Surakkai Chutney | Bottle Gourd Chutney

“Today I’m making a delicious Surakkai Chutney using fresh, homegrown bottle gourd straight from our garden! 🌱🥒 This simple chutney is flavorful, comforting, and pairs perfectly with idli, dosa, or rice.”

🥒 Surakkai Chutney | Bottle Gourd Chutney

A simple and flavorful South Indian chutney made with surakkai (bottle gourd), onion, tomato, green chilies, and chana dal. It has a wonderful balance of mild sweetness, tanginess, and spice. The final tempering adds an extra layer of flavor and makes this chutney perfect with idli, dosa, or even rice.

Ingredients

• Surakkai (bottle gourd) – 1 cup, chopped
• Onion – 1, chopped
• Tomato – 1, chopped
• Green chilies – 4
• Chana dal – 2–3 tbsp
• Ginger – ½ inch
• Tamarind – small gooseberry-sized piece
• Salt – to taste
• Oil – 4 tsp, divided

For Tempering

• Mustard seeds – 1 tsp
• Urad dal – ½ tsp
• Curry leaves – a few
• Dried red chili – 1, optional

Method

1. Heat 2 tsp oil in a pan. Add the chana dal and sauté until it turns golden brown.
2. Add the chopped onion, ginger, and green chilies. Sauté for a couple of minutes.
3. Add the chopped surakkai and continue sautéing.
4. Add the tomato, tamarind, and salt. Cook until the surakkai is about ¾ cooked and tender.
5. Turn off the heat and allow the mixture to cool completely.
6. Transfer the cooled mixture to a blender and grind to a smooth or slightly coarse chutney, according to your preference.
7. Transfer the chutney to a serving bowl.
8. For tempering, heat the remaining 2 tsp oil. Add mustard seeds and let them splutter.
9. Add urad dal, curry leaves, and dried red chili. Fry until the urad dal turns golden brown.
10. Pour the tempering over the chutney and mix lightly.

🍽️ Serving Suggestions

Serve this Surakkai Chutney with:

• Idli
• Dosa
• Adai
• Pongal
• Steamed rice

Tip: Since bottle gourd can vary in water content, you can adjust the consistency while grinding. If you want a thicker chutney, use very little water or none at all.