Ashgourd Kadhi

Ingredients

• 400 grams ash gourd (petha), peeled, seeded and cut into 1 inch cubes
• Salt to taste
• ¼ teaspoon turmeric powder
• ½ cup whisked yogurt
• Paste
• ½ cup scraped fresh coconut
• 1 inch ginger, roughly chopped
• 2-3 green chillies, slit
• 2 tablespoons soaked split Bengal gram (chana dal)
• 1 teaspoon cumin seeds
• Tempering
• 2 tablespoons coconut oil
• 1 teaspoon mustard seeds
• 2 dried red chillies, diagonally halved
• 10-12 madras onions, thinly sliced

Method

1. Put ash gourd cubes in an earthen pot, add 2 cups water and salt and mix well. Cover and cook for 10-12 minutes or till done. 
2. Meanwhile to make the paste, put coconut in a mixer jar. Add ginger, green chillies, soaked Bengal gram, cumin seeds and ½ cup water and grind to a fine paste. 
3. Add the paste to the ash gourd mixture and mix well. Let the mixture come to a boil.
4. Reduce the heat to low, add yogurt and mix well. Add water, mix and cook for 2-3 minutes. 
5. To make the tempering, heat coconut oil in another pan. Add mustard seeds and let them splutter. Add dried red chillies and madras onions and sauté till translucent. Immediately pour this into the kadhi and mix well.
6. Transfer into a serving bowl and serve hot.