Beerakaya Thokku Pachadi

Story: I ate this first time when i was a very small girl. it was at Bhimavaram , my dad's friends place. i loved it the moment i tasted it. From then on , i used to ask my mom to make it. The same taste never happened again, but i keep trying....

Ingredients:

1. Skin of 2 large ridge gourds, wash and peel the skin


2. 1/2 cup ridge gourd pieces


3. 2 green chillis


4. 1-2 dry red chillis


5. 1 tbsp minappa pappu


6. 1 tsp cumin seeds


7. very small lemon sized tamarind


8. 1 small piece of bellam [jaggery]


9. 2 tsps oil


10. For poppu
    1/2 tsp mustard seeds
    1-2 dry red chillis
    big pinch hing
    1/2 tsp oil

Procedure:

1. Heat a tsp of oil in a cooking vessel, add mina pappu, cumin seeds and red chillis and stir fry for a few seconds till the dal turns red.


2. Remove and keep aside.


3. In the same vessel, add another tsp of oil and add the green chillis and saute for a mt.


4. Add the ridge gourd peels (chop them into small pieces) and fry on medium heat for 4-5 mts. Add Ridge Gourd pieces. Fry till its cooked.


5. Add the tamarind to it


6. Once cool, grind the daal, cumin, redchillies first till coarsely ground, add the rest of the sauteed ingredients along with tamarind and salt and grind to a slightly coarse paste.


7. Heat half a tsp of oil in a pan, add mustard seeds and let them pop, add dry red chillis followed by hing and stir fry for a few seconds.


8. Pour the seasoning over the ground pachadi and serve with hot rice & Ghee.