Ivy gourd coconut stir-fry, kovakka thoran, another easy to make vegetarian dish from my kitchen…..
Any stir-fries prepared with grated coconut is called by the name ‘thoran’ in Malayalam. Thoran can be made in different methods with variations in flavour. In some places, cumin seeds are also added, which makes it more delicious.
Ivy gourd is an easy to grow crawling plant in a home garden. Once you give enough support for it to grow and spread, it doesn’t require much care.
I used to plant ivy gourd wherever I lived. Ivy gourd is called ‘Kovakka’ in Malayalam, my native language. Ivy gourd also has other names like gentleman’s toe, baby watermelon, little gourd, Tindora (in Hindi) etc. Research suggest that ivy gourd acts like a natural insulin in our body. But it is very difficult to find this vegetable in the US. But, if you have an Indian Grocery store near you, then you will get ivy gourd, occasionally, during the season. Try making this healthy recipe if you can get this little gourd.
Ivy Gourd Coconut Stir-fry – Thoran
Ivy Gourd Coconut Stir-fry
Ingredients
- 250 g ivy gourd
- 1/4 cup grated coconut
- 1/2 cup onion chopped
- 4 green chilli cut lengthwise
- 1/4 tsp turmeric powder
- 1/2 tsp mustard seeds
- 1/2 tbsp coconut oil
- Salt to taste
- Curry Leaves
Instructions
- Wash the ivy gourd and chop into small pieces.
- Mix together grated coconut, chilli and turmeric powder and keep aside.
- Heat oil in a pan. Pop the mustard seeds. Saute onion until golden brown. Add curry leaves and saute for a few seconds.
- Now add the coconut mix and chopped ivy gourd into the pan.
- Add salt to taste and mix well. Cover and cook on low flame, stirring occasionally.
- After 15 minutes, the vegetable will be crunchy and cooked.
- Remove the lid and stir-fry for another 1 minute on medium to high flame.
- Remove from heat.
Serve the crunchy and healthy stir-fry with steaming rice.
Happy Cooking
