Bottlegourd Gravy Curry is a lightly spiced, sweet-sour gravy that goes
very well with Indian roti or chapathi. If you use the microwave to
boil the bottlegourd, this is one gravy curry that takes very little
effort but is big on taste.
In a large microwavable bowl, boil the bottlegourd
pieces with 1 cup water and some salt for about 5-6 minutes until
almost tender. Or boil the pieces separately until tender.
Roast the sesame seeds, red chillies, and grated
coconut separately, until lightly browned. Let cool and grind into a
powder and set aside.
Grind the dalia into a powder and set aside.
In a medium saucepan, add the gravy and dalia
powder, turmeric
powder, red
chilli powder and 1 cup of water, and mix.
Add the bottlegourd pieces, tamarind paste and
jaggery, and cook on medium heat until the raw flavor of dalia is gone,
the gravy is thickened and the bottlegourd is completely cooked.
Heat oil in a small pan for seasoning. Add asafoetida
and mustard seeds. When the seeds start to pop, add a couple whole red
chillies and fry until lightly browned. Add the curry leaves and fry
for a couple of seconds and pour over the bottlegourd gravy curry.