Heerekai Chutney

Well, I would like to call it fibrous chutney because its made of vegetable's skin and thus very fibrous and healthy. Its called heerekai sippe chutney - more famous as samandha in south kanara.

Ingredients:

1 big bowl - Heere kai sippe (thick skin of ridge gourd)
2 spoon coconut gratings
1 spoon urad dal
1 green chilly, 1 red chilly
tamarind - 1 small lemon size
a pinch of asafoetida (ingu)
2 spoon oil
salt to taste

Method:

(1) Semi cook the skin of ridge gourd and keep it aside. (can be cooked in cooker or in a pan with closed lid).
(2) Take a pan and put 2 spoons oil. Add urad dal to it. Once it turns brownish, add green & red chilly. Add asafoetida powder. Switch off the flame and then add coconut gratings.
(3) Mix (1) and (2) in a blender/mixie to form a consistent paste. Add water as needed.
(4) For seasoning: add mustard seeds and some urad dal in oil/ghee.

And there you go! Who said "all that tastes good is not healthy and all that is healthy tastes bad!" In this case: its healthy bhi... tasty bhi!

Serving suggestions: Serve it with curd rice or Dosa/Chapati/Idli.

Now you must be wondering "I use the fibrous peeled skin. well and good. But what do I do with the vegetable!!!" No worries. It can be used in making Dose. Follow my Khara Dose recipe here which shows you how to do just that.