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Tindora Chutney or Dondakai Pachadi is an authentic Andhra Chutney made with the Ivy Gourd along with lentils. A simple roasted chutney that tastes delicious with steamed rice.

The botanical name is Coccinia Grandis, Ivy Gourd in English. Tindora grows in tropical regions and used as a vegetable. In many southern states, this vegetable grows widely and is cooked in different forms like chutney, stir fry, stuffed masala gravy, mixed rice, etc.

Glossary English: Ivy gourd, Scarlet Gourd, Kowai fruit; Tamil: Kovaikkai, Malayalam: Kovaykka Telugu: Dondakaya, Kannada: Dondekayi, Hindi: Tindora.

We make this vegetable as stir fry, in mixed rice, and as chutney as well, both as a side dish for dosas or steamed rice. This pachadi is part of the Ugadi Telugu New year.

When we had our Ugadi Festival, I had prepared the festival spread for the first part of the Indian Thalis. During the planning of the Indian Thalis, I told Amma that we will have to feature the Ugadi Festival Menu that is normally cooked every year. We have seven different vegetable stir fries. This year we included a new pachadi.

Amma remembered this Dondakaya Pachadi that she recently made and wanted me to make that. As always during the recipe transfer knowledge, I mistook one lentil for another and added fried gram instead of channa dal. Though both are the same since the process of the end product varied the taste might have changed. No doubt it ended up being very delicious with rice. Amma was amused that I could change or mistake an ingredient in such ways.

Without much fuss here is a wonderful way to make this vegetable into a chutney that stays good for a week when refrigerated.

Ingredients Used to make this chutney

Ivy Gourd is the main ingredient in this chutney or Indian Condiment. The fresh unripe vegetable is sticky on the outer skin. So you can scrub on the top without peeling the skin away. Hold the vegetable between your thumb and index finger and using a knife gently scrub on top.

Soak in water and wash it away. Then chop roughly before sauteeing.

Saute the lentils first in the oil, when the lentils turn colour, add the chopped vegetable and saute well.

Allow to cool and take it along with the rest of the ingredients before grinding to a semi smooth or little coarse paste. You can use a small piece of soaked tamarind and that should be enough. If the sourness is not enough, you can always add the tamarind again.

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Dondakaya Pachadi

Tindora Chutney or Dondakai Pachadi is an authentic Andhra Chutney made with the Ivy Gourd along with lentils. This is a simple roasted chutney that tastes delicious with steamed rice.

Course Chutneys, Dips and Spreads

Cuisine Andhra Pradesh

Keyword Diabetic diet, Easy Side Dish

By Cook Method Stovetop

Occasion Ugadi

By Diet Healthy Recipes, Vegan

Dish Type Condiment Recipes

Author Srivalli

Ingredients

For the chutney

• 150 gms Dondakaya / Tindora
• 2 tbsp Peanuts / Ground nut
• 1 tbsp Fried Gram
• 3/4 tbsp Urad Dal
• 4 to 5 nos Green Chilies
• 1 tsp Cumin Seeds
• Handful Coriander Leaves
• 1 inch Tamarind piece
• Salt to Taste
• 2 tsp Cooking Oil

For Tempering

• 1 tsp Mustard Seeds
• Handful Curry Leaves
• 1 tsp Cooking Oil

Instructions

• Tindora has a sticky texture on top, so you can scrub on the top without peeling the skin away.
• Hold the vegetable between your thumb and index finger and using a knife gently scrub on top. 
• Soak in water and wash it away. Then chop roughly before sauteeing.
• Saute the lentils first in the oil, when the lentils turn colour, add the chopped vegetable and saute well.
• Allow to cool and take it along with the rest of the ingredients before grinding to a semi smooth or little coarse paste.
• You can use a small piece of soaked tamarind and that should be enough. If the sourness is not enough, you can always add the tamarind again.
• Transfer to a bowl, temper with mustard seeds, curry leaves.

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