Kovakkai fry or poriyal/ tindora fry is a simple of all tindora recipes and easy to prepare. No coconut in this recipe.
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In our family, both my mom side and my MIL side, I have never seen them cooking kovakkai, don’t know the reason though. But when I tasted for the first time in a friend’s place I liked it…tasted nice and sounded so simple as well.
Even My friend Sangeeta has a different recipe from this, but I will share that in another post. I have cut kovakkai in circles and prepared this kovakkai fry. But you can cut in lengthwise into thin strips and make too.
I love it both ways. I love cutting into thin strips in kovakkai rice. Kovakkai takes a long time to cook, so make sure to slice thinly. It tastes better only when sauteed nicely in oil and cooked until it gets shrunken. So oil is needed a bit more.
Recipe card
Kovakkai fry recipe
Ingredients
- 20 Kovakkai Tindora
- 1 Onion chopped (optional)
- 2 teaspoon Sambar powder
- ¼ teaspoon Turmeric
- 2 tablespoon Oil
- Salt & water - As needed
To Temper
- ½ teaspoon Mustard
- 1 teaspoon cumin seeds
- 1 sprig Curry leaves
- 1 tablespoon Oil
Instructions
- Clean and slice the kovakkai to thin circles or thin strips lengthwise.
- Heat kadai/frying pan with oil and temper with the mustard, cumin, curry leaves.
- Add onion, if adding, to it and fry till golden brown.Add kovakkai,turmeric and salt.
- Fry well adding more oil for 3 minutes. It should get half done by this time.
- Then sprinkle sambar powder, mix and continue cooking till soft and changes colour.
- Take care not to burn the kovakkai, adjust flame accordingly. If you want you can sprinkle water and cook covered too, but it tastes better when sauteed with more oil itself.
Video
Notes
Stepwise photos
1. Clean and slice the kovakkai to thin circles (Tip - use a mandolin slicer)or as thin long slices. Updated photos / video have long cut strips.
2. Heat kadai/frying pan with oil and temper with the mustard, cumin seeds, curry leaves.
3. Add kovakkai, turmeric sambar powder and salt.
4. Fry well in medium flame adding more oil for 2-3 minutes. It should get half done by this time.
5. Continue mixing in low flame and cook till soft, shrinks and changes color.
6. Take care not to burn the kovakkai, adjust flame accordingly.
7. It will shrink in volume and turn golden.
8. Take care not to burn it, so cook in low flame. Once it's dry and all are evenly thin, roasted, switch off flame. Add oil as needed. Use good quality cold pressed coconut oil if you like the flavor.
Serve as accompaniment for rice or take it with rotis!!
Priya
Simple tindora stirfry looks gorgeous!!!
Prathibha
simple n yummy Raks...
Love this stir-fry..
Happy cook
Back at home mom made this always and i used to lov ehtem.
Yours looks so so yumm.
jeyashrisuresh
i too make them in the same way,except adding onions.long time back i made this. Thanks for reminding me
Gita
I love kovakai...this dish makes a simple meal with rasam or curd so yummy...nice picture 🙂
SAILAJA
one of my favorite veg.
Mangala Bhat
wow! nice click as always ..lokks soo yummy ..will give it try soon Thanks for sharing 🙂
Laavanya
You are right.. my mom didn't make much with kovakkai but nowadays i cook often with it & have started liking it. Looks good.
Chitra
Yes, u r rite..I tried kovakkai thogayal once here..But nothing after that..Now i can try this fry..Its very simple as u said..Good one.Thanks for sharing!!
Varsha Vipins
wow..u knw its ma favv Raks..even now I have some in fridge..I just make a simple stir fry with chilli powder..Is this Sambar powder same as the usual shop bought ones?..The last pic is just superb dear..:)
Soma
I love tindora, we call in Kundri in Bengali. This looks really good! would be lovely with some dal & rice on the side.
Soma(www.ecurry.com)
Nithya Praveen
Been a while since i had this....nice looking stuff.Simple and easy...yummy!
Pavithra
Wow thats one of my fav.. love all the pic.. good shot... please send me that bowl i will eat as a snack itself
DEESHA
Yumm .. I love tindora ..
Cham
Crispy and yummy the curry!
jayasri
OH! what a colourful picture, looks sooo yummy..., well, how did you know i bought Tindora, this week!, very very long back hubby had bought it in b'lore and i had made a dry curry of course not with sambhar powder!, saturday i thought i have completely forgotten the taste of it so, i bought some and is in my fridge. I will try this out, and later on try some other recipe with it!...., as usual beautiful clicks love.
sowmya
lovely picture..goes well with chapatis..
RAKS KITCHEN
Varsha ,
The sambhar powder used here is home made and is different from the store brought ones...U can replace it by 1 tsp red chilli powder and 1/2 tsp daniya powder.
Ramya Vijaykumar
We cook this very often but its always sliced lengthwise I for some reason love it when they are cut into rings!!! looks delicious!!!
Superchef
simple..soo easy to make and my all time fav!!
Nags
adding sambhar powder is new to me too. gorgeous pics 🙂
Sush
lovely stir fry. I'm a big fan of ivy gourd, will try this 🙂
Suparna
hi raji,
beautiful snap, I love the roasted pieces the most...I pick and eat such pieces coz I love the smoky taste it gets 🙂
good one. Keep the record going! am loving it!! 🙂
rekhas kitchen
oohhh wow simple but so so mouthwatering.
Kitchen Flavours
I too cut them into roundles....simple and yum....
Valarmathi
Looks simple and yummy. Next time i try this by adding sambhar powder to it.
Viki's Kitchen
Tindora stir fry ...what a healthy side dish. Love those pics too.
Rosemary
As improbable as it might sound, This recipe is savory and delicious:)
Thanks for sharing your recipe:)
And you can visit me if I can visit you:)
Welcome~~~
foodcreate.com
Kalai
Hmm... Even in my family, no one cooks kovakkai. In fact, when my grandmother came here and saw us buying kovakkai she started yelling at us for paying money to buy a useless vegetable. Then, she tried it and loved it, too! One of my favorites. 🙂
Sujatha
I have tindora at home and will surely try this recipe soon.. I'm sure it will turn out good.. simple recipes are great!
A2Z Vegetarian Cuisine
Looks very yum. Beautiful picture.
Vibaas
Both me and my first son love this and this is exactly how i make too. Yum!
Priti
Wow looks so yummy...lovely pics gal
Nithya
The dish is amazingly easy and nice. I must say this.. Brilliant photography. the pic is so attractive. keep it going. 🙂
A2Z Vegetarian Cuisine
Super Simple Quick tindora stir fry looks yummy
Asha
Thanks Raks, loved the trip to India! 🙂
I had seen my nephew's photo of course but hadn't seen him physically. He insisted on calling me "ashakka" rather than aunty because I have short hair! ;D
Enjoy, see you in Fall!:)
Mangala Bhat
Thanks for ur [email protected] my blog Dear . ..yeah ! i have used lemon culs for garnishing 🙂 Thanks da
Andhra Flavors
simple and looks perfect.
Ammu
Wow! that looks georgeous. Homely & lovely dish.
Hari Chandana
woww..looks great..superb recipe.. thanks for sharing 🙂
Safina Mubarak
U seem to b adding sambar powder fr most ..y so?any reason?bcos normaly i add dhaniya n turmeric ...
Raks anand
yes my sambar powder is a balanced combination of red chilli, dhaniya and turmeric, so I replace sambar powder in place of those 3.
santhosh vansay
Really good taste thank you raks.....
Supriya
A simple recipe. Yet it came out very tasty.
Raks Anand
Thank you 🙂