Dry spices/masaley-stuffed Tindas/Apple gourd/ Indian Baby Pumpkin

Dry spices/masaley-stuffed Tindas/Apple gourd/ Indian Baby Pumpkin

The tinda, also called Indian round gourd or apple gourd or Indian Baby Pumpkin, is a squash-like cucurbit grown for its immature fruit, a vegetable especially popular in South Asia. It is the only member of the genus Praecitrullus. "tinda" is also called "tindsi" in Rajasthan. In Marathi, it is called Dhemase/ ढेमसे.( Wikipedia)

Much as I disliked this vegetable as a kid, I could not escape its frequent appearances at my home, since Tinda is supposed to be a favourite in Punjabi households! Much later, that is after I finished my University level studies, did I discover the joys of consuming tender, stuffed tindas, cooked on a low flame! The trick was to partly steam them before stuffing them- simple!!

Here goes my recipe for you all to try out too. You can take liberties with the stuffing, in the sense that some people enjoy the taste of onion, ginger, garlic paste in it etc., but I have limited myself to using only dry spices.

Ingredients:

Tender tindas- 300 grams

Dry mango powder/ amchoor- 1 tablespoon

Coriander/ dhaniya powder- 2 tablespoon

*Garam masala powder- ½ teaspoon

Salt- ¾ teaspoon

Roasted chickpea powder/ Besan- 1 tablespoon

Red Chilli powder- ½ teaspoon

Cooking oil- 1 tablespoon

Roasted Cumin powder- ½ teaspoon

*Garam masala is a blend of spices like black pepper, black cardamom, cinnamon, clove, green cardamom etc.

Method:

Thoroughly wash and then lightly scrape off the peel/ skin of Tindas. With a fork make a few jabs on the surface of each tinda.

Now, cut off bits of the top and bottom portions of the tindas. Next, make two cuts in a + way from the top,(one vertical and another bisecting horizontal one), but it should stop just before the base of the tinda.

Steam the vegetables for a few minutes or until you can see that they have become semi-soft.

Now, allow the tindas to cool in a tray or big plate. Meanwhile mix all the dry spices and ingredients mentioned above. Carefully with a tiny spoon stuff the tindas in + cut portion. Heat the oil in a non-stick pan or heavy-based steel vessel, then after carefully placing the stuffed tindas in the vessel, allow them to cook on a medium flame; cover the vessel. Take care to occasionally change the tindas contact with the heated surface of the vessel. Turning over the tindas gently and carefully will ensure that they are evenly browned and do not burn.

When they acquire a golden-brown sizzling look, you can remove them from flame and have them with Indian bread/ roti/ naan etc.