A very fragrant curry bursting with aromatic spices and herbs. Bottle gourd makes a tasty vegetable in this curry but you can also substitute with zucchini. Enjoy with rice or naan/roti.
Prep Time10 minutesmins
Cook Time35 minutesmins
Total Time45 minutesmins
Course: Main Dish
Cuisine: Mauritian, Vegan
Keyword: bottle gourd, bottle gourd curry
Servings: 4
Author: Teenuja Dahari - veganlovlie.com
Ingredients
325gbottle gourd[about ½ gourd, 2 cups after cutting], can be substituted with zucchini
400gcauliflower[1/2 cauliflower head]
120gchickpeas[1 cup], boiled (or canned)
65gwhite beans[½ cup], boiled (or canned)
40gbrown chickpeas[¼ cup], boiled (or canned if available)
1 - 2teaspoonssoft brown sugaradd at the end, more or less depending on level of sourness of the tomatoes
Spice Gravy
60gsweet potato[1 medium], or normal white/red potato
3tablespoonscoriander seeds
1/2teaspoonfenugreek seeds
2tablespoonscrushed tomatoesor passata
500gfresh Romaor Italian tomatoes, [about 4 tomatoes] roughly chopped (or use one can of tomatoes)
1teaspooncumin
1tablespoonpaprika
1/2teaspoonchili powderor chili flakes, optional or more/less to taste
1/2teaspoonturmeric powder
5fresh curry leavesor 10 dried ones
1/2teaspoontamarind pastedilute in some water to remove the seeds if required
1tablespoonminced gingeror 1 inch cube
Saltto taste
Garnish
Coriander leavescilantro for garnish
Instructions
Make the spice gravy:
Peel and cut the sweet potato into rather small pieces. Place the sweet potato in a heated pan with a little water. Cover and let cook until soft. Once cooked, remove from pan and set aside.
While sweet potato is cooking, prepare the other spices. We are going to roast the fenugreek and coriander seeds to release more aroma from them. In a heated skillet or nonstick frying pan. Add in the coriander seeds and fenugreek seeds and lightly toast for about 1 minute or less. Transfer to a blender.
Add all the rest of the curry spice ingredients to the blender, including the cooked sweet potato, and blend for about 1 minute or until all seeds and spices are finely blended.
Prepare and cook the vegetables:
Wash and peel the bottle gourd. Then cut it in half lengthwise. Depending on the size of the gourd, you may need only half of it. (Keep the rest to use in another recipe). Remove the soft part where the seeds are. If the seeds are tender, you may leave the soft spongy part in. Cut into thick slices.
Cut the cauliflower into florets.
Add the cauliflower in the non-stick pan. Add the bottle gourd and sprinkle with a little salt. Cover and let the vegetables cook until they are soft. This should take about 10 minutes. Once cooked, remove all the vegetables from the pan and set aside.
If you are using zucchini instead of the gourd, do not add the zucchini at this stage. Keep it for later.
Make the curry:
Add the spice gravy into the nonstick pan and let it simmer uncovered for about 15 minutes on medium-high heat while stirring. Hold the lid or a splatter guard to avoid any splashes or the risk of burning yourself. After 15 minutes, the sauce would have reduced. So, add about 1/2 cup of water (or adjust consistency to your liking).
Then add in all the cooked beans and vegetables. Mix and stir well. Cover and simmer for another 10 minutes. Adjust the salt and sugar.
Garnish with some chopped coriander (cilantro).
Serve warm on a bed of basmati rice or with your favourite naan bread.
Video
Notes
Link to original recipe - Bottle Gourd Curry - https://veganlovlie.com/bottle-gourd-curry-oil-free-vegan/