Tendle Bhutti (Kovakkai / Tondekai / Tindora / Ivy Gourd in coconut masala)

The most popular tendle dish in Konkani cuisine is, of course, the tendle-bibbe upkari.
This bhutti has a nice fresh masala which I really like with chapatis and dal.



When we were kids, I was not so big on tendles - I never did fuss over food, but this was not on my 'favourites' list. Actually the only vegetable I really cared about, was the magnificient potato !!

Anyway, a few years back, when my brother had called and we were talking about food (we talk a lot about food - he is on his way to becoming a really good cook !!) and he mentioned this tendle bhutti which ma had made. He made it sound so good, that the next thing I did was to make tendle bhutti. It was really nice. The masala is ground coarse and gives you a taste of all the ingredients that go into it.

Tendle Bhutti

Recipe Source - Rasachandrika, the ultimate Saraswat cookery book

What you need -

250 gm tendle
1 tbsp oil
1/2 tsp mustard seeds
a pinch of asafoetida
1 tbsp grated jaggery
small ball of tamarind
salt to taste

For the Masala -
5 red chillies
1 tsp coriander seeds
1/2 tsp black gram/ urad dal
1/4 tsp fenugreek seeds
5 cloves of garlic
1/2 coconut grated

What you do with it -

Wash the tendles, slice off both ends and cut them into small pieces
Heat oil in a pan and prepare a seasoning with mustard seeds and asafoetida
Add tendle pieces, salt, jaggery and a little water. Cover and allow it to cook
Roast the grated coconut
In oil, fry the red chillies, coriander seeds, urad dal, garlic and fenugreek seeds
Make a coarse paste with the coconut and the fried ingredients
Add the masala to the cooked tendles and stir well on heat, till all the water is absorbed

Tendli Bibbe (Ivy gourd and Cashewnut) Upkari

When I was in school, during one of our summer vacations, my cousin was to visit his grandparents and I tagged along - it was the most peaceful, pampered one week I ever had !!

They lived in a place near Mangalore, had this lovely house with a 'garden' that had about 100 coconut trees, mango trees and even a cashewnut tree...that was the only time I saw the cashew fruit. Serene place, close to a beach which was hardly ever visited by anyone and absolutely awsome food
We were fed every four hours with authentic Konkani food and during our food breaks, we would walk to the beach, or water the plants or sleep - Its been so many years now, but I can still relive that one week as I am writing this।

I could go on and on about it, but what I really wanted to write about was this fabulous 'bibbe upkari' that was made for lunch one of the days.
A side-dish made with just cashewnuts !! Now the thought of it gets me thinking about calories and cholesterol - those days, we lived in the blissful ignorance of all these terms !!

Upkaris are a regular side dish in most Konkani homes - simple, tasty and easy...upkaris are made of beans, carrot, potato, raw banana... basically any vegetable that you can think of ! This tendli bibbe upkari is a big treat, served at weddings, pujas and special lunches॥

Found really tender tendlis in the market and had a pack of cashewnuts, so made this mainly for my son (thats the excuse for almost everything i make, but feel guilty about eating)




What you need -

1/4 kg tendlis / tindora / kovakkai
10-12 cashew nuts
3 tbsp grated coconut
1 tsp mustard seeds
a pinch of turmeric
a pinch of asafoetida
salt to taste
1/2 cup water


What you do with it -

Quarter the tendlis length wise
Soak the cashewnuts in warm water for 10 mins
In a pan, heat a tsp of oil and add the mustard seeds to it
Add turmeric powder and asafoetida
Add the tendlis and 1/2 cup water
Once the tendlis are partially cooked, add the cashewnuts and salt
Cook till done
Garnish with grated coconut