Tinda Masala – Apple Gourd Vegetable

This Tinda masala recipe is super quick and healthy. The addition of tomato paste gives the tinde ki sabzi a tasty tangy twist.

Tinda also known as round gourd or apple gourd in English is a small green gourd vegetable available for hardly 2 months during monsoons in India. Gourd vegetables are very alkaline and good to maintain the acidic-alkaline balance of the body. We don’t find apple gourd here in Luanda, but I brought some back with me when I returned from India last week and it was a treat to eat this tamatar tinde ki sabzi for dinner. Since living in Angola, I have found a new respect for most vegetables. Back at home this would have been just another vegetable fry. But here in Luanda, tinda is almost an exotic vegetable.

Tinda is as healthy as lauki or bottle gourd and very easy to make. I like a tomato base for lauki so I asked my mom if I can make something similar with tinda too. She told me to cook the tomatoes separately as the sourness of tomatoes makes it difficult for the round gourd to cook.

5 from 2 votes

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Tinda Masala

This Tinda masala recipe is super quick and healthy. The addition of tomato paste gives the tinde ki sabzi a tasty tangy twist.

Prep Time5 minutes mins

Cook Time15 minutes mins

Total Time20 minutes mins

Course: Main Course

Cuisine: Indian

Servings: 2

Calories: 169kcal

Ingredients (1cup = 240ml; 1tbsp = 15ml; 1tsp = 5ml)

• 6-8 tinde/round gourd
• 1 tsp cumin seeds
• a pinch of asafoetida
• Salt to taste
• 1/2 tsp turmeric powder
• 2 tomatoes
• 1/2 inch ginger
• 1 green chilli
• 1 tsp coriander powder
• 1/2 tsp red chilli powder
• 1/2 tsp fennel seeds coarsely crushed
• 2 tbsp vegetable oil

Instructions

• Wash and peel the gourd. To peel the gourd simply use a regular knife to scrape off the skin. If you use a peeler a lot of the flesh also goes waste. Pat them dry with a kitchen towel and cut each into 6-8 pieces.
• Heat 1 tbsp oil in a flat pan. When the oil is hot add asafoetida and cumin seeds. Once the seeds start to sputter, add the cut tinda pieces along with salt and 1/4 tsp turmeric powder. Mix well. Add about 3-4 tbsp water and cook covered on low heat for about 5-7 minutes till the gourd pieces are bit soft. Once in between turn the tinda/gourd pieces.
• Meanwhile, cut the tomatoes, ginger and green chilli into big chunks and puree them in a mixer.
• Heat 1 tbsp oil in another pan. When the oil is hot add coriander powder, red chilli powder, crushed fennel seeds and turmeric powder. Sauté for about a minute and then add the tomato-ginger-chilli paste. Mix well and cook for about 10 minutes till the tomato masala leaves oil on the side.
  
• Add salt and the cooked gourds in the tomato masala. Cook for about 4-5 minutes till all the water evaporates and the tinda masala is nicely coated with the tomato paste. If you want a tinda masala with gravy, add water as required and cook covered.
• Garnish with fresh coriander and serve hot with rotis.

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