Heerekai Sippe Chutney | Ridgegourd Chutney | Toorai Chutney

Heerekai Sippe Chutney is a flavorful chutney made from Ridge gourd peel, coconut, red chillies and cumin seeds.

What's your pick with that hot Dosa on a Sunday morning? Chutney or Sambar?

If you just chose Chutney, you are gonna love this new flavorful fibre filled Heerekai Sippe Chutney.

If you chose Sambar, may be it is time you tried this flavorful fibre filled Heerekai Sippe Chutney.

See what I did there? *wink*

Heerekai means Ridge gourd or Toorai or Tori. It a long green vegetable with ridges running through its sides. Heerekai is one of the healthiest vegetable around. It isn't starchy like the potato or slimy like the okra or juicy like the cucumber. It is somewhere in the middle there, totally forgotten by many. You may also know it as Luffa and this is what a natural Luffah is made of. Heerekai is eaten when it is still green and not yet ripened. It is full of fiber and super low in calories. Win-win!!!

Sippe means Peel in Kannada. This chutney is made using the peel of the Heerekai and fresh Coconut. While the Heerekai flesh has a very neutral taste, it's peel is very Earthy in taste. To make this chutney, we first need to lightly peel the Heerekai and discard the "ridges". Once all the ridges are discarded, peel again to remove the dark green peel. This is what we will use in our chutney.

This peel is then cooked until it is slightly soft and blended together with cumin seeds, dried red chillies and fresh coconut to give an earthy fiber filled chutney.

I added a tempering of mustard seeds, urad dal and curry leaves because I am a big fan of tempered chutneys. You can skip this.

If you liked this, you may also like:

• Mint Coriander Chutney - A tangy chutney made using mint and coriander. Goes well with snacks such as Samosa and Pakoda or Chats.
• Red Chilli Chutney or Ranjaka - A super spicy chutney made from fresh red chillies. Goes well with Joladda Rotti or as a marinade.
• Heerekai Tove or Ridge Gourd Dal - A simple Dal or Lentil curry made using Ridge gourd.

Heerekai Sippe Chutney | Ridgegourd Chutney | Toorai Chutney

Heerekai Sippe Chutney is a flavorful chutney made from Ridge gourd peel, coconut, red chillies and cumin seeds.

Recipe Type:  Side
Cuisine:            South Indian
Prep Time:     10 minutes
Cook time:     20 minutes
Yield:                1 cup

Ingredients:

1/2 cup Ridge Gourd Peel or Heerekai Sippe
1/3 cup fresh Coconut
1/2 tsp Tamarind pulp
2-3 dry Red Chilli
1/4 tsp Cumin seeds or Jeera
3 tsp Oil (Optional)
1/2 tsp Mustard seeds(Optional)
1/2 tsp Urad Dal (Optional)
6-8 Curry leaves (Optional)
3-4 Tbsp Water
Salt to taste

Method:

Peel the heerekai/ ridge gourd. Do not use the ridges in the chutney, they are very hard and will not grind properly. Use the remaining part of the peel.
Heat 1 tsp of Oil in a pan and add the chopped peel. Fry for 1-2 minutes. Add 2 Tbsp of water and cover and cook for 4-5 minutes.
Allow the peel to cool.
Grind together the coconut, peel, cumin seeds, tamarind, red chillies, and using 2 tbsp water into a fine consistency.
Heat oil in a pan.
Once hot add the mustard seeds and let them splutter. Add the urad dal and curry leaves and immediately pour the oil on the chutney.
This tempering is optional. Chutney tastes good even without it.