If you’d ask me to give you one dish from the Chitrapur Saraswat Brahmin Community that traces its roots back to Goa (which is where we were before we fled to Karnataka when the Portuguese landed there – read more here), it would be the Tendle-Bibbe Upkari due to its generous use of cashewnuts and coconut.
Tendle is Ivy Gourd from the cucumber family. It is small, juicy and has a sweet, fruity taste. It is extremely delicious and carries flavours well. Apart from its above average nutritive value, it is also known in Ayurveda for its anti-oxidants and is also good for tri-glycerides, which are common factors of cholesterol. Ivy Gourd also strengthens bones, balances blood sugar, improves immunity, amongst other benefits.
How to buy: The outer green part of the gourd should be light green. It should be firm and not soft. Usually, overripe gourds are sold in the market and these can burst and release red seeds. While there is nothing wrong with this, such ivy gourd takes much longer to cook.
Coming back to the Tendle-Bibbe Upkari. Upkari in Konkani refers to a stir-fry of any vegetable (usually green) and is quite a medley of sweet and savoury flavours. Tendle-Bibbe Upkari is a staple in any Amchi wedding – along with Dali Thoy and Bhajiyas and several other dishes. It goes beautifully with any spicy dal and rice.
| Prep Time | 20 minutes |
| Cook Time | 20 minutes |
| Servings |
servings
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- 1/4 kg ivy gourd
- 1/2 tsp mustard seeds
- 1/2 tsp cumin seeds
- 3 - 4 dried red chillies
- 7 - 8 fresh curry leaves
- 1/4 cup cashewnuts
- 1/2 cup freshly scraped coconut flesh
- salt to taste
Ingredients
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- Soak the ivy gourd in a pot of water till it is clean. Rub the dirt off, take off the ends and slit into quarters, lengthwise.
- In a wok, put in the oil and heat it. Once it shimmers, add the mustard seeds and let them splutter. Then put in the cumin, red chillies and curry leaves. Roast these till fragrant.
- Now add the cashew nuts and roast on a low flame till the cashews are golden.
- Now add the tendle or ivy gourd and stir fry on a low heat.
- Add the salt and cover till cooked.
- Note: Another option is to salt the chopped ivy gourd for around 10 minutes, wash it off and then add. This cures it and reduces the final cooking time.
- Once the upkari is cooked, garnish generously with the coconut and serve with Dal and Rice.
3 Comments
Very interesting!
Thank you very much!
Very nice recipe.. and again very easy and fast to make! I ended up not tasting it before I put the coconut in and it was cooked crispy but not soggy (this is the first time I ever made tendle 😉 and probably second time I will be eating it!! so I have no clue how’s it supposed to be! Anyways it tastes good to me 😛 I love the cashews and fresh coconut in it… it’s very vacation like feeling if you know what I mean 😉 ! I think both of these are very simple but rich ingredients.. love the taste of them 🙂