Bottle Gourd Gravy

Ingredients:

Bottle Gourd 1 cup cut in small pieces
Onion 1 Small
Tomato 2 Medium
Green Chiles 1 – 2
Raw Peanuts 1/8 Cup
Garlic 1 – 2 Cloves
Whole Red Chiles 2 – 3
Coriander Powder 1 tsp
Red Chili Powder a Pinch
Fresh coriander leaves 
Salt to Taste
Oil 1 tsp (app.)

Tempering

Mustard Seeds 1/4 tsp
Cumin Seeds 1/4 tsp
Urad Dal 1/4 tsp
Curry Leaves 2
Oil 2 tsps

preparation:

Peel, wash and chop the bottle gourd into small pieces.
slice the green chillies finely.

 finely chop the onion and  the tomatoes.
Peel and crush the garlic clove.
finely chop the coriander leaves.

Boil around 2 cups of water in a  pot, add chopped bottle gourd and salt.
Cook till bottle gourd is just soft and strain the bottle gourd.

Heat few drops of oil in a pan, add bottle gourd pieces and salt.
Fry till bottle gourd pieces turn light golden brown and remove from heat.

Heat a tsp of  oil in a pan on low heat, add peanuts and roast them till they turn light golden brown.
Remove the peanuts onto a bowl, add red chillies and garlic in the same pan.
Fry till red chillies change color and remove from heat.
Cool the fried ingredients to room temperature and grind peanuts, red chillies, garlic into fine powder.

Heat oil in a pan, add all tempering ingredients in order.
When mustard seeds start spluttering, add green chiles and chopped onion.
Fry till onion changes color and starts to brown around the edges.
Stir in chopped tomato and salt.
Cook till tomatoes soften, add bottle gourd pieces, ground peanut powder, coriander powder, red chili powder and salt.

Cook on low flame (around 5 minutes) till the curry comes together and the bottle gourd absorbs all the flavors.
Stir in cilantro and remove the bottle gourd gravy curry from heat.
Garnish with cilantro and serve bottle gourd gravy curry with steamed rice or with roti etc…