Vellarikka-manga-muringakkaya or yellow cucumber with raw mango and drumsticks curry had been one of my dad’s favorites curries and was a staple in our home. Dal and vegetables with ground coconut and tart raw mangoes creates a yummy dish.
I don’t know if there is any other name for this curry in Malayalam other than vellarikka-manga-muringakkaya which is just a listing of the vegetables used. I usually substitute the vellarikka or yellow cucumber with kumbalanga or ash gourd/winter melon as it is more readily available here in USA.
This curry can be made with or without toor dal.The curry without dal is, of course lighter and easier on the stomach.
Dal and Vegetable Curry
Ingredients
- ¼ cup Toor dal or split pigeon peas
- 1 cup Yellow cucumber or ash gourd (vellarikka or kumbalanga), cut into small cubes
- 5-6 pieces Raw mango, cut into big pieces
- 5 pieces Drumsticks, cut into 2" sticks
- ¼ tsp Turmeric powder
- ½ tsp Chili powder
- Salt to taste
- ¾ cup Coconut, fresh or frozen, grated
- ½ tsp Cumin seeds
- 2 or 3 Green chillies
- 1 sprig Curry leaves
- a pinch Jaggery (optional)
- 1-2 tsp Coconut oil
- ½ tsp Mustard seeds
- ½ tsp Fenugreek seeds or a pinch of powder
- 2 Dry red chillies
Instructions
- Cook the toor dal, and the yellow cucumber or the ash gourd in the pressure cooker for 3 whistles along with turmeric powder, red chili powder and salt.
- In a large pot, cover and cook the raw mango and the drumsticks with turmeric powder, salt and a cup of water.
- Once done, add the cooked dal to the raw mango. Let it start boiling again. Add a little more water, if it is too thick.
- In the meantime, grind half of the coconut and cumin seeds into a very fine paste with very little water.
- Add the rest of the coconut and green chillies to the ground mixture along with some water and grind to a fine paste.
- Add the ground paste to the vegetable and dal mixture and let it boil well for 5 minutes.
- Since this dal has a slightly watery consistency, add more water if it has turned thick.
- Adjust the salt and add jaggery if the curry is too sour.
- Add the curry leaves and switch off the stove.
- Heat the coconut oil in a small pan.
- Add the mustard seeds and when they splutter, add the fenugreek seeds and dry red chillies.
- Pour over the curry and let it rest for 10 minutes.
- Serve hot with rice.
Notes
- If not using dal, cook all the vegetables together in a pot with turmeric powder, chili powder and salt and then continue from step 4.
