RIDGE GOURD MASIYAL / PULUSU

This is a traditional recipe. I learnt this recipe from my mother-in-law.  Most of us know how to make paneer butter masala, gujathi kadi, aloo gobi, kashmiri pulav but we really don't know our next door's home food recipe. Sometimes we would not have heard about the recipe itself. In our India there are so many traditional home recipes which tempers your mouth like anything without loosing its regional taste. This ridge gourd masiyal is also of the same type. Masiyal is a tamil word means, smashed. Try it, sure you will enjoy. Especially who loves to have south indian food.

Ingredients:

1. Ridge gourd - 1 medium or big size
2. Thoor dhal - 1/4 cup
3. Red chillies - 2
4. Garlic - 10 cloves
5. Small onions - 10 shallots
6. Sambhar powder - 1/2 tbs ( less or more as required
7. Extracted Tamarind juice - 1/2 cup
8. Salt - as required
9. Asfotedia / hing powder - a pinch
10. Turmeric powder - 1 tsp
11. Jaggery - 2 tsp ( less or more as required)

Seasoning:

1. Mustard seeds - 1 tsp
2. Jeera - 1 tsp
3. Fenugreek / methi seeds - 1 tsp
4. Curry leaves - 1 twig
5. Red chillies - 2

Method:

1. Heat a tsp of oil in a pan, add 2 red chillies and the thoor dhal, fry until the raw smell goes or it turns into golden brown. Transfer it a bowl, which you use to pressure cook.  Remove the outer skin from the ridge gourd and chop into smaller pieces. Add the chopped ridge gourd into the same dhal bowl. Add 1/2 cup of water or until the dhal get immersed and pressure cook at the same method you use to cook dhal or until the dhal is nicely cooked and samshed.

2. In the mean while Heat oil in a pan, add mustard seeds and jeera. Once they got popped add methi seeds and curry leaves.

3. Add chopped garlic and small onions. Give a nice fry, until it turns brown.

4. Add extracted tamarind juice to the pan, add salt, turmeric powder, sambhar powder, 1/2 cup of water and allow to boil.

5. Once the dhal and ridge gourd got cooked, take it out and smash it well.

6. Add the smashed dhal to the tamarind extract and allow to boil.

7. Once it got ready, transfer it to a serving bowl.

8. Serve hot with white rice. add a tsp of gingelly oil to rice, which will enhance the taste.