Ivy Gourd and Lotus Root Fry

This unusual combination of Tindora (Ivy gourd) and Nadru (Lotus root) happened on a whim. We got home from a longer than usual vacation and had no fresh groceries. I was looking through the freezer for frozen veggies to put together a quick dinner and picked a pack of frozen tindora. As I emptied it in a pan to sauté it my usual way , I realized the quantity wasn’t sizeable enough for a meal. So I went rummaging for things I could add to it, it was slim pickings for sure. My eyes fell on a pack of frozen Lotus Stem or Nadru as it is called in Kashmiri. I have only cooked Nadru in very traditional kashmiri recipes till now but today it was experimentation time and I added the very Kashmiri Nadru to the very Gujarati tindora . The end result was a delightful sauté of the two. It was so good, I am definitely going to make it again.

INGREDIENTS

• 1 pack frozen ivy gourd/tindora ( or fresh if you prefer)
• 1 pack frozen lotus stem/nadru ( or fresh if you prefer)
• 1/2 tsp cumin seeds
• 1 Tbsp coriander powder
• 2 Tbsp gujarati achari or pickle masala ( store bought or home made)
• 2 Tbsp Oil
• Salt

RECIPE

In a pan, heat 2 Tbsp oil and add the cumin seeds. You might need to use more oil if the pan is not non stick. Stir till the seeds brown. Add the ivy gourd and the lotus stem. I used the frozen versions from the Indian store but you can use the fresh versions to if you prefer to. Sauté for 5 minutes and add salt. Now cover the veggies and let them steam on low heat for 5-10 minutes till they soften up slightly. The time taken to soften will depend on whether you were using fresh or frozen veggies. You don’t want the veggies to be mushy, they should be slightly firm with a bite to it.

When they reach the right texture, remove the lid and add the coriander powder and the gujarati achari masala. This achari masala has a very a unique flavor and adds so much to this dish. It is made of fenugreek seeds, mustard seeds, chilli powder, turmeric and asafoetida. You can find this in the spice isle in the indian store or can make it easily it home. If you want to make this for your whole30 or gluten free meals, it should be made at home so that you can use gluten free hing/asafoetida. Most asafoetida found in the store are not gluten free. Here is a link to the recipe –

https://www.tarladalal.com/methia-no-masala-koro-sambar-gujarati-sambhar-masala-574r

After adding the spices, stir the veggies around for a few minutes till they get slightly crispy. I served this with a side of rice and daal. For a whole 30 meal, I would serve it with cauli rice. I was surprised at how well this Kashmiri Gujarati combination worked well together. Here’s to creating more experimental unique recipes in the future!