Tinde ka Bhartha or Apple Gourd Mash Recipe

Tinde ka Bhartha Recipe

This post is a part of Blogchatter Half Marathon. This is quite a simple recipe and I love their cute round shape and size. We never got this vegetable in my childhood and I never ate it until after I was married. Now we get to see it a couple of times a year in the supermarket. The first time I tasted the sabzi or curry I didn’t like it at all. But once my mother-in-law cooked Tinde ka Bhartha; and Baingan ka bhartha is one of my favourite curries so it was natural that I like Tinde ka Bhartha Recipe too. Get the drift?

Many names for one vegetable

While choosing the apple gourds see to it that they are tender or else you will end up with a seedy Tinda.I love the English name for Tinda; apple gourd…isn’t that really quaint? It is also called Indian Baby Pumpkin or Indian round gourd. Now that I know the health benefits of this superfood I do not turn up my nose at it. It is made up of 94% water and has very few calories. It is a mild gourd and the natural taste is bland but it perks up with some chillies. It is good for digestion as well as heart diseases and prevents cancer.

Tinde ka Bhartha Recipe

INGREDIENTS

250 gms tinde or apple gourd

1 large onion chopped finely

1 large tomato

1 green chilli

Fresh Coriander

1 tbsp ghee or oil

1 tsp cumin

Salt to taste

½ Tsp turmeric powder

½ Tsp red chilli powder

½ tsp coriander powder

1 cup water

METHOD:

Firstly scrape the outer peel or just peel off the skin of the tinde.

Next, wash and cut into four wedges. If there are too many seeds then scoop them out.

Now, place these wedges in a pressure cooker with one cup of water. Pressure cook until 3 or 4 whistles and open the cooker after the pressure has released. Take a masher, mash the boiled tinde to a pulp.

You can even roast the apple gourd and then mash it but I found that there is very little pulp left and hence the pressure cooking.

In a pan heat the ghee and add the cumin. Once it splutters add the split green chillies.

Now, add the chopped onion and sauté till nice and pink. Toss in the chopped tomatoes and cook till they are mushy.

Lastly, pour the mashed Tinde pulp and along with it the salt, turmeric, chilli and coriander powder.

Saute till the curry looks like a cohesive mixture and turn off the flame.

Finally, transfer the Tinde ka Bhartha Recipe into a serving bowl and garnish with fresh coriander leaves.

Serve hot with steamed rice or roti and enjoy the delicate taste of these wonderful apple gourds.

Did you like this Tinde ka Bhartha or Apple Gourd Mash Recipe? 

My previous recipes in the #BlogchatterHalfMarathon- Momos or Dimsums, Tlequepaque, the artisan village, Dog Ice Cream