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Turiya nu shaak
Ridge gourd curry
તુરીયાનું શાક: Jain Gujarati ridge gourd simmered soft with tomato, dry ginger, ajwain and a pinch of sugar
Turiya arrives in Gujarat's markets with the monsoon, and this quick, juicy shaak is a weekday staple from Rajkot to Navsari, eaten with rotli and a dollop of ghee, or with khichdi and kadhi. It is cooked the Jain way, in a vaghar of mustard seed, ajwain and hing with green chilli and dry ginger powder instead of fresh ginger, plus tomato and a pinch of sugar. The gourd turns silky and almost melts, leaving a light, sweetish gravy. A common mistake is overcooking: ridge gourd softens in about eight minutes and turns to mush soon after. Take it off the heat as soon as the pieces are translucent but still hold their shape. Chef's tip: scrape off only the hard ridges and leave the green skin between them; it keeps the pieces together and adds flavour.
- Total time
- 25 min
- Difficulty
- easy
- Serves
- 4
Ingredients
For the shaak
- 1 ⅛ lb ridge gourd (turiya)ridges scraped, cut in 2 cm pieces
- 1 ½ tbsp groundnut oil
- ¼ tsp ajwain (carom seeds)
- 1 green chillifinely chopped
- 1 tomatofinely chopped
- ½ tsp ground turmeric
- ½ tsp red chilli powder
- ¾ tsp salt
- ½ tsp sugar
To finish
- ⅓ oz fresh coriander (optional)chopped
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Method
0/5 doneStep 1: Taste a small raw piece of 1 ⅛ lb ridge gourd (turiya); if it is bitter, discard it.
1 minStep 2: Heat 1 ½ tbsp groundnut oil in a pan over medium heat. Add ½ tsp black mustard seeds (rai) and, when it splutters, ¼ tsp ajwain (carom seeds), ¼ tsp gluten-free asafoetida (hing) and 1 green chilli.
1 minStep 3: Add 1 tomato, ¼ tsp dry ginger powder (sonth), ½ tsp ground turmeric, ½ tsp red chilli powder and 1 tsp dhana-jiru (ground coriander-cumin) and cook for 2–3 minutes until the tomato softens.
3 minStep 4: Add the turiya and ¾ tsp salt, stir, cover and cook on low heat for 7–8 minutes, until the pieces are translucent and tender but still whole. Do not add water; the gourd releases its own.
8 minStep 5: Stir in ½ tsp sugar, cook uncovered for 1 minute and finish with ⅓ oz fresh coriander.
1 min
Nutrition per serving
- Calories
- 75 kcal
- Protein
- 2 g
- Carbs
- 8 g
- Fat
- 5 g
- Fibre
- 2 g
Nutrition values are estimates.
KrazyBadal
Good to know
- How long does turiya nu shaak take?
- About 25 minutes in total: 10 minutes to prepare and 15 minutes to cook.
- How many people does it serve?
- 4 as written. Change the servings above the ingredients and every amount scales to match.
- Is it vegan?
- Yes. It has no meat, fish, dairy or eggs.
- Is it gluten free?
- Yes, as written. Check the labels on stock, sauces and spice mixes, which sometimes contain gluten.
- What can I use instead of black mustard seeds (rai)?
- Cumin seeds, same amount (different flavour, same crackle).
- What can I use instead of gluten-free asafoetida (hing)?
- A pinch each of garlic powder and onion powder (asafoetida stands in for onion and garlic).
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