Ridge gourd and onion curry

There are days when we enjoy cooking,  and there are days when it seems such a drag. You know,  the kind of day when you want to just make something super quick and easy, something that you can just put together without even thinking about it. Well a few days ago I  made just such a curry. It needs minimal effort and goes well with Rice,  Roti  or Naan.  You can even wrap it up in a tortilla
To start with

Take a Ridge gourd and cut into two halves or don't,  whichever way you like it

Peel the ridge gourd, peel just the ridges,  and a layer of the skin,  keeping a bit of the skin intact.  Don't peel it all off as you don't want it to get too mushy as it cooks down

This how it should look after peeling

Slice it into juliennes like this

Grab an onion and peel it

Cut it into slices.. Not very thick as it won't cook well,  nor so thin that they disappear when cooking.( I  know you are proud of your onion slicing skills and would love to show how thinly you can slice an onion,  but desist- Moderation is the key here.)

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Heat about a tablespoon of oil in a pan,  when oil starts to shimmer throw in a teaspoonful of cumin seeds and a dried red chilli, when cumin seeds start spluttering,  add the onion slices

Put the Pan on medium  heat and stir occasionally,  till onions begin to soften.

Add salt,  turmeric and cayenne pepper to taste

Let the onions cook for a couple of minutes more, then throw in the ridge gourd.

Stir it all together and then put a cover on top. Add some water if you can to the cover, (this step is optional,  but it helps to avoid the veggies sticking to the bottom as they cook,  especially if you are using less oil) put the heat on very  low and let it cook for about five minutes

Take off lid and add 1/4th of a teaspoonful of  *coriander-cumin powder. What's this?  It's a magic spice that will take your dish from drab to fab! Trust me

Give it a stir and put the cover back on cook for another 10 min approximately,  keep stirring occasionally.  When the veggies are soft enough to cut through easily with a spatula and the spices lose their raw taste,  then it's ready to serve

*Coriander-cumin power 

Dry Roast  one part coriander seeds and one part cumin seeds in a pan on a medium flame till they begin to crackle.  Cool and grind into a coarse powder. Store in an airtight container for upto a month. 

The printable

Ridge gourd and onion curry

Serves 2 

1 no.  Ridge gourd peeled and sliced into juliennes 

1 no. onion peeled and sliced 

1 tsp cumin seeds
1. no dried red chilli

1/4th tsp *coriander-cumin powder
a pinch of turmeric
salt and cayyene pepper to taste
1 tbsp oil for tempering

heat oil in a pan, when oil is shimmering add cumin seeds and red chillies. when cumin seeds start to splutter add the onion slices. stir the onion on a medium flame, till they begin to soften., then add the ridge gourd. stir and cover with a lid. Add some water to the lid (optional). Cook for about 5 min then add the coriander-cumin powder.. cook it further on a low flame, stirring occasionally  till veggies are soft enough to cut through with a spatula and spices lose their rawness. serve in a pretty dish and enjoy