Bharwan Tinde Punjabi Style

Bharwan tindas made with powder spices and thick gravy of coating consistency made from onions and tomatoes makes it a good choice for weekdays main course. It can be paired with dal, raita and chappatis. This Punjabi style dish will win the hearts of Tinda haters too. For Bharwan Masala Tindas, pick uniformed sized tender Tindas because there are seeds in mature Tindas which spoils the taste of it. 

It is a water rich vegetable and therefore keep your body cool and hydrated in summers. It increases urine flow and  helps in flushing out toxins from the body. It is also rich in fibre which helps in relieving constipation. It is perfect vegetable to beat the summer heat. It is good for diabetes and heart as it is low in fat. 

Though there are various methods to cook Bharwan Tindas, but today we are cooking it in a quickfix manner. Perfect for a busy day. A tasty dish prepared in a jiffy. 

We need

• 500 gm Tinda ( Apple Gourd) 

• 2 large onions finely chopped

• 2 large tomatoes 

• 8 garlic pods

• 1 tsp Haldi ( Turmeric Powder) 

• 1 Tsp Red Chilli powder

• 1 Tsp Garam Masala powder

• 1 Tbsp Dry Kasuri Methi.. 

• 1 Tbsp Zeera

• 2 Tbsp Cooking oil. 

• 1 Tsp of salt. 

Masala For Stuffing 

• 1" Ginger piece

• 1 Tsp Turmeric powder

• 1 Tsp Red Chilli powder

• 1 Tsp Dhania powder

• 1 Tsp Zeera powder

• 1 Tsp Amchoor ( Mango powder) 

• Salt to taste

Preparation. 

• Chop the onions finely

• Grind ginger and garlic to a paste adding a little water if required. 

• Make a puree of Tomatoes in a mixer jar. 

Here we go

1. For making Bharwan Tinda, the same size Tinda should be bought as then they will cook uniformly. Slightly scrap the skin of Tinda while holding the knife vertically. We have to only scrap and not peel. After scraping the Tindas wash them thoroughly removing all the dirt and grime. 

2. Make slits in the Tinda dividing them into four parts but be careful as not to separate the pieces from the base. 

3. Meanwhile in a bowl , mix all the powder ingredients which are listed under Masala for Stuffing.

   

4. With the help of a knife put this masala in the slits of Tindas, which we have previously created. If masala is left keep aside and use it in gravy later. 

   

5. Now Up goes a heavy bottomed pan or " Kadhai" On flame. When it is warm add 2 Tbsp of cooking oil of your choice to the wok. After the oil has heated add zeera to it and Let it splutter .Be Careful !it should not burn. When zeera turns brown add chopped onions and saute them  till light brown in colour. Time to add ginger garlic paste. Saute till fragrant. Add a little water to turn it into a homogenous masala.

   

6.  It is the time for tomato puree to go in the wok. Mix everything together. Saute for 2 minutes and then in goes Turmeric powder, salt, red chilli powder and garam masala powder . Keep on stirring till the oil separates.

   

7. When tomatoes are done add Tinde to it. Mix them well till every piece is coated with the mixture in the pan. 

   
   
   

8. Add 150 ml of water and cover the pan with a lid. Keep the gas on low flame. 

   

9. If Tindas are tender, it will take around 10 to 12 min to cook. Meanwhile if they dry up, add a little water to make gravy of coating consistency. When done sprinkle Kasuri Methi and switch of the flame. Serve hot with chapatis tandoori or tawa, choice is yours. 

   

Tips. 

Buy Tender Tindas as they are soft, seedless and taste better. Avoid mature Tindas as they have lots of seeds which spoil the taste of the dish. 

The gravy should be of coating consistency  . 

Be careful while adding salt as we are adding it twice. But as we are using whole Tindas, the quantity of salt used will be a little more. 

You can pressure cook it to one whistle. But then add only 50 ml of water before closing the lid. But I prefer to slow cook it in a heavy bottomed pan. It tastes better.