Heerekayi Huli Thovve | Ridgegourd in tangy spicy sauce

Name: Heerekayi Huli Thovve | Ridgegourd in tangy spicy sauce | Vegan and GF
Prep time: 15 min
Cook time: 10 min
Total time: 25 min
Ingredients: 250 grams Ridge gourd (Tender); 1 tsp Oil; 1 tsp Salt; 1/2 tsp Turmeric; 1/2 tsp Jaggery; 25 grams Tamarind (1 small gooseberry sized); 100 grams Split pigeon pea (Toor Dal / Thogari Bele); 1/4 cup Coconut (fresh / frozen); 1 TBSP coriander seeds (Dhaniya); 2 Kashmiri Chillies (can sub with Bedgi); 1/2 tsp Whole black Pepper; 2 Cloves; 1/2 inch Cinnamon; 1/2 tsp Mustard seeds; 1 tsp split black lentil (Urad dal); 1/2 TBSP Bengal Gram (Channa Dal / Kadalebele); 1/2 tsp Cumin Seeds (Jeera/Jeerige); 1 TBSP Sambhar powder (optional but recommended); 1 tsp Oil; 1 tsp Mustard seeds; 1 Red chillies (halved); 1 sprig Curry leaves; 1/4 tsp Asafoetida (Hing - skip for GF)

Jump to Recipe Print Recipe

Heerekayi Huli Thovve is a Gluten Free+ vegan curry from Karnataka Cuisine. It is made from Ridge gourd simmered in a coconut based tangy spicy sauce.

Everyday meals in our kitchen is primarily a medley of Tamilnadu and Karnataka food sprinkled with cuisines from rest of the country (and the world) . Today's dish - Heerekai Huli Thovve (Heerekai = ridge gourd ; Huli = tangy ; Thovve = lentil based) is a favourite that I ate, growing up in Bangalore. Served at most Kannada weddings, this is a staple that goes great with Majjigehuli and Ambode (paruppu vada) as a classic combo.

What is Huli Thovve and what is its place in the Kannada Cuisine?

Huli Thovve is a traditional dish from Karnataka, a state in southern India. The word "huli" in Kannada language means "sour" and "thovve" means "dal". The dish is so named because it is made with lentils and tamarind, which give it a sour and tangy flavor.

The exact history of Huli Thovve is not known, but it is believed to have originated in the coastal regions of Karnataka, where coconut and tamarind are commonly used in cooking. Over time, the dish became popular across the state and is now a staple in most households and restaurants in Karnataka.

Huli Thovve is a versatile dish that can be made with a variety of lentils and vegetables, depending on the region and personal preferences. It is typically served with steamed rice and is a popular comfort food, especially during the monsoon season when the weather is cooler and damp.

Heerekayi Huli Thovve is a Gluten Free+ vegan curry from Karnataka Cuisine. It is made from Ridge gourd simmered in a coconut based tangy spicy sauce.

Overall, Huli Thovve is a flavorful and nutritious dish that is an integral part of Karnataka cuisine and reflects the rich cultural heritage of the region.

I served this with Karuppu Ulundogarai(Whole black lentil flavoured rice) , Vellarikai Inji Pachadi (Cucumber Raita in a coconut-ginger-cumin yoghurt gravy) and that was a yum meal by itself. Glutenfree, wholesome (and vegan too , if you would sub the yoghurt in the raita with a plan-based one)

This is a quick side dish that goes well with steamed rice, and flavoured rice, chapati, poori or even theplas (as we discovered the next morning with leftovers). I usually make this in slightly larger quantities so as to serve us for 2 meals (for 4 people), but you may scale up or down the proportion. This is best made with fresh ridge gourd (and I was very lucky to find fresh baby ridge gourd in the market which promptly went into making this dish).

So, lets get to make this yummy dish : Heerekai Huli Thovve

Prep time - 15 mins, Cook time - 10 mins, Serves - 4

Cuisine : Karnataka, Course: Side dish; Vegan and GF too !!

Tips to make the best Huli Thovve

1. Use the fresh gourd with very little or no seeds. Taste a piece of the raw vegetable , if its bitter (some varieties are utterly bitter), discard and start afresh.

2. The consistency of this gravy is between a sambhar and a rasam, albeit on the thicker side. So adjust water accordingly.

3. Tastes best with hot rice and roasted papad. Keeps for upto 2-3 days under refrigeration if the masala including fresh coconut is roasted well before grinding. Always cool the roasted masala mix before grinding.

4. Tadka is best done with ghee for this dish, but I used oil to make it Vegan. It is your personal choice to use ghee too 🙂

What you need to make Heerekayi Huli THovve

Cuisine - South Indian (Karnataka) ; Course : Side Dish / Accompaniment ; Spice level : Medium

Serves : 4. Served with steamed rice / quinoa / millets

Ridge gourd (Tender) - 250 grams
Oil - 1 tsp
Salt - to taste
Turmeric - ½ tsp
Jaggery - ½ tsp
Tamarind - 1 small gooseberry sized
Toor Dal - ½ cup (1 cup= 200 ml)

To grind (masala):

Fresh Coconut - ¼ cup
Whole coriander seeds - 1 TBSP
Byadgi / Bedgi / Kashmiri Chillies - 2 nos
Pepper corns - ½ tsp
Cloves - 1 or 2
Cinnamon - ½ inch stick
Mustard seeds - ½ tsp
Urad dal - 1 tsp
Channa Dal - ½ TBSP
Cumin Seeds - ½ tsp
Homemade Sambhar powder - 1 tablespoon (optional but recommended)

Tempering:

Oil - 1 tsp
Mustard seeds - 1 tsp
Broken Red chillies - 1 or 2
Curry leaves - few
Asafoetida / Hing- a generous pinch - skip for GF

How to make Heerekayi Huli Thovve:

Pressure cook the toor dal with ¼ teaspoon of turmeric , and the tamarind (chunk if using) separately in a till soft and mash the toor dal well and keep aside. If using tamarind paste, don't pressure cook.
I used baby ridge gourd, so scrape lightly, but don't peel. If using normal ridge gourd. scrape the thorns / hard ridges out and peel the skin but not fully - the ridge gourd needs to hold shape even after slightly cook; Cut into medium sized chunks.
Meanwhile, in a pan, boil the ridge gourd chunks with minimal water, salt and a dash of turmeric till the vegetable is soft but not mushy. Turn off the heat.
In a seperate pan, add 2 teaspoon oil and roast all the ingredients except coconut and sambar powder of the masala ingredients ONE by ONE. Do not roast them together.
Now turn off the heat and add coconut and sauté well for 2-3 mins . Cool, grind with the Coconut- masala mixture along with the sambhar powder and the tamarind (paste or cooked) into a smooth thick paste adding adequate water.
Add this paste into the cooked ridge gourd and add requisite salt and let it come to a slow simmer.
Now add the cooked dal (reserve a little if you feel the gravy is too thick), jaggery and a little water (I used about ½ cup again) to get to a thickish gravy.
Let it simmer for 4-5 mins till the raw smell disappears.
Make the tempering (tadka) with the mentioned ingredients. Pour into the gravy and serve this side dish hot with Chapatis / Poori / Phulka / Steamed Rice.

PIN FOR LATER