Beerakaya Pachadi is a traditional south Indian style chutney made from ridge gourd, spices, tamarind and herbs. It is flavourful, spicy, and pairs well with rice, dosa or roti. It’s naturally a vegan and gluten free dish.
Ridge gourd is referred to as beerakaya in Telugu, heerekai in Kannada, peerkangai in Tamil, or turai in Hindi.
This beerkaya pachadi is versatile and goes well as an accompaniment with idli, dosa and it makes a perfect weeknight meal with plain rice and a dollop of ghee.
Ingredients
- Vegetables and Herbs: ridge gourd, tomatoes, garlic, green chillies, curry leaves and coriander leaves.
- Spices and Lentils: Mustard seeds, cumin seeds, urad dal, chana dal, turmeric powder, salt, tamarind and dry red chillies.
- Oil: I used sunflower oil but feel free to use any cooking oil that you use regularly.
See the recipe card for quantities.
Instructions
Step 1: Peel the ridge gourd and chop it into medium size pieces. Set aside.
Step 2: Heat 2 teaspoons of oil in a pan.
Step 3: Add mustard seeds and let it splutter.
Step 4: Now add chana dal, and urad dal. Fry until the dals turn golden brown.
Step 5: Add cumin seeds and fry until it sizzles and releases aroma.
Step 6: Next, add green and dry red chillies followed by curry leaves.
Step 7: Fry for a minute and then transfer the mixture to a plate or a bowl. Allow it to cool completely.
Step 8: In the same pan, heat 1 tablespoon of oil.
Step 9: Add tomatoes and cook for 2 minutes until they begin to soften.
Step 10: Now add chopped ridge gourd pieces, garlic, turmeric powder, and salt. Mix well.
Step 11: Add the tamarind and mix well. Cook until the beerakaya becomes soft and tender. This should take about 8-10 minutes on medium heat.
Step 12: Switch the heat off and mix in coriander leaves.
Step 13: Let the mixture cool down a bit.
Step 14: Meantime, transfer the cooled spice mixture to the mixer jar and grind it into a coarse powder.
Step 15: Now transfer the cooled ridge gourd mixture to a mixer jar and grind it into a coarse paste.
Serve the ridge gourd pachadi with hot rice, roti, or dosa.
See this ridge gourd moong dal curry on my website!
Substitutions and Variations
Coconut: Fresh coconut adds a nutty taste to the pachadi. Fry it with spices and lentils.
Storage
Beerakaya Pachadi can be stored in the refrigerator for up to 3-4 days in a clean airtight container.
Tips and Tricks
Choose Fresh Ridge Gourd: Use fresh and tender ridge gourd for the best flavour and texture. Older or overripe ridge gourds can be tough.
Taste Ridge Gourd: Check ridge gourd for bitterness. Cut a small piece and taste it before chopping the remaining ridge gourd. Discard it if it tastes bitter.
Properly Peel the Ridge Gourd: Make sure to peel the ridge gourd thoroughly, removing the ridges and the tough outer skin.
Cool Before Grinding: Allow the cooked mixture to cool completely before grinding.
Consistency of the Chutney: Grind the chutney to a coarse texture rather than a fine paste. This gives a better texture and traditional taste.
Water: The moisture from tomatoes and ridge gourds is sufficient to help in the grinding process, so try not to add any more water.
Related
Looking for other recipes like this? Try these:
Pairing
These are my favorite dishes to serve with pachadi:
KEEP IN TOUCH
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Beerakaya Pachadi (Ridge Gourd Chutney)
Ingredients
1 Cup = 250ml ; 1 Tablespoon = 15ml ; 1 Teaspoon = 5ml
- 2+1 Teaspoons Oil
- 1 Teaspoon Mustard
- 2 Teaspoons Urad Dal
- 2 Teaspoons Chana Dal
- 1.5 Teaspoons Cumin
- 3 Dry Red Chillies adjust to taste
- 4 Green Chillies adjust to taste
- 1 sprig Curry Leaves remove leaves from stem
- 2 medium Tomato wash and chop
- 400 gms (or) 4 cups Ridge Gourd/ Beerakai/ Heerekai/ Thurai wash, peel and chop
- 3 cloves Garlic peel
- 12 gms Tamarind wash
- ½ teaspoon Turmeric Powder
- Salt as required
- 17-20 sprigs (or) half bunch Coriander Leaves wash
Instructions
- Peel the beerakaya and chop it into medium size pieces. Set aside.400 gms (or) 4 cups Ridge Gourd/ Beerakai/ Heerekai/ Thurai
- Heat 2 teaspoons of oil in a pan.2+1 Teaspoons Oil
- Add mustard seeds and let it splutter.1 Teaspoon Mustard
- Now add chana dal, and urad dal. Fry until the dals turn golden brown.2 Teaspoons Urad Dal, 2 Teaspoons Chana Dal
- Add cumin seeds and fry until it sizzles and releases aroma.1.5 Teaspoons Cumin
- Next, add green and dry red chillies followed by curry leaves.3 Dry Red Chillies, 4 Green Chillies, 1 sprig Curry Leaves
- Fry for a minute and then transfer the mixture to a plate or a bowl.
- Allow it to cool completely.
- In the same pan, heat 1 teaspoon of oil.2+1 Teaspoons Oil
- Add tomatoes and cook for 2 minutes until they begin to soften.2 medium Tomato
- Now add chopped ridge gourd pieces, garlic, turmeric powder, and salt. Mix well.400 gms (or) 4 cups Ridge Gourd/ Beerakai/ Heerekai/ Thurai, 3 cloves Garlic, ½ teaspoon Turmeric Powder, Salt
- Add the tamarind and mix well. Cook until the beerakaya becomes soft and tender. This should take about 8-10 minutes on medium heat.12 gms Tamarind
- Switch the heat off and mix in coriander leaves.17-20 sprigs (or) half bunch Coriander Leaves
- Let the mixture cool down a bit.
- Meantime, transfer the cooled spice mixture to the mixer jar.
- Grind it into a coarse powder.
- Now transfer the cooled beerakaya mixture to a mixer jar.
- Grind it into a coarse paste.
- Serve the ridge gourd pachadi
Notes
Nutrition
Welcome to Flavours Treat. I share vegetarian recipes made with wholesome, mostly fresh ingredients. Every recipe has easy-to-follow instructions with process shots (detailed step-wise pictures), a short video and lots of tips to help your cooking journey. Read more
Geetha, thanks so much for this pachadi recipe. Can I use frozen ridge gourd as I don’t get fresh one here.
Amulya, I have no idea as I have never tried with frozen ridge gourd.