Tindora Fry

Tindora Fry (Kovakkai Fry) or Ivy Gourd Fry is a healthy option to make as a side for an Indian style meal. Pair it with Dal Rice or Chapati for a healthy meal. Here is how to make it.

While planning your meal for the day or the week, it’s great to incorporate a variety of locally grown vegetables as it helps add a range of much-needed nutrients and minerals to your diet.

It also helps to make your meals interesting by adding a variety of colours and textures to your meal.

It’s also when you cook with different vegetables that you’ll be able to understand as to which vegetables go together and complement each other.

There are so many everyday vegetables such as Bhindi, Lauki, Baingan, Palak that are regular at home. But most of the times, we forget some vegetables that can be very helpful for the overall growth of your body.

One such vegetable is this humble Tindora which is most of the time avoided, but given the amount of nutrition and fibre it adds to your diet, its brilliant to add to your curries or incorporate it in the form of this sabzi.

Sometimes the leaves of Ivy Gourd are also used to make a healthy sabzi.

I make this sabzi, Tindora Fry often at home, as it is easy and needs only a few ingredients, making it apt for our everyday meals.

I also love the crunch this vegetable has and it tastes great with Phulka or Dal Rice. 

Here are some more everyday Sabzi recipes for you, that can be included in your everyday meals – Hare Tamatar Ki Sabzi, Batata Bhaji, Rajasthani Besan Bhindi, Lauki Ka Bharta, Baingan Methi, Aloo Methi and Mooli Ki Sabzi. 

What is Tindora?

Tindora or Ivy Gourd resembles a small baby cucumber and is a very popular vegetable in India.

It is also called as Dondakaya, Kovakkai, Tondli, Tendli, Thondekai or Kovakka in various parts of the country.

It goes well with a variety of Indian staples and it’s a great vegetable to incorporate in your diet as it is high in fibre, beta-carotene and other essential nutrients.

It’s also popular in Indonesia and other Southeast Asian countries, and here in India it is commonly made with masala or added in sambar.

There are many different ways in which it can be cooked.

What is Tindora Fry?

It is a simple everyday sabzi where Tindora is cooked along with onions and spices such as coriander powder, red chilli powder, turmeric powder, chaat masala powder, and salt. 

It is an easy sabzi that hardly takes 30 minutes of your time, making it apt for your everyday meals. 

Ingredients

The ingredients used for the same, are very basic and something that you will already have in your kitchen.

To cook this Sabzi, you will need tindora, cumin seeds, hing, onions, coriander powder, red chilli powder, turmeric powder, chaat masala powder, and salt. 

You can also make it with tomatoes in a light gravy, or make it stuffed.

You can also make it Andhra Style with dal which is called Dondakaya Senagapappu. Sometimes, I also add a little coconut to give it that South Indian touch. 

In Maharashtra, it’s made by adding peanuts to it.

Health Benefits

Some of the benefits of the Tindora vegetable is that it helps lower blood sugar and is great for treating diabetes.

Serving Suggestions

You can serve it with Dal and Rice, it tastes great. It can also be served with Indian Breads such as Roti, Tawa Paratha or Laccha Paratha. 

You might also like:

Kurkuri Bhindi

Kamal Kakdi Sabzi

Bhindi Masala

Sindhi Kadhi

Step By Step Recipe

Heat vegetable oil in a pan. Once the oil is hot, add hing and cumin seeds and let them crackle for a few seconds.

Add onion and fry until they turn translucent.

Add tindora, coriander powder, red chilli powder, turmeric powder and salt. Mix well. Sprinkle a little water.

Cover the pan and cook for 8-10 minutes until tindora is slightly softened. They taste good when slightly crunchy.

Add chaat masala and mix well. Serve hot as a side with any Indian meal.

4.5 from 4 votes

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Tindora Fry Recipe (Dondakaya Fry)

Tindora Fry (Kovakkai Fry) or Ivy Gourd Fry is a healthy option to make as a side for an Indian style meal. Pair it with Dal Rice or Chapati for a healthy meal. Here is how to make it.

Course Main Course

Cuisine Indian

Prep Time 10 minutes

Cook Time 15 minutes

Total Time 25 minutes

Servings 4 people

Calories 97 kcal

Author Neha Mathur

Ingredients

• 500 g Tindora Cut into roundels
• 2 tbsp Vegetable oil
• 1/4 tsp Hing
• 2 tsp Cumin seeds
• 1 cup Onion Thinly sliced
• 1 tsp Coriander powder
• 1 tsp Red chilli powder
• 1/2 tsp Turmeric powder
• Salt to taste
• 1 tsp Chaat Masala

Instructions

1. Heat vegetable oil in a pan.
2. Once the oil is hot, add hing and cumin seeds and let them crackle for a few seconds.
3. Add onion and fry until they turn translucent.
4. Add tindora, coriander powder, red chilli powder, turmeric powder and salt.
5. Mix well.
6. Sprinkle a little water.
7. Cover the pan and cook for 8-10 minutes until tindora are slightly softened.
8. They taste good when slightly crunchy.

9. Add chaat masala and mix well. Serve hot as a side with any Indian meal.

Recipe Notes

You can skip adding onion to make a no onion no garlic recipe.

Choose tindora that are tender with small seeds.

Nutrition Facts

Tindora Fry Recipe (Dondakaya Fry)

Amount Per Serving

Calories 97 Calories from Fat 63

% Daily Value*

Fat 7g11%

Saturated Fat 6g38%

Sodium 17mg1%

Potassium 199mg6%

Carbohydrates 8g3%

Fiber 1g4%

Sugar 2g2%

Protein 1g2%

Vitamin A 213IU4%

Vitamin C 4mg5%

Calcium 48mg5%

Iron 2mg11%

* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2000 calorie diet.