Tondli Chi Bhaji | Dondakaya Fry

Ivy Gourd/Kovakkai/Dondakaya/Tindora/Tondli Garlic Stir-Fry is a delicious and simple Indian vegan curry that makes a great side for roti and rice. An easy-to-make simple green vegetable dish that's spicy, tangy, and nutritious.

What to pack in the lunch box

This is a common dilemma across households every day. We as homemakers struggle with this question every day.

We all have made creative makeovers using yesterday's dinner or prepared a quick recipe using leftover ingredients in the fridge.

Somehow, we always come up with ways to make lunch boxes interesting for our loved ones.

Let's admit that whether you are in school, college, or at work, we all look forward to lunch breaks and delicious home-cooked food. 

Stir-Fries to the rescue

Stir-fries, Poriyal, Upkari, Subzi, or Curry always come to my rescue at such times. 

That's because mostly stir-fries are super quick to put together. It's a great weeknight meal option because of the simplicity of the recipes. 

Plus, they are easy to serve and can be easily paired with any flatbread, rice, cauliflower rice, tortillas, or any other alternate cooked grains like quinoa or teff. 

Also, they are prepared with less oil, healthy, and stir-frying helps retain the nutrients in the veggies. 

You can prepare a dry curry either with one vegetable or mix veggies together. Today's stir-fry recipe is prepared with one main vegetable. 

It's my favorite gourd

Why make it

I learned this recipe from my house help in Bombay. She would make this at least once a week for us and I along with my office friends would enjoy it at our work lunch together. 

• It makes a great lunchbox recipe
• Can be made in an instant and tastes great as well
• It's vegan and gluten-free
• A simple, easy and tasty dish
• Can be made in 45 minutes
• Ideal recipe to include in the weekly meal rotation

Tindora/Tendli - You can find them in Indian grocery stores. Here's how to select the right ones.

Pick the ones that are thin, long, free of any blemishes, and dark green in color. It should not be light green or red, or any other color. The green color indicates that they are perfectly grown.

They will ripen easily so choose the perfect tindora right away and you can store them for a longer period of time. You can also use frozen ones. 

Other veggies - Tomato and onions make this dish tangy, mildly sweet, and crunchy. 

Chillies - You can use Indian green chilies, serrano pepper, or jalapenos. Adjust the quantity based on your tolerance level. 

Garlic - It is one of the key ingredients in this recipe. Will be needed garlic cloves and garlic powder. 

Spices - Ginger, turmeric powder, paprika, coriander, and cumin powder give this dish its aromatic flavor.

Cilantro and garam masala act as the final seasoning and lend a nice flavor to the dish.

Before we start cooking, wash, and clean the tendli well. Then trim the edges on both sides and then chop them into thin round slices.

1. Transfer to a skillet and shallow fry them (uncovered) with salt and garlic powder for 6-8 minutes.
2. They would take around 8-10 minutes to turn soft and cook. Take it out onto a plate and keep it aside. 
3. Heat oil in the same skillet. Fry ginger, garlic, and green chilies for 2-3 minutes. Then add the onions with a little salt and saute them until they turn translucent.
4. Next, add chopped tomatoes. Saute till they are soft and pulpy.
5. It's time to add the seasonings - turmeric powder, coriander-cumin powder, and paprika. Mix and cook for a minute.
6. Add the fried gourd, mix, and cook for 2-3 more minutes. Lastly, add garam masala and chopped cilantro. Mix it all together and take it off the flame. 

Serving Suggestions 🍽

Serve this warm Kovakkai Poriyal with Dal and steamed or Jeera Rice with some Koshimbir (Yogurt Salad) on the side. 

It can also be paired well with any Indian flatbread like chapati, roti, naan, paratha, or even bhakhri. We also serve it with Sambhar or Rasam and rice. 

If you plan to serve them in a lunchbox, let it cool a bit and then pack it along with some flatbread. 

Top recipe tips 💭

Add the seasonings as per your taste and availability. Cashews or Peanuts can be added along with the onions for more crunch.

You can also make this dish without onions and garlic. If needed, you can garnish this curry with some shredded coconut. 

In order to increase the protein content, add some cooked chickpeas or any other beans. Some also like to add corn or potatoes. 

If adding potatoes, then add them after the onions and cook them till they turn soft. Then add the remaining ingredients. It will appear at the start that there is a lot of tondli. But they will shrink in size when fried. Use a mandolin slicer to slice the tondli thin. It's a time saver!

Recipe FAQs 📖