Preparations:

Wash & peel ridge gourds. Cut the gourds into medium sized pieces. Take a microwave safe bowl and add the ridge gourd pieces. Place this bowl in microwave oven and cover it partially. Cook the gourds on high power for 5 minutes. Stir the vegetables once and again place the bowl in oven and cover it partially. Cook the vegetables on 30% power for 5 to 7 minutes or till done. Break red chilies into pieces and keep them aside.

Method:

Heat a pan and add oil to it. When oil is hot add black gram and fry till seeds start changing color. Then add mustard seeds and cumin seeds. Fry till the seeds splutter. Then add red chili pieces and curry leaves. Mix well and add the cooked ridge gourd pieces. Stir well and add salt. Mix well and cover the pan. Cook on medium flame till all the water is absorbed by the vegetable. Remove the lid and stir fry for a minute. Then add sugar to enhance the taste of the curry. Mix well and transfer to a serving bowl. Serve hot with plain rice.

Points to Notice:

Do not discard the peels. Use them by making a paste in any gravy dish—because all vitamins lie just beneath the peel and also it is rich in fiber.

Select tender ridge gourds—they have natural sweetness and lot of water in them. The matured ones will be difficult to cook.

Ridge gourd has lot of water in it. That is the reason we have not added any water to the vegetable while cooking in microwave oven.

Cooking time of the vegetable in microwave depends on the tenderness of gourds. So adjust accordingly.

Actually one red chili is sufficient to prepare this dish. As ridge gourds are sweeter in taste, adding just one red chili will give the natural taste to the dish. However if you like spicier taste, add two red chilies.

As it is ridge gourds are sweeter in taste. But adding sugar slightly

enhances the taste of the curry.

If water content is more in ridge gourd add few teaspoons of rice flour. The rice flour absorbs all the water.