Tindora rice / ivy gourd rice known as Kovakkai sadam in Tamil (Dondakaya annam in Telugu) is an easy, yummy Indian lunch box recipe . As many of my readers are asking me to share more rice varieties for lunch box, I thought of posting this easy, one pot rice recipe made using our Indian pressure cooker.

As this recipe has no grinding job, you can prepare it easily under 15 minutes. Ideal for bachelors and working women to pack it for lunch box. I adapted this recipe from

Tindora rice / Kovakkai sadam

How to make tindora rice easily in a pressure cooker for lunch box.

1. Wash and soak basmati rice in water for 15 minutes.
2. Wash and slice tindora / kovakkai into thin vertical slices.
3. Wash and chop onion. Set aside.
4. Heat oil + ghee in a pressure cooker base. Saute the whole garam masala spices.
5. Saute onion, gg paste, green chilli. Add chopped mint+coriander leaves, sliced kovakkai and saute well.
6. Add spice powders and mix well. Lastly add water and salt. Mix well.
7. When the water roll boils, add the basmati rice. Mix gently.
8. Pressure cook for one whistle in low flame. Add lemon juice. Fluff the rice and serve hot with onion raita !

METHOD – STEP BY STEP PICTURES

Wash and soak basmati rice in water for 15 minutes. In the mean time, wash and slice tindora/ kovakkai. Trim off the top and bottom. Then cut into thin slices vertically. I chopped into 6 thin vertical slices. Wash and chop onion finely. Heat oil + ghee in a pressure cooker base. Once its heated, saute cinnamon, cloves, bay leaf and black stone flower. Add onion, green chilli. Saute till transparent. Then add ginger garlic paste. Saute till raw smell goes off. Now add the chopped mint + coriander leaves. Mix well. Add kovakkai pieces. Saute in medium flame till it starts to shrink. Then add turmeric powder, red chilli powder, coriander seeds powder and salt. Mix well. Lastly add water and let it roll boil. Add the washed rice. Mix gently. Close the cooker. Keep the flame high till vapor comes out.  Put the weight valve. Reduce the flame completely, cook for one whistle. It may take 8 to 10 minutes. Switch off the flame.  Remove the cooker lid after the steam is released completely.   Add lemon juice. Fluff the rice gently using a fork like ladle. Remove in a plate and serve hot with onion raita or any kurma, chips ! Enjoy !

Note

Adjust the quantity of spices as per your taste. You can use seega samba rice / Jeera rice or raw rice instead of basmati. I did not soak basmati. So I used 1.75 cups of water to make soft rice.

Try this easy, yummy, interesting tindora rice for your lunch box and enjoy !