ridge gourd beerakaya curry

Ridge Gourd Recipe (Andhra Style Beerakaya Curry)

By Swasthi on August 9, 2022, Comments, Jump to Recipe

Ridge gourd is one of the most commonly used vegetable in Indian cuisine. Turai, Gilki, Beerakaya, Peerakangai are some of the regional names to this veggie. Ridge gourd is used to make curry, added to dals & even made to a spicy chutney. I am sharing a simple ridge gourd curry recipe which turns out delicious and is so simple to make.

Ridge gourd recipe

This andhra style beerakaya curry can be easily tweaked to suit your taste. It goes well with plain rice, ghee or roti & phulka.

I make this kind of simple, healthy & delicious vegetable curries for our dinner. It just takes about 30 minutes from start to finish including chopping and preparing the ridge gourd.

Choosing Ridge gourd

Ridge gourd is one veggie which is best consumed when it is young. When it is fully ripened or aged the veggie turns fibrous and is not good for consumption as it doesn’t get cooked well.

Young ridge gourd has sweeter tones & taste delicious whether it is in the curry, dal or chutney.

This veggie is prepared in various ways. In this post what I have shown is one of the simplest ways to make a ridge gourd curry. It is made by simmering tender ridge gourd pieces along with tomatoes & spice powders.

I have not used onions in the recipe. However if you prefer you can use them. I have spiced the curry with homemade lentil podi which I shared in the notes. You can also use sambar powder or idli podi if made from this blog.

ridge gourd beerakaya curry

More vegetable curry recipes,
Drumstick curry recipe
Bottle gourd recipe
Vegetable kurma
Mix vegetable curry

More similar recipes
Spicy Beerakaya pachadi
Beerakaya fry
Beerakaya pappu

Please follow the recipe card and make the spice powder.

How to Make Ridge Gourd Curry (Stepwise photos)

1. Add oil to a pan and heat. Add mustard and cumin. When they splutter, add curry leaves. If you like to use garlic, add it now and fry for a minute. Next add onions and fry till transparent. I did not use both.

adding spice to make ridge gourd curry

2. Add chopped ridge gourd or beerakaya pieces. Fry for 2 to 3 minutes on a medium flame.

frying ridge gourd

3. Add chopped tomatoes,red chili powder turmeric and salt.

adding spice powders to make beerakaya curry

4. Fry till the tomatoes are lightly mushy for about 3 to 4 minutes.

frying tomatoes to make ridge gourd curry

5. Cover and cook on a very low flame. Ridge gourd will begin to release juices, just cover and cook till soft. If needed sprinkle some water.

cooking beerakaya covered

6. Add vepudu karam (details in recipe card). Fry for 2 to 3 minutes.

adding spice powder to make ridge gourd curry

7. Pour very little water to  make a thick curry.

cooking curry until thick

8.  Cook till the ridge gourd gravy thickens and the veggie is soft cooked.

ridge gourd recipe

If you like you can garnish with coriander leaves. Serve with rice or Chapathi.

Related Recipes

Recipe Card

ridge gourd recipe

Ridge Gourd Recipe

Ridge gourd recipe that is healthy, simple & delicious made with ridge gourd, tomatoes, spices & herbs.
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For best results follow the step-by-step photos above the recipe card

Prep Time7 minutes
Cook Time15 minutes
Total Time22 minutes
Servings2 to 3
AuthorSwasthi

Ingredients (US cup = 240ml )

  • 500 grams ridge gourd cubed (beerakaya, turai)
  • 1 tbsp Oil
  • 1 sprig curry leaves (skip if you don’t have)
  • ½ tsp mustard
  • ½ tsp cumin
  • 1 Pinch hing or asafoetida
  • 2 garlic cloves finely chopped (optional)
  • 2 small onions small, (optional) (about ½ cup chopped)
  • 1 green chili (optional)
  • ½ cup tomatoes ripe, red, chopped finely
  • Salt as needed
  • 1/8 tsp turmeric powder or haldi
  • ½ tsp red chili powder (use as needed)

Spice powder

  • ¾ tbsp chana dal or bengal gram
  • ¾ tbsp urad dal or skinned black gram
  • 1 garlic clove
  • 1 tbsp dried coconut
  • 1 tsp sesame seeds (optional)
  • ½ tsp jeera or cumin
  • 1 red chilli
  • 1 pinch methi seeds (optional)


Instructions

Preparation

  • Dry roast red chilli, chana dal and urad dal until the dal turns golden and aromatic.
  • Then add garlic, sesame seeds, jeera and coconut. Fry until coconut turns aromatic.
  • Cool completely and make a fine powder. Set this aside
  • Wash ridge gourd well, then peel off the skin. If using organic gourd, then you can use the peel to make chutney.
  • Chop the ridge gourd to half inch pieces and set aside. 
  • Wash and chop onions & tomatoes finely. I do not use onions for this recipe just to cut down the cook time.

How to Make Ridge Gourd Curry

  • Heat the pot with oil, then add mustard and cumin. When they begin to crackle, add hing and curry leaves. Then add garlic and chilli. Saute for 1 minute.
  • If using onions add them and fry till transparent. Then add the ridge gourd and fry on a medium flame for 3 to 4 minutes.
  • Add tomatoes, salt, red chili powder and turmeric. Mix and fry for about 2 minutes.
  • Cover and cook on a low flame. After a while the gourd will begin to ooze out moisture. Keep stirring occasionally to prevent burning, continue cooking till the tomatoes and gourd are soft cooked.
  • Some gourds do not let out any moisture in that case sprinkle 3 to 4 tbsps water and cook. I do not use water at all.
  • When the ridge gourd is finished cooking, you should be left with little thin gravy.
  • Sprinkle the spice powder made earlier.
  • Cover and cook until the curry turns slightly thick for about 4 to 5 mins. Taste the curry and add more salt as desired.
  • Serve ridge gourd curry with rice or roti.


Alternative quantities provided in the recipe card are for 1x only, original recipe.

For best results follow my detailed step-by-step photo instructions and tips above the recipe card.

NUTRITION INFO (estimation only)

Nutrition Facts
Ridge Gourd Recipe
Amount Per Serving
Calories 168 Calories from Fat 36
% Daily Value*
Fat 4g6%
Sodium 157mg7%
Potassium 600mg17%
Carbohydrates 29g10%
Fiber 4g17%
Sugar 8g9%
Protein 5g10%
Vitamin A 430IU9%
Vitamin C 51.1mg62%
Calcium 175mg18%
Iron 4.1mg23%
* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2000 calorie diet.
Tried this recipe?Mention @SwasthisRecipes or tag #swasthisrecipes!

© Swasthi’s Recipes

Ridge Gourd Recipe (Andhra Style Beerakaya Curry)

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

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Is this really meant to be a garlic clove in the spice powder, and not a clove? Feels weird to me to use garlic in a dry spice powder.

Absolutely love your recipes! 🙂

Thanks so much!

Your recipes are gery interesting. It would be great if you could add videos as house helps generally cannot read english and it gets difficult to pass on the exact recipe to be cooked.

5 stars
Very tasty 👌thank you for the recipe 😊

5 stars
Hello swathi, i like recipes very much, but i am unable to search yoyr beerakaya masala recipe, please mail it. masala recipe with poppyseeds, star anise etc

5 stars
Tried your Ridge gourd curry. Was very easy and tasty but did not get any gravy. May be will add some water next time. Thank you.

I tried this recipe today because I was bored of making the same old koottu and pachadi recipes again and again. This was a super hit at home. Thank you for sharing this ridge gourd recipe. It’s going to be a regular at our home.

My kids ate ridge gourd happily for the first time, without fussing our Tom and jerrying my way behind them with food, thank you, it turns out great without garlic too

It tastes very bad. I tried it. Tomatoes spoil the dish. Plus there are too much onions. It actually tastes better without the masala added at the end.

Can I use Everest sambar masala for sambar powder? Will idli karam or karam podi work?

All recipies are too good for health.Easy processing.

4 stars
thank you super taste

good

hi swathi, i try the beet root and beerakaya curries.it is tasty and cooking that easy methods. thank you.

Hi swathi, I try beerakaya curry its was tasty & fast to do. Thank you.

Dear swasthi
I have come across so many websites claiming healthy recipes but when you see the recipes they are loaded with either butter or cream. Yours are REALLY healthy and also unique. I am surely goin to try some