Sorakaya Pulusu

Wash the bottle gourd, tomato, green chillies, coriander leaves and curry leaves. Peel the bottle gourd, onion and garlic. Taste a tiny raw piece of the bottle gourd; if it tastes bitter, discard the whole bottle gourd and do not cook it. Cut the bottle gourd into large cubes, slice the onion, and chop the tomato and coriander leaves. Slit the green chillies, crush the garlic and remove the stems from the dry red chillies.

Bottle GourdTomatoGreen ChilliCoriander LeavesOnion

Soak the tamarind in 100 ml warm water for 10 minutes until soft. Squeeze it well and keep the tamarind water aside.

TamarindWater

Heat the oil in a kadai on medium flame for 1 minute until hot. Add the mustard seeds, cumin, fenugreek seeds, dry red chillies and curry leaves, and fry for 1 minute until the seeds splutter. Add the onion, green chillies and garlic. Fry for 4 to 5 minutes until the onion is light golden and the raw smell of garlic goes.

OilMustard SeedsCuminFenugreek SeedsDry Red ChilliCurry leavesGarlic

Add the turmeric powder, red chilli powder and coriander powder. Fry on low flame for 1 minute until the raw smell reduces. Add the tomato and cook for 3 to 4 minutes until soft.

Turmeric PowderRed Chilli PowderCoriander Powder

Add the bottle gourd, salt and 350 ml water. Mix and cover the kadai. Cook on medium flame for 12 to 15 minutes until the bottle gourd is soft but still holds its shape.

SaltWater

Pour in the tamarind water and add the jaggery. Simmer uncovered on low flame for 6 to 8 minutes until the gravy thickens slightly and the raw tamarind smell goes.

Jaggery

Add the coriander leaves and switch off the flame. Serve with rice or chapati.