Talking off the off beat vegetables, Tinda (टिंडा) stands out. It is also called “Indian squash”, “round melon”, “Indian round gourd” or “apple gourd” or “Indian baby pumpkin”. Tinda is also called “tindsi” in Rajasthan part of India. When I was kid, I used to make faces thinking of eating Tinda, thanks to bad reputation it carries for no real reason. When I tasted tinda for the first time (force fed by mom), I was astonished to see how nice this vegetable is!
What is Tinda
Tinda is approximately spherical, and 5–8 cm in diameter, the seeds may also be roasted and eaten. Punjabi Style Tinda Masala is a scrumptious curry, perfect for a quick weekday lunch or dinner. This humble tinda when flavoured with aromatic Indian spices can win anyone’s heart and is best served with roti / chappatti or Indian flat bread.
This recipe (picked from my mom’s diary) is non-gravy based and yields dry tinda masala. There are no magic steps or magical ingredients for making this tasty tinda curry, just a little care to make sure its roasted well while cooking and right proportion of spices, that is it! If you can, then do try mustard cooking oil for the best taste.
Method of making punjabi tinda masala
- Wash and peel the Apple gourd and cut them into cubes
- Heat oil in a pan/kadhai and add asafoetida and cumin seeds to it. Once they crackle add chopped onion and sauté till they are translucent.
- Add ginger garlic paste and sauté for a minute. Now add all the spices and chopped tomatoes and chillies and sauté them till the mixture start leaving oil.
- Now add cubed apple gourd pieces and mix well. Sprinkle little water and cover the pan with lid. Slow the heat to medium and let them cook for 8-10 minutes.
- Open the kid and sauté again, let them cook for few more minutes till they are well roasted. Switch off the heat and transfer them to a serving bowl.
Pro Tips
- They taste best when cooked in mustard oil.
- Always try to roast the sabji before switching off the heat as that maximises the taste of it.
- Always look for raw fresh tinda to make this tinda masala.
Serving suggestion for Tinda masala
Serve this punjabi tinda masala with Indian bread, such as chapatti or paratha.
You can also try Stuffed Tinda Masala, I wish to share recipe of that as soon as I can find some more fresh Apple gourd here in UK.
If you like trying out little unusual vegetables, you will like to try out the following veggies too:
Below is the step by step recipe of Tinda Masala made in north indian style
Recipe Card
Punjabi Tinda Masala | Apple Gourd Masala
Ingredients
- 500 Grams Tinda / Apple Gourd
- 1 Onion Medium Size – Chopped
- 2 Tomatoes Medium Size – Chopped
- 2 Green chillies Medium Size – Finely Chopped
- 1 Tablespoon Ginger Garlic Paste
- 1/2 Tablespoon Coriander Powder
- 1/4 Teaspoon Red Chilli Powder
- 1/2 Teaspoon Garam Masala Powder
- 1 Teaspoon Salt As Per Taste
- 1/3 Teaspoon Turmeric Powder
- 1/3 Teaspoon Asafoetida
- 2 Tablespoon Oil Mustard Cooking Oil is best for this
- 1 Teaspoon Cumin Seeds
- 1 Tablespoon Chopped Coriander Leaves For Garnishing (Optional)
Instructions
- Wash and peel the Apple gourd and cut them into cubes
- Heat oil in a pan/kadhai and add asafoetida and cumin seeds to it. Once they crackle add chopped onion and sauté till they are translucent.
- Add ginger garlic paste and sauté for a minute. Now add all the spices and chopped tomatoes and chillies and sauté them till the mixture start leaving oil.
- Now add cubed Apple gourd pieces and mix well. Sprinkle little water and cover the pan with lid. Slow the heat to medium and let them cook for 8-10 minutes.
- Open the kid and sauté again, let them cook for few more minutes till they are well roasted. Switch off the heat and transfer them to a serving bowl. Garnish with chopped Coriander leaves and serve hot with Indian flat bread.
Notes
- They taste best when cooked in mustard oil.
- Always try to roast the sabji before switching off the heat as that maximises the taste of it.