Ridge Gourd Pakoda / Heerekayi Bajji

Ingredients:
1/2 Ridge Gourd / Heerekayi
1/2 cup Bengalgram flour/ Besan flour/ Kadle hudi
2 tsp Rice flour/ Akki hudi
Pinch of Asafoetida powder/ Hingu
Salt to taste
10 - 12 Cumin seeds/Jeerige
5 - 6 Carom seeds/ Ajwain seeds/ Oma
1/2 - 3/4 tsp Chilly powder
Pinch of Cooking Soda(Optional)
Oil

Recipe:
Peel the ridge gourd as shown in the picture below.

Chop it into medium thin pieces(1/4 inch) as shown in the picture below.

Add rice flour, bengal gram flour, asafoetida, cumin seeds, carom seeds, salt, cooking soda chilly powder in a vessel. Mix them well by adding sufficient amount of water. (Don't make the batter too thin.)

Keep oil in a thick bottomed vessel and heat it. Take each piece of ridge gourd, dip it in batter and deep fry it in oil.

Serve hot along with tomato ketchup.

Ridge Gourd Chutney / Heerekayi Chutney

Ingredients:
1 medium sized Ridge Gourd / Heerekayi
1/2 medium sized Onion
1 - 2 tsp Cashew nuts
1 tsp Dalia Split / Putani / Chutney Kadle
2 - 3 Green Chillies
1 - 2 Garlic flakes
Small grape sized Tamarind
2 - 3 strands of Coriander leaves
Salt to taste
1/4 tsp Cumin seeds
1 tsp Mustard seeds
1 tsp Black Gram seeds
Pinch of Asafoetida powder
1 - 2 broken Red Chillies
3 - 4 tsp Oil

Recipe:
Peel the ridge gourd  as shown in the picture below.

Cut the peeled ridge gourd into medium sized pieces. Chop onion into small pieces. Cut the green chillies into two pieces. Remove the outer cover of garlic and mash it.

Put 3 tsp oil in a pan and heat. Add tamarind and fry it for 1-2 mins in medium flame, remove it from oil and keep it aside. Similarly fry green chillies, cashew nuts & dalia split, garlic one by one for about 1-2 mins in medium flame and keep them aside. Put 1/2 tsp mustard seeds, 1/4 tsp cumin seeds, chopped onion and fry them for about 4-5 mins until onion turns golden in colour. Add chopped ridge gourd, salt and mix well. Add little amount of water and cook them well by covering a lid for about 7-8 mins.

Put this cooked ridge gourd in a mixer and grind it for a minute. Add little amount of water if required. Garnish with chopped coriander leaves. Put 1/2 red chilly, 1/2 tsp mustard seeds, black gram seeds, 1 tsp oil in a pan. Once it starts spluttering, add pinch of asafoetida powder and keep it for few seconds and then add it to Chutney. Mix well before serving. It goes well with Dosas/Rottis. Thanks to Vahrehvah for the recipe.