How to Make Chal-kumro’r Ghonto/Ash Gourd Curry #276

Chal kumro Ghonto/Ash Gourd Curry is another simple vegetarian/vegan dish that is prepared in Bengali households on a normal day. The curry is extremely simple, not spicy at all and full of nutritional value.

Ash gourd tastes very watery. Be cautious while adding turmeric and salt in this curry, as the amount required is very little. The lentil fritters are optional, they add a crunchy surprise in your bite. However you can skip them if you want.

Let’s check out the recipe now…

Things you need

1. 1 medium sized ash gourd / chal kumro
2. 2 tbsp moong lentil
3. 2.5 tbsp mustard seeds
4. 4 green chilies
5. 1 tsp turmeric powder
6. 1/2 tsp chili powder
7. 1 tsp cumin powder
8. 1 tsp coriander powder
9. 2 bay leaves
10. Salt
11. 1 tsp sugar
12. 4 Tbsp cooking oil
13. 1 tbsp finely chopped coriander leaves

Preparation

1. Soak moong lentil for an hour and coarse grind it. Make a thick batter adding pinch of turmeric and salt and fry small fritters.
2. Grind 2 tbsp mustard seeds with 2 green chilies, pinch of salt and a dash of water to make a fine paste.

Procedure

1. Heat oil in a pan and temper with 1/2 tbsp mustard seeds.
2. Add the mustard paste in and cook for 2-3 mins. Then add the bay leaves, green chilies, 1/2 tsp turmeric powder, 1/2 tsp chili powder, 1 tsp cumin powder, 1 tsp coriander powder, salt and cook for 1-2 mins
3. Now add the chopped ash gourds/chal kumro to the pan
4. Check in few minutes if ash gourd has released a lot of water. If not, add some water to help it get cooked through.
5. Cook for 7-8 mins more before adding the lentil fritters.
6. Keep it on heat for few more minutes until the moisture dries up. Now sprinkle 1 tsp of sugar.

Chal kumro Ghonto/Ash Gourd Curry is ready to be served. Garnish with some chopped coriander. This curry is semi dry and tastes good with plain rice.

If you like this, you can also check out my other posts-

How to Make Lau Ghonto/Lau Chingri/Bottle Gourd Curry (with Vegan Recipe) #272

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