Cucumber curry | Andhra style dosakaya curry
Updated: August 30, 2022, By Swasthi
Cucumber curry made in Andhra style with yellow cucumber, onions, tomatoes, spices & curry leaves. This simple & delicious dosakaya curry is an everyday dish made in many Telugu speaking homes. It is eaten with plain rice & ghee or with chapati, roti, phulka. This cucumber curry is made much the way as this Zucchini curry.
Yellow cucumber is also known as curry cucumber, Madras cucumber or sambar cucumber. It is widely used in many regional South Indian cuisines.
It is most commonly used in Andhra cuisine to make dal, pulusu (stew), curry, chutney, pickle and is even added to sambar.
This vegetable is slightly tangy and is cooling to the body. It is usually cooked without the use of much spice powders like garam masala. Also ginger & garlic paste are not used.
So this recipe is a winner when you prefer to eat something light & healthy without having to toil much in the kitchen.
This cucumber curry also goes well with brown rice or even with plain cooked millets.
I haven’t yet shared many simple vegetable curry recipes that are really comforting and soothing to the tummy. So thought of sharing this one.
If you are a newbie and learning to cook for your family then do try this simple curry for your meal. You can cook this in no time and tastes delicious as well.
I make this curry at least every fortnight. If serving this with roti then you don’t need any other side dish. This time I made moong dal & plan rice along with this curry.
More veg curry recipes
Mixed vegetable curry
Aloo gobi
Potato curry
Brinjal curry
Brussels sprouts masala
Tips to make cucumber curry
Cucumber: I have made this curry with yellow cucumber and not green cucumber that is used for salads. However you can also use any other kinds if you are okay with the flavor. The yellow cucumber is also known as curry cucumber in many places. The cucumber has to be firm and not ripe.
Tomatoes: Do not use unripe or sour tomatoes. Most times these kind of cucumber is slightly sour. So using sour tomatoes will make a very tangy curry. Also adjust the amount of tomatoes depending on the cucumber.
Variations
Drumsticks: You can also add vegetable drumsticks. First cook the drumsticks until tender in the onion tomato mixture adding little water (after step 7). Then add the chopped cucumbers.
Boiled eggs: You can also add boiled eggs towards the end. When the cucumbers are cooked al dente, prick the boiled eggs with a fork few times. Then add them to the curry and simmer both together for few more minutes.
Potatoes: Sometimes I also add potatoes to this. First cook the cubed potatoes in the onion tomato masala with little water until slightly tender. Evaporate the excess water. Then add the chopped cucumbers and cook covered until done. For this variation you can also add little garam masala.
Cucumber curry | Andhra style dosakaya curry
For best results follow the step-by-step photos above the recipe card
Ingredients (US cup = 240ml )
- 2½ cups cucumber chopped to ½ inch pieces (1 medium sized)
- ¾ cup onions chopped finely (about 1 large)
- ⅓ cup tomatoes chopped & deseeded (1 medium)
- 1 green chili slit
- 1 tablespoon coriander leaves fine chopped (optional)
For tempering
- 1½ tablespoon oil
- 1 sprig curry leaves
- 1/8 teaspoon mustard seeds
- ½ teaspoon cumin or jeera
- ½ teaspoon urad dal (optional)
- ½ teaspoon chana dal (optional)
- ⅓ teaspoon salt (adjust to taste)
- ½ teaspoon red chilli powder (adjust to taste)
- 1/8 teaspoon turmeric or haldi
Instructions
- Rinse the cucumber, onions, tomatoes and chilies.
- Peel the cucumber and remove the seeds. Chop them to ½ inch pieces and set aside.
- Fine chop onions, tomatoes and slit the green chilli.
How to make cucumber curry.
- Heat oil a pan or pot.
- When the oil turns hot add mustard, cumin, urad dal and chana dal.
- Fry until the dals turn golden, then add curry leaves and fry for a minute.
- Next add in onions & green chili. Fry stirring often until transparent and they lose the raw flavor.
- Add in tomatoes, salt and turmeric.
- Fry until the tomatoes turn soft and mushy.
- Add red chilli powder and fry just until the raw smell goes away.
- Next stir in the cucumber pieces and fry for 2 mins.
- Cover and cook on a very low flame until cucumbers turn tender.
- Stir in between. I do not add water as the cucumber pieces will let out lot of moisture.
- But if they do not let out moisture pour very little water.
- Garnish with coriander leaves.
- Serve cucumber curry with plain rice and ghee or roti.
Notes
NUTRITION INFO (estimation only)
© Swasthi’s Recipes
About Swasthi
I’m Swasthi Shreekanth, the recipe developer, food photographer & food writer behind Swasthi’s Recipes. My aim is to help you cook great Indian food with my time-tested recipes. After 2 decades of experience in practical Indian cooking I started this blog to help people cook better & more often at home. Whether you are a novice or an experienced cook I am sure Swasthi’s Recipes will assist you to enhance your cooking skills. More about me
Follow Swasthi’s Recipes
Comments
Simple curry with cucumber
Hello Swasthi,
I just wanted to tell you that I always use your recipes. They are simple and tasty. I thank you very much for sharing your knowledge. I think you are wonderful ❤️
Hi Sarojini,
Thank you so much for the kind words. Happy to read this!
Swasthi, i just wanted to say, all your recipes are simple , easy to make & they turn out amazing, for me. Keep up the good work…… going to make Dosakaya curry & Drumstick recipe of yours.
Thanks so much Madhuri, Hope you like them too.
🙂
Hi! I’ve been using your recipes a while now, but sometimes I’m confused with urad dal. I have whole (skin-on urad dal). Is that what is used in this recipe? Do you soak it still, even for such a small amount?
Ho Joel, Sorry somehow missed replying you. Actually we don’t soak urad and chana dal anytime if using them in the tempering. If you don’t like them crunchy in your dish, just splash a bit of water after the tempering & roasting. Let cook until they turn soft. Hope this helps.
Hey Joel,
just wanted to add that what we usually use in tempering is the skinned and split urad daal. It is a split, white daal.
It’s simple and great, Though being a Tamilan I lived in Hyderabad for more than 20 years. I was always fascinated by Andhra recipe. This is one such and it came out well close native preparation. Thanks
Thank you so much!
All your recipes are really nice… Can you share cucumber drumstick curry recipe
Thanks Gowthami
I have this drumstick curry recipe. You can add large pieces of cucumber to it. Use tender drumsticks and old cucumber to match their cook time.
In our house we just love simple light dishes like this that make us feel good. Thanks to this recipe I started loving this cucumber and using often for curry and in sambar and other dishes. I especially like it in mor kuzambu. I made your dosakaya curry again this week when I was feeling the summer weather too much and it was so cooling and refreshing. Sometimes food is all the medicine you need 🙂 Thank you for sharing!
Hello & welcome Zanna,
Yes this one is great during summers. I am making it almost every week now. Glad you liked it. Thank you!
🙂
Hey!!! All the recipes from this page are like mom’s recipes. Whenever I can’t call her, I look at yours!!! Heart-touching recipes – love them! Always special page to me
Hi Yoshitha
Thank you! So glad to know.
🙂
I made this cucumber curry with drumsticks and guess what.. It turned out awesome. My MIL says I make the best food.
Thanks for the comment Padma.
So happy for you – your MIL says you make the best food.
🙂
hi i wnnt this recipe step by step .. i am unable to find it. please help
Hi Poonam,
I don’t have the step by step pictures for this recipe. You can check this zucchini curry recipe with step by step pictures. Both are made in a similar way.
I will try this recipe then i will comment
Sure Anita!
would appreciate if you could post the picture of the curry cucumber. I am keen to try this .. please
Hi Phong,
Sure I will share it soon. Thank you.
This looks like a great recipe but I don’t have access to curry cucumber. Do you think that zucchini would work? Thanks!
Alonna
Hi Alonna,
Thank you. Yes you can use zucchini. For stronger flavor you can also add some garam masala or curry powder.