Preparations:

Wash & peel bottle gourd. Cut the bottle gourd into medium sized pieces. Take a microwave safe bowl and add the bottle gourd pieces and 25ml water. Place this bowl in oven and cover it partially. Cook on high power for 5 minutes. Stir the vegetable pieces once and again place the bowl in oven. Cover the bowl partially and cook on high power for 5 minutes. Allow 2 minutes standing time before removing the bowl from oven. Drain any excess water from the bottle gourd.

Break each red chili into 3 pieces. Usually, for this recipe we need only one red chili. But for those who wish to have this dish to be spicier may add 2 red chilies.

Method:

Heat pan and add oil to it. When oil is hot add the black gram and fry till the seeds start changing color. Then add mustard seeds and cumin seeds. Fry till the seeds splutter. Add curry leaves and red chili pieces. Fry the seasoning well and add the cooked bottle gourd pieces. Mix well and add salt. Mix well. Cover & cook the vegetables for 3 minutes on low flame. When cooked covered the vegetable absorbs salt and gets the taste. Mix after 3 minutes and transfer the curry to a serving bowl. Serve hot with plain rice, VADIYALU & CURD CHILIES.

Variations:

Sorakaya Paaluposi Chesina Koora (Bottle gourd Curry with Milk):

Ingredients & Preparations of this recipe is same as above.

Method:

Heat pan and add oil to it. When oil is hot add the black gram and fry till the seeds start changing color. Then add mustard seeds and cumin seeds. Fry till the seeds splutter. Add curry leaves and red chili pieces. Fry the seasoning well and add the cooked bottle gourd pieces. Turn the flame to high and add 50ml milk little at a time mixing all the while. Add little milk to the curry and mix gently till all milk evaporates. Then again add some more milk and mix well till milk evaporates. The bottle gourd pieces absorb the milk and the curry becomes dry. Like this add milk and mix well and use all the milk taken. When the curry is dry add salt and mix well. Take care to add salt after finishing the entire milk taken in this recipe, otherwise the milk will curdle. Transfer the curry to a serving bowl and serve hot.

Sorakaya Paaluposi Bellamvesi Chesina Koora (Bottle gourd Curry with Milk & Jaggery):

Ingredients & Preparations of this recipe is same as that of bottle gourd curry with milk.

Method:

Heat pan and add oil to it. When oil is hot add the black gram and fry till the seeds start changing color. Then add mustard seeds and cumin seeds. Fry till the seeds splutter. Add curry leaves and red chili pieces. Fry the seasoning well and add the cooked bottle gourd pieces. Turn the flame to high and add 50ml milk little at a time mixing all the while. Add little milk to the curry and mix gently till all milk evaporates. Then again add some more milk and mix well till milk evaporates. The bottle gourd pieces absorb the milk and the curry becomes dry. Like this add milk and mix well and use all the milk taken. When the curry is dry add salt and mix well. Take care to add salt after finishing the entire milk taken in this recipe, otherwise the milk will curdle. Add powdered jaggery and mix well. Cook the curry till jaggery melts and mixes with the curry. Transfer the curry to a serving bowl and serve hot.