Stir fried ivy gourd - Kovakkai Mezhukku Purattiyathu

 Today's vegetable, the humble ivy gourd, is one of my favourites. With ivy like leaves, small white star shaped flowers and a tiny cucumber like gourd, this plant used to grow wild in my mother's back yard.  Some of the fruit would ripen on the vines turning a beautiful shade of red, self seeding and carrying on the process seemingly on an endless cycle.  this vegetable was available freely and throughout the year and it was a favourite of mine as well as my dad's. 

Of course it wouldn't survive the cold winters of Melbourne and I never expected to see it here. Once in a way I used to but the frozen vegetable that was imported from India but the taste was just disappointing. 

Each time I visited India, I used to eat it by the kilo - stocking up until my next visit.

I was pleasantly surprised to see it at my local green grocers the other day - a treat, all the way from sunny Queensland! I was so excited I grabbed a lot - and for the next 3 weeks ate it to my hearts content.  Now that I know that it has gained popularity in Melbourne, I am sure I will see it more often.

It is a vegetable that is known by different names in different parts of India. I know it as kovakkai, but in the North of India they call it Tindora.  This time, in Delhi I found out that the Delhiites call it Kundru. A kovakkai - by any other name - still tastes divine - and by the way, the botanic name of this vegetable is Coccinia Grandis.

To make this dish, you need green (unripe) ivy gourd, about half a kilo.

I have got a picture of the plant - thank you Mary Matthews for 

Ingredients:

500 grams of green kovakkai (ivy gourd)

1 tablespoon vegetable oil

1/2 teaspoon mustard seeds

1/2 teaspoon turmeric powder

1 teaspoon chilli powder ( you can add more or less according to taste)

1/4 teaspoon salt ( you can add more or less according to taste)

Method:

Wash the kovakkai thoroughly. Top and tail - and remove the black ends.  Slice the kovakkai lengthwise into 6 or 8 sections. The seeds are tender, leave them in. 

In a wok, heat oil and add mustard seeds.  When they crackle, add the kovakkai slices. Sauté for 6 to 8 minutes till the gourd turns tender. Add the chilli powder, turmeric powder and salt.  Continue to sauté for a further 4 to 5 minutes, till you get a bit of a charred effect on a few of the slices.

Take off the heat, serve with rice or chappaties.

Out shopping for kovakkai in Delhi.

A young kovakkai plant showing tendrils, the ivy shaped leaves, white flowers and gourds. Thank you Mary, for the photographs!