I've already written in length about my plight in deciding what curry to make for our afternoon rice. This is one curry that umma so frequently makes. The only change she makes is in the vegetable used. For explaining the recipe, I have used bottlegourd, but then this curry goes well with any mild tasting vegetable and is absolutely awesome with Palakkadan Matta or white rice and some fish!!! :)
Manja Curry/ Yellow Vegetable Curry
Serves 4
Ingredients:
1 meduim sized bottlegourd, peeled and chopped
1 cup water
1/4 tsp turmeric
3 green chillies, slit
1/4 cup yogurt
1/4 cup coconut, grated
1/4 tsp fennel seeds
1 tbsp coconut oil
1 tsp mustard seeds
5-6 curry leaves
Salt to taste
Method:
Pressure cook the bottlegourd with water, turmeric and chillies for a whistle. Grind the yogurt and coconut with the fennel seeds into a smooth paste, without any bites.
Heat a "chatti" (earthern pot). Pour in the coconut oil. Once it heats splutter the mustard seeds and then add the curry leaves. Saute for a few seconds. Add in the cooked bottlegourd and the paste and give it a nice mix. Adjust salt and simmer for 5 minutes. Switch off and serve warm with rice and pickle!
Notes:
You can replace the bottlegourd with any mild, tasteless vegetable, like snakegourd and likes. The taste goes well with all those vegetables.