Hurungi Kaayi Gojju

Ingredients

• - 400g ash gourd in sweet-sour sauce
• - 2 tbsp groundnut or coconut oil
• - 2 onions
• - 2 tomatoes
• - 1 tbsp ginger-garlic paste
• - 1 tsp red chilli powder
• - 1 tsp coriander powder
• - 1/4 tsp turmeric
• - 1 sprig curry leaves
• - Salt to taste

Method

1. Prepare hurungi kayi: Wash 2-3 hurungi kayi (broad beans or field beans in pod). String and cut into 2-inch pieces, or shell them.
2. Soak tamarind: Soak marble-sized tamarind in 1 cup warm water. Extract and strain.
3. Make gojju masala: Blend half cup fresh grated coconut, 2 dried red chillies, 1 tsp coriander seeds, half tsp cumin and 1 tbsp jaggery to a smooth paste.
4. Cook beans: In a pan cook the beans with half cup water and a pinch of turmeric until tender. Save the cooking water.
5. Make base: Heat 2 tbsp oil. Add 1 tsp mustard seeds — when they pop add 1 sprig curry leaves and 2 dried red chillies.
6. Add shallots: Add 8 sliced shallots and fry 6 minutes until golden.
7. Add tamarind water: Pour tamarind water. Add the beans cooking water, salt and 1 tsp red chilli powder. Bring to a boil.
8. Add gojju masala: Add the coconut paste. Stir well.
9. Add cooked beans: Add the cooked beans. Simmer 8-10 minutes until the gojju thickens.
10. Serve: Adjust salt. The jaggery in gojju gives a sweet-sour-spicy balance. Serve with steamed rice.