Tindora Fry / Dondakaya Vepudu (Air Fryer, Stove top)

Recipe Cooked, Photographed and Written by Praveena

PrepTime:15 mins   CookTime:15 mins   Cuisine:Indian

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Table of Contents⇓    RecipeCard⇓

This green vegetable has different names in different Indian Languages. Some of them are Tindora (in Hindi), Tendli, Kundru, Dondakaya (in Telugu), Ivy Gourd, Scarlet gourd, Kowai Fruit, Kovakkai (Tamil).

First of all, let me tell you this, these tiny green veggies are THE MOST favourite vegetable for me. I love to eat any variety of dish, made with this humble vegetable. 

I was just wondering upon myself, “How come, I didn’t share any recipe with my fav veggie?!” So, let me start with this easy & simple Ivy Gourd stir fry recipe, Andhra style Dondakaya Vepudu, made with basic spices and less oil.

Here is the link for other air fryer vegetable recipes on my blog>> Air – Fryer Recipes

Table of Contents:

Click to Expand / Collapse

1. Short Video Clip for ‘Air Fried Tindora Fry’:
2. How to cut & store ‘Tindora’ before cooking:
3. Possible Alterations for, ‘Ivy Gourd Dry Curry / South Indian Tindora Fry’:
4. How to serve, ‘Tindora Sabzi / Dondakaya Vepudu’:
5. Health Benefits of ‘Kundru Fry / Ivy Gourd fry’:
6. Other recipes from my blog:
7. Step wise pics Procedure for ‘Andhra Tindora Fry / Dondakaya Vepudu (Air fryer, Stove top Methods) ‘:
8. Prep Work (common for both methods):
9. Stove Top Method Kundru Fry / Dondakaya Vepudu:
10. Air Fryer Method Dondakaya Vepudu / Tindora Fry:
11. Tips & Storage:
12. Result:
13. Recipe Card & Print:

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Short Video Clip for ‘Air Fried Tindora Fry’:

How to cut & store ‘Tindora’ before cooking:

I tried all the possible ways, like food processor, shredder, hand chopper, hand knife, to cut them. Among all, I was most satisfied ONLY with a hand knife. 

Its a bit of time taking to cut / chop these beauties with a knife, but my love for them overrides all that.

One thing to remember is, the prep time is entirely for cutting alone, which might take 15 mins approximately for a ¼ kg.

Wash them thoroughly, take each one, slice off the edges on both sides, and then proceed to cut in any desired shape. Like round, halves, strip length wise, diagonally. Except something very fine size like grating, which is not preferable. 

 Cut & store them in an air-tight container / zip – lock and store it in fridge, for at least up to 4-5 days before you cook. 

Possible Alterations for, ‘Ivy Gourd Dry Curry / South Indian Tindora Fry’:

Frozen Ivy Gourd / Frozen Tindora: They work well too. Just follow the same recipe. But, I have used fresh tender tindora. 

Adding Onion: Add slices of onions (½ cup) into the frying pan (stove top method), sauté in oil for 2 mins, then continue with the recipe. For air fryer method, add the onions along with tindora pieces.

To Add Garlic: While frying the tindora / dondakaya pieces, just add 4 garlic cloves.

Using coconut: At While adding the spice powders, you can 1½ tablespoon of dry coconut powder / desiccated coconut. It gives that nutty flavour to the dish. 

Other spices to add: You can add 1 tablespoon of any of these South Indian powder / podi :

• Spice Mix for Roasted Veg / Vepudu Karam Podi
• Fresh Coconut Chutney Powder (Oil Free)
• Rasam Powder Recipe / Charu Podi

For North Indian flavour: Add in ¼  teaspoon of each of these>> garam masala powder, amchur powder / dry mango powder, coriander powder, cumin powder, red chili powder. 

How to serve, ‘Tindora Sabzi / Dondakaya Vepudu’:

Being a dry curry recipe, this simple stir fry dish is generally served as a side dish with rice (or) roti, along with dal (or) sambar (or) rasam as accompaniments. 

Given below is a South Indian style meal platter which consists of this recipe of Tindora / Ivy Goud Fry. Detailed recipe link for the below Meal Platter⇒  Bhojanam / Thali / Platter # 9

Health Benefits of ‘Kundru Fry / Ivy Gourd fry’:

Tindora / Ivy Gourd is a nutritious vegetable which gives us excellent health benefits, mainly regulates blood pressure, used in Ayurveda for reducing diabetes, improves digestion, prevents fatigue, obesity. Importantly this is best for Diabetic patients.

Do you know that it can be eaten raw with some lemon juice / sugar sprinkled on it. Try it, they are crunchy! 🙂

Carom Seeds / Vaamu, mainly aids in easy digestion and useful for dental health as well.

To Conclude: This tindora recipe has the essential nutrients and is suitable for a Vegetarian, Vegan, Gluten Free, Keto Friendly, Fat Free, Low Oil, Diabetic Friendly recipe.

Other recipes from my blog:

Before starting to cook, don’t forget to see the Tips mentioned at the end.

Curry recipes collection⇒  Curry / Koora / Stir Fry

Rice recipes collection⇒  Rice Recipes

Air Fryer recipes collection⇒ Air – Fryer Recipes

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Ingredients:

• Tindora / Ivy Gourd / Dondakaya / Tendli – 250 gms / 2 measuring cups
• Roasted Peanut Powder / Palli podi – 1 tablespoon
• Besan / Chickpea flour / Gram flour – 1 tablespoon
• Vaamu / Carom Seeds / Ajwain – ½ teaspoon
• Red Chilli Powder / Paprika – 1 teaspoon (as per taste)
• Turmeric Powder – ¼ teaspoon
• Salt – as per taste

Special Ingredients:

• Vaamu / Carom Seeds / Caraway Seeds / Ajwain
• Roasted Peanut Powder / Palli podi

Step wise pics Procedure for ‘Andhra Tindora Fry / Dondakaya Vepudu (Air fryer, Stove top Methods) ‘:

Prep Work (common for both methods):

Wash the tindora, take each one, slice off the edges on both sides, cut into half, and slice each half into length wise pieces.

Stove Top Method Kundru Fry / Dondakaya Vepudu:

Put a frying pan on stove top over medium flame, add oil & heat.  

Transfer all the tindora pieces into the pan. Add salt & turmeric powder. Sprinkle some water, close the lid.

After 5 mins, add the ajwain / carom seeds, sprinkle some more water, close the lid for 5 more mins. 

Keep stirring in between. If required sprinkle water too.

When the pieces soften (to your desired level), add the red chilli powder, roasted peanut powder and besan / chickpea flour. 

Mix thoroughly, remove lid. Switch off the stove after 2 more mins. Done!

Air Fryer Method Dondakaya Vepudu / Tindora Fry:

Spray the oil / brush oil throughout the air-fryer basket. Transfer veg pieces on the air fryer basket. Spread them into a single layer.

Add the salt and turmeric powder. Give a mix, cook for 10 mins, at 200ºC / 390F.

Pause, add the red chilli powder, roasted peanut powder, carom seeds / ajwain & besan / chickpea flour. 

Give a thorough mix. Spray oil throughout the entire veg. 

Cook for more 8 to 10 mins, at 200ºC. As per your desired crunchiness. Done!

  Air-fried version on the left and stove-top version on the right.

Tips & Storage:

• Adjust the salt & spice as per your taste.
• Set the air-fryer timings according to the crispiness of the tindora / ivy gourd pieces, as per your taste.
• Oil-spray after adding spices can be done, or can be eliminated.
• The spices might drop down the mesh, you can avoid it by spreading a parchment paper / foil on the mesh. I did not use it though.
• This, Tindora / dondakaya fry (air-fryer & stove top methods), stays good up to 2-3 days at room temperature. Its a perfect travel food.
• Storage: Can be stored in fridge for 4 to 5 days and re-heated before serving.

Result:

• This, Low Oil Tindora Fry / Dondakaya Vepudu / Ivy Gourd Stir Fry, tastes best with steamed plain rice, any pulao, any flat bread, chapathi, roti or phulka.
• We didn’t find any difference in taste with the air-fried tindora fry recipe or stove top method ivy gourd recipe.
• We had this spicy fry as a side with steamed white rice paired up with Broccoli Dal . That made a perfect combo. 🙂

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