Beerakaya curry

• Roast the sesame seed in a pan placed on low After lightly roasting the seeds, keep them aside to cool.
• Heat oil in a pot. As the oil heats up, add mustard and cumin to the pot. Allow the cumin to crackle and add one curry leaf and a pinch of Stir well.
• Add the onions to the spirces and fry until they become transparent. Add the diced beerakaya to the spices mixture and fry on a medium flame for about 3 minutes.
• Add chopped tomatoes along with salt, chili powder, and Stir well.
• Fry for roughly 2 minutes and then cover the pot with a lid. Continue cooking on a low flame. When you notice water seeping out of the beerakaya, take off the lid and stir. Keep stirring the curry occasionally to avoid burning.
• Continue to cook the curry till the tomatoes and the beerakaya are soft. Grind the roasted sesame seeds into a fine powder in a blender or food processor.
• Sprinkle the sesame powder over vegetable gravy to thicken it. Pour the curry into a bowl and serve hot with rice or roti.

Trivia

Beerakaya is often referred to as Chinese okra and has been used in baby food owing to its light flavor. Also called the ridge gourd, it is very commonly used in the South Indian cuisine.