Heerekayi Palya Recipe – Karnataka Style Ridge Gourd Gravy For Roti, Rice

 heerekai palya

 Recently my neighbor from North Karnataka gave me some Jolada roti / Jowar roti , ridge gourd / Heerekai palya  (Kannada name )and brinjal / badanekayi chutney as side dish. I have tasted jolada roti oota in Kamat restaurant but this gravy and chutney recipes were new to me. It was so tasty and made me eat 3 rotis 😋. 

When I shared this picture in my Instagram feed, many of my friends and readers asked me to share the recipe of heerekayi palya. This afternoon I got the recipe from my neighbor and prepared it for our lunch. It came out so well. Its a very simple recipe with peanut and till seeds/ black sesame seeds masala as base for this gravy. Its very similar to Ennegai recipe prepared using brinjal which is the most popular side dish for Jolada roti. Some people call this heerekayi palya as stuffed ridge gourd palya / heerekayi ennagai palya in Kannada. But there is a small variation in this gravy. 
Friends, I bet no one could find that this gravy is prepared with ridge gourd. Its so flavorful and tastes great with jowar roti, rice and chapati. Do try it once. You will love it and start to make it often. Its so easy to prepare too ! Ok, lets see how to make North Karnataka style (Uttara Karnataka) heerekai palya recipe with step by step pictures.

Check out my other interesting Karnataka recipes.

heerekayi palya

Heerekai palya – North Karnataka style ridge gourd gravy

Heerekai palya - North Karnataka style ridge gourd gravy

Heerekai palya – North Karnataka style ridge gourd gravy for jolada roti, rice and chapati.


Cuisine:
Karnataka recipes
Category:
side dish for jolada roti
Serves:
Serves 4
Prep time:
10 Minutes
Cook time:
20 Minutes
Total time:
30 Minutes

INGREDIENTS

1 cup = 250ml

  • Ridge gourd – 1 (Long and big)
  • Big onion – 1 (Big)
  • Tomato – 1 (big)
  • Salt & water – as needed

To grind

  • Roasted peanuts without skin – 1/4 cup
  • Black till seeds powder or niger seeds powder –  1 tbsp (roasted sesame seeds powder)
  • Green chilli – 3
    (Use 2 for less spice)
  • Coriander leaves – 2 tbsp
  • Curry leaves – 10
  • Cumin seeds – 1/2 tsp
  • Sambar powder – 1 tsp ( I used MTR sambar powder, refer notes)
  • Turmeric powder = 1/4 tsp
  • Coconut – 1 tbsp (optional)
  • Cinnamon – 1 small piece
  • Cloves – 1

To Temper

  • Cooking oil – 3 tbsp
  • Mustard seeds – 1 tsp
  • Cumin seeds – 1/2 tsp
  • Curry leaves – Few
HOW TO MAKE RIDGE GOURD GRAVY / HEEREKAYI PALYA
  1. Wash and peel the ridges of ridge gourd & skin.
  2. Chop into 2 inch size lengthy pieces. Set aside.
  3. Grind all the ingredients given under “To grind” to a smooth paste adding water.
  4. Heat oil in a kadai. Splutter mustard seeds, cumin seeds and curry leaves.
  5. Saute onion, tomato and ridge gourd pieces till soft. Add the ground masala paste.
  6. Saute till raw smell goes off. Add required water, cover and cook till ridge gourd is done.
  7. Remove and serve hot with Jolada roti / Jowar roti, rice or chapathi !
HEEREKAI PALYA – STEP BY STEP PICTURES
  • Wash and peel the ridges and skin of ridge gourd. Do not remove the skin completely. But ridges should be removed and discarded. Chop the ridge gourd into 2 inch pieces in length. Wash and set aside.

  • In a mixie jar take roasted peanuts (without skin), black sesame seeds powder(ellu podi, dry roast and powder it), green chilli, cumin seeds, coriander leaves, curry leaves, dry coconut, turmeric powder and sambar powder ( If you are not using Karnataka sambar powder, add 1 piece cinnamon and 1 clove along with usual sambar powder). Grind everything to a smooth paste adding required water. Set aside.

    • heerekayi palya

  • Heat oil in a kadai and splutter mustard seeds, urad dal and curry leaves. Add onion and saute till transparent. Add tomato, required salt and saute till mushy.

    • heerekayi palya

  • Add ridge gourd pieces and saute till it becomes soft. Add ground masala paste. Saute till its raw smell goes off. Now add the required water, check for taste.

    • heerekayi palya

  • Cover and cook for sometime. Open the lid and mix once or twice in the middle. Cook till ridge gourd is cooked completely but not mushy. It should retain its shape. 

    • heerekayi palya

  • Adjust the consistency of gravy by adding water. Switch off the flame and serve hot with jolada roti, rice and chapathi.
    Enjoy !

Note

  • Adjust the quantity of green chilli based on your taste.
  • Sesame seeds powder and peanut forms the base for this gravy. So do not skip it.
  • You can use snake gourd, lady’s finger instead of ridge gourd.
  • This gravy thickens over time. So you can add more water if needed and adjust the salt. 

Yummy, Karnataka style ridge gourd gravy is ready to relish with jowar roti, rice !

ridge gourd gravy

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6 thoughts on “Heerekayi Palya Recipe – Karnataka Style Ridge Gourd Gravy For Roti, Rice”

    5. Chitra

      Yes you are right. I have used ellu here. But usually Niger seeds powder/ uchellu pudi is used by my friends. As I dint have it, I used ellu / black sesame seeds.

      Reply
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