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I debated quite a bit before deciding to write up this recipe.
The modest, meek tindli (tendli or tindora or kundru or kovakkai or ivy gourd) is a sabzi most give a miss, although when cooked up in a crispy fashion it happens to be one of my husband's favourites.
And there is a lot to be said in favour of simple, nutritious veggie preparations (of what I call less-loved sabzis) that take hardly five minutes to put together, and 15 minutes to fry, and taste so wholesome, light and satisfying with a few hot, puffed rotis.
So come try this uncomplicated Gujarati recipe with potatoes -- Tindli Alu.
Usefully, this same recipe can be used to make Bhindi Alu (okra with potatoes), Baingan Alu (eggplant or brinjal with potatoes), French Bean Alu, Spinach Alu, Parval Alu (pointed gourd with potatoes), Black Channa Alu (small brown chickpeas with potatoes), Cauliflower Alu, Capsicum Alu, Papri Alu (broad beans with potatoes).
Tindli Alu
Serves: 2
Ingredients
Method
Zelda's Note: I prefer to season the tindli with a little extra hing and just dhania powder, and not any of the other powders.
But if you are using this recipe to make Baingan Alu or Channa Alu, you might consider adding more powders and a little chopped onion while frying the potatoes. Aam choor and saunth, plus onions, lends itself to Bhindi Alu, but no garam masala needed please.
Cauliflower Alu could do well with a dash of garam masala, nothing more, apart from dhania powder.
Spinach Alu needs minimum seasoning although sugar helps nullify the astringent quotient.
Capsicum Alu and Parval Alu requires a little chopped onion and not much else apart from dhania powder.
Baingan Alu could use mustard oil instead of regular vegetable oil.
Keeping the peels on the alus -- it adds a nice dimension. And is healthy.
Adding the sugar keeps the vegetable green.
Freshly-ground turmeric or haldi ups the taste quite a bit and choosing organic haldi is important because a lot of haldi powders have arsenic as an impurity.
For a fancier version of Tindli Alu, you might want to separately deep fry the tindli and then add to the potatoes. Similarly for bhindi and baingan.
Please resist the urge to over-complicate these recipes by adding garlic, too much onion, too much masala powders, whole garam masala, extra oil and more. Don't overdo the spices and seasoning. And kill the vegetable. Its simplicity brings on the taste.
Recipes: Less-Loved Sabzis
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