Urad Dal Stuffed Ridge Gourd

Urad Dal Stuffed Ridge Gourd.
Onion is fried and ground into paste along with dal and spices. The ground urad dal mixture is then stuffed in lightly scraped ridge gourd. The stuffed ridge gourd is cooked on low flame till its soft. Serve this urad dal stuffed ridge gourd with steamed rice and dollop of ghee.
Makes: around 3 Servings of Urad Dal Stuffed Ridge Gourd.
Ingredients:
Ridge Gourd 1 Large
Urad Dal 2 Tbsps
Onion 1
Red Chili Powder 1/2 tsp
Tamarind 2 inch Piece
Garlic 2 Cloves
Salt to Taste
Oil 1 Tbsp
Talimpu:
Mustard Seeds 1/4 tsp
Cumin Seeds 1/4 tsp
Urad Dal 1/4 tsp
Asafoetida a Big Pinch
Curry Leaves 5
Oil 2 tsps
Method of preparation:
Lightly scrape, remove ends, wash and chop ridge gourd into 2 inch long cylinders (around 7).
Make a slit in each ridge gourd cylinder vertically twice and keep aside.
Soak tamarind in few tablespoons of water and extract all the thick pulp.
Peel and slice the onion.
Heat a tsp of oil in a pan, add sliced onion.
Fry the onion till its golden brown in color.
Remove the onion from heat and cool to room temperature.
Grind the urad dal and red chili powder into fine powder.
Add the fried onion, few tablespoons of water and salt and grind again into coarse paste.
Stuff each ridge gourd cylinder with at least tablespoon of the ground urad dal and onion mixture.
Heat oil in a pan on medium heat, add all talimpu ingredients in order.
When mustard seeds start spluttering, arrange the stuffed ridge gourd in the pan.
Add quarter cup of water, tamarind extract and cook covered on low flame for around 10 – 15 minutes.
Turn the ridge gourd on other side, add a splash of water and cook covered on low flame for another 3 – 5 minutes.
Stir in any leftover stuffing mixture and cook for few more minutes.
Once ridge gourd is cooked well, serve urad dal stuffed ridge gourd with steamed rice or with roti.
Notes: Make sure ridge gourd is cooked properly before removing from heat.
Suggestions: Make sure to lightly scrape the ridge gourd to let it hold its shape a bit. If ridge gourd is not cooked well, put the pan back on heat and cook covered on low flame till done.
Other Names: Urad Dal Stuffed Ridge Gourd.