Mangalore cucumber is a very popular vegetable in South India specially in Udipi region and is available always. It is a versatile vegetable and can be cooked in many ways. You can add it to sambar, make a stir-fry,or make curry in various styles. You can even make raita / pachadi.
Today I tried out this vegetable for the first time actually. I have used Chettinad masala for flavouring and some coconut milk for the gravy. The curry has turned out so flavourful. You can have it with plain rice or dosas and appams
Mangalore Cucumber - Image courtesy Google
Mangalore cucumber - 2 cups (used 1/2 of the cucumber)
Onions ....................... 1/2 cup (sliced)
Tomato ........................ 1
Garlic paste ................. 1 tsp
Coconut milk .............. 5-6 tbsps
Turmeric powder ........ 1/4 tsp
Chettinad masala powder ... 1 tbsp (see recipe HERE)
Salt .......................... to taste
Oil ........................... 4 tbsps
Coriander leaves ... for garnishing
Tempering Ingredients:
Mustard seeds .... 1 tsp
Asafoetida ......... 1 pinch
Curry leaves ....... few
Oil .................... 1 tbsp
Method:
1. Peel and cut the cucumber into pieces after discarding the seeds.
2. In a pan heat 4 tbsps of oil and fry the onion until translucent. Next add the tomato and garlic paste. Add little water and simmer until onion is cooked.
3. Now tip in the cucumber pieces, turmeric powder and salt.
4. Add some water and cook for a minute on low flame.
5. Add the Chettinad masala powder and add more. water for the gravy as desired.
6. Simmer until done and stir in the coconut milk towards the end.
7. Heat the oil for tempering, crackle the ingredients and add to the curry.
Note: I did not add extra chillies as the Chettinad masala powder is spicy. You can add more if you like or even add a pinch of Kashmiri chilli powder to the tempering. You may also add little tamarind juice if you like a tangy curry.