30-Minute Tindora Curry with Corn
Tindora Curry with Corn is a simple, dry-style curry of tindora (ivy gourd) and sweetcorn. It's light, fresh and quick to prepare. Serve this weeknight vegetable dish with roti, phulka, paratha or rice. If you can't find tindora, try it with courgette cut to the same size.
Servings: 4
Ingredients
- 450 g tindora (ivy gourd/tendli/dondakaya)
- 285 g cooked sweetcorn I used tinned but fresh or frozen are fine too
- 2 large fresh tomatoes, diced
- 1 tsp tomato purée
- 3 cloves garlic peeled and crushed
- 50 ml any cooking oil
- 1 tsp black mustard seeds
- 1 tsp cumin seeds
- 2 tbsp chickpea flour (besan)
- 1 tsp ground turmeric
- 1/2 tsp ground fennel seeds
- 1/4 tsp asafoetida
- 1 tsp Kashmiri chilli powder
- 2 tsp ground cumin & coriander seeds (dhana-jeeru)
- 3/4-1 tsp salt
- 1/2 tbsp unsweetened desiccated coconut optional
Instructions
To prepare the tindora:
- Wash the tindora well in cold water. Dry them in a clean tea towel. Top and tail the tindora, removing only a small amount of the ends. Slice the tindora in half lengthways and then into quarters in the same direction.
- Heat the oil in a large pan. Once hot, add the sliced tindora. Stir fry the tindora in the oil, stirring all the time until tender and very slightly golden. Don't overcook the tindora - they should retain some crunch. This will take 5-6 minutes over a moderate heat. Remove the tindora from the pan using a slotted spoon and drain in a colander or plate lined with kitchen towel. Set aside.
To make the curry:
- Remove all but 1 tbsp oil from the pan. Add the mustard seeds and cook until they pop and crackle. Once the dance of the mustard seeds subsides, turn the heat down to low and add the cumin seeds and asafoetida. Sauté briefly, about 10 seconds.
- Add the chickpea flour and sauté for a further 20 seconds. The chickpea flour will turn a few shades darker, rather like a light caramel colour and give off a nutty aroma. Immediately add the tomatoes and garlic. Cook for 1-2 minutes.
- Now add the dry spices: ground cumin and coriander seeds, ground fennel seeds, chilli powder, ground turmeric and salt. Stir well to incorporate all the dry spices. If the mixture feels very dry, you can add a splash more water to moisten and prevent the spices from burning. Be sure not to add too much water as this is a dry-style curry. Stir all the time.
- After 2 minutes, add the cooked sweet corn and stir, cooking over a moderate heat for 1-2 minutes. Next, add the cooked tindora and fold the sweetcorn masala into it so everything is well coated. Cook this for an extra 2-3 minutes to heat everything through.
- Garnish with fresh coriander and optional desiccated coconut. Serve hot with rotis, phulka, paratha or rice.
Video
Notes
- This curry is suitable for freezing. To freeze, pack the cooled curry into a freezer-safe container and cover with a tight-fitting lid. Freeze for up to 3 months. Defrost at room temperature and heat through until the curry is piping hot before serving.
- Store leftovers in an airtight container in the fridge. Consume within 48 hours.
- If you can't find tindora, try making this curry with young courgette cut to the same size, about 4cm in length.