Kovai Bhutti

Bhutti is a Sarswat-style semi-dry vegetable preparation where the vegetable is cooked until tender and then coated with a thick masala of roasted coconut, chillies, coriander and tamarind. This version uses kovai, or tendli, whose mild flavour and slightly firm texture work particularly well with the intensely savoury coconut masala.

The interesting bit is that the masala isn't simply ground raw. The coconut is lightly roasted, while the chillies, coriander, urad dal and fenugreek get fried separately before everything meets the tamarind in the grinder. Jaggery in the vegetable rounds out the sourness and chilli heat, leaving you with something sweet, sour, hot, nutty and just dry enough to cling stubbornly to every piece of kovai.

Ingredients

• 250 g kovai/tendli/ivy gourd

• 1 tbsp groundnut oil

• ½ tsp mustard seeds

• A pinch of asafoetida

• Salt, to taste

• Jaggery, to taste

For the Bhutti Masala

• ½ cup freshly grated coconut

• 3 hot dried red chillies, such as Pandi or Guntur

• 2 mild dried red chillies, such as Byadgi or Kashmiri

• 1 tsp coriander seeds

• ½ tsp urad dal

• A pinch of fenugreek seeds

• 4–5 garlic cloves, according to taste

• 1 small ball of tamarind

• A little groundnut oil, for frying

Method

Prepare the kovai
Wash the kovai, trim both ends and slice them crosswise into rounds. Set aside.

Roast the coconut
Place the grated coconut in a dry pan over medium-low heat.
Roast gently, stirring frequently, until it loses some of its moisture and takes on a very light golden colour. Don't take it too dark.
Remove and set aside.

Fry the spices
Add a small amount of groundnut oil to the same pan.
Add the coriander seeds, dried red chillies, garlic, urad dal and fenugreek seeds. Fry over low heat until the urad dal begins to colour and everything smells aromatic.
Remove from the heat.

Make the Bhutti masala
Combine the roasted coconut, fried spices, garlic and tamarind in a grinder.
Add only as much water as necessary to grind everything into a thick, relatively coarse paste. The masala shouldn't be watery.

Cook the kovai
Heat 1 tbsp groundnut oil in a kadai over medium heat.
Add the mustard seeds and allow them to splutter. Add the asafoetida, followed immediately by the sliced kovai.
Season with salt and jaggery to taste.
Fry for a few minutes, stirring occasionally, then reduce the heat and cover. Cook gently until the kovai is tender but still retains some structure. If it begins catching before it is cooked, sprinkle in a very small amount of water.

Add the masala
Add the ground Bhutti masala to the cooked kovai and mix thoroughly so every piece is well coated.
Add a small splash of water if necessary to help distribute the masala.
Cook uncovered over low to medium heat, stirring occasionally, until the excess moisture evaporates and the masala becomes almost dry and clings closely to the kovai.
Taste and adjust the salt, jaggery or tamarind balance if necessary.
Serve hot or at room temperature as part of a Konkani meal.