogurt/raitas but now it has changed may be due the weather here in Singapore it makes you eat something cool. This in one such pachadi or you can call it Baji/chutney with slight ting of yogurt goes very well with rice. Sorry buddies my photos are as gloomy as I am, with a little thought whether to post or not finally I agreed with my heart after all this is for my buddies so here it is .

All you need:
4 medium Ridge gourd peeled
onion -1 chopped finely
grated coconut - 4 tbsp
yogurt - 2-3 tbsp
salt and jaggery for taste
green chillies - 2 - 3
methi/fenugreek seeds - 1/8 tsp
Hing - 1/8 tsp
oil to fry - few drops just enough to fry
raw Jeera seeds - 1 tsp

Method: Cut and boil ridge gourd with salt and water. While boiling fry in oil roughly cut chillies, hing and methi seeds. Grind the masala with coconut and jeera seeds. Make sure you do not use additional water while grinding use the water that is left in the boiling of the gourds. Once the coconut is in paste form add the boiled ridge gourd pieces corsely just one blend for 2 secs. Carefull while grinding as it may splash in case the gourds are not cooled enough. Now add onions, salt, jaggery and yogurt for enough sourness as required. Serve with rice.

Note: Make use of very tender Ridge gourds. The texture of this chutney is semi course not very watery nor very thick. You can add more yogurt to make raita. The sweetness of the ridge gourd with flavour of raw jeera and chillies makes it very unique.