This dry sabzi recipe combines kundru with besan (gram flour). Besan mellows the natural tartness of kundru and gives it a delicious aromatic coating when cooked.

Let’s get some important questions out of the way first!

FAQ:

Q. What if kundru/tindora/tendli is red inside? Is that good or bad?

Sometimes you cut open a kundru to find the insides reddish^[2] instead of pale green, which means that the kundru has ripened. Kundru tastes best when cooked unripe (non-red) – but a bit of red is fine too (it makes the dish prettier!). You might just have to cook red kundru a couple of minutes longer.

Q. Are tendli and kundru the same?

Yes – tendli, tindora and kundru are all different names for the same vegetable: ivy gourd in English (scientific name Coccinia grandis).

Q. Is tinda the same as tindora?

No! Don’t let just an “or” difference mislead you. Tinda is apple gourd, tindora is ivy gourd. Tinda looks and cooks quite differently from tindora. Check out our tinda recipe gallery for more.

Q. Is kundru the small round ball-like ingredient used in Indian pickles?

No! That little “pickleball” :) is karonda.

Ingredients:

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• Kundru (tindora/tendli/ivy gourd) – 400 grams
• Besan (gram flour) – 1 tablespoon [buy here]
• Cumin powder – 1 teaspoon [buy here]
• Coriander powder – 2 teaspoons [buy here]
• Red chili powder – 1 teaspoon, adjust to taste [buy here]
• Turmeric powder – 1/4 teaspoon [buy here]
• Cumin seeds – 1 teaspoon [buy here]
• Salt – 1/4 teaspoon (adjust to taste)
• Asafoetida powder – a pinch [buy here]
• Mustard oil – 1 tablespoon [buy here]

Equipment: kadhai (wok or curve-bottomed pan)

How To Make Besan Kundru ki Sabzi:

Snip the ends off the kundru. Slice each into thin (about 2mm thick) disks.

Heat mustard oil in a kadhai. When the oil is smoking hot, set heat to low, add cumin seeds and let them splutter. Add asafoetida and tip in sliced kundru.

Stir well to coat the kundru with the tempered oil.

Sprinkle turmeric powder, coriander powder, cumin powder and red chili powder. Stir well again.

Cover and cook kundru for 10 minutes on medium heat. After that be more watchful – uncover every other minute and give the kundru a stir. Add salt to taste, set heat to high and cook uncovered for 2 minutes.

Set heat back to low. Sprinkle a tablespoon of besan (gram flour) and stir quickly before the besan starts to congeal. The besan should coat the kundru slices evenly.

Stirring regularly, cook for another 6-8 minutes or till the besan is done – you’ll know this when the besan is no longer powdery and has deepened in color.

Besan kundru ki sabzi is ready to serve.

Dig in with dal and chapatis or rice.

Fun Facts:

[1] In fact, the resemblance between parval and kundru is so strong that some websites list parval as an alternate name for kundru. That is not correct – the two look the same but they are not the same.

[2] Thanks to that red and the green-white ribbed skin, ivy gourd gets called "baby watermelon".

Pairing Ideas:

Serve this ivy gourd dry sabzi as a side with a big Indian meal having complementary flavors and colors. A meal idea: besan kundru with parathas, potato pumpkin masala, ginger lime moong dal, methi dahi.

You can carry besan kundru conveniently in the lunchbox. Pair it with coconut rice and tomato pickle for an easy filling meal.

Related Recipes:

Looking for more recipes that use besan (gram flour)?

Try pakora kadhi, gatte ki sabzi, or besan ka cheela.

Explore recipes with the other gourd that is often confused with tendli – yes I mean tinda: aloo tinda ki sabzi, tinda masala.

Quick-reference recipe card that you can save or print:

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Besan Kundru ki Sabzi: Ivy Gourd in Gram Flour

This besan kundru sabzi recipe combines kundru (tendli/tindora or ivy gourd) with besan (gram flour). Besan mellows the natural tartness of kundru and gives it a delicious aromatic coating when cooked.

Course Side Dish

Cuisine Indian

Diet Vegan, Vegetarian

Keyword gourd

Prep Time 5 minutes minutes

Cook Time 25 minutes minutes

Total Time 30 minutes minutes

Servings 3

Author The Steaming Pot

Equipment

• kadhai (wok or curve-bottomed pan)

Ingredients

• 400 g Kundru (tindora/tendli/ivy gourd)
• 1 tbsp Besan (gram flour)
• 1 tsp Cumin powder
• 2 tsp Coriander powder
• 1 tsp Red chili powder (adjust to taste)
• 1/4 tsp Turmeric powder
• 1 tsp Cumin seeds
• 1/4 tsp Salt (adjust to taste)
• 1 pinch Asafoetida powder
• 1 tbsp Mustard oil

Instructions

• Snip the ends off the kundru. Slice each into thin (about 2mm thick) disks.
• Heat mustard oil in a kadhai. When the oil is smoking hot, set heat to low, add cumin seeds and let them splutter.
• Add asafoetida and tip in sliced kundru.
• Stir well to coat the kundru with the tempered oil.
• Sprinkle turmeric powder, coriander powder, cumin powder and red chili powder. Stir well again.
• Cover and cook kundru for 10 minutes on medium heat. After that be more watchful - uncover every other minute and give the kundru a stir.
• Add salt to taste, set heat to high and cook uncovered for 2 minutes.
• Set heat back to low. Sprinkle a tablespoon of besan (gram flour) and stir quickly before the besan starts to congeal. The besan should coat the kundru slices evenly.
• Stirring regularly, cook for another 6-8 minutes or till the besan is done - you'll know this when the besan is no longer powdery and has deepened in color.
• Besan kundru ki sabzi is ready to serve. Dig in with dal and chapatis or rice.

Notes

Sometimes you cut open a kundru to find the insides reddish[2] instead of pale green, which means that the kundru has ripened. Kundru tastes best when cooked unripe (non-red) - but a bit of red is fine too (it makes the dish prettier!). You might just have to cook red kundru a couple of minutes longer.

The post Besan Kundru ki Sabzi – Easy Ivy Gourd Fry appeared first on The Steaming Pot.