Heerekai thove or ridge gourd thove is easy side dish goes well with rice, chapati. This is more like a dal with flavor from Ridge Gourd. EIther you can use toor dal or moong dal.

Try these  Rasam and sambar recipes

Moong dal saru / Rasam  

Ingredients for making heerekai Thove:

• 2 medium size ridge gourd/heerekai
• 1 inch ginger piece
• 1/2 tbsp salt
• lime or lemon juice
• chopped coriander leaves
• few curry leaves
• around 3 cups of water

To cook the toor dal:

• 1/3 to 1./2 cup toor dal / Togari bele
• 1/4 tsp turmeric powder to cook the dal
• 1/4 tsp oil for cooking the dal

For Masala:

• 1/2 cup fresh grated coconut
• 1/2 tsp jeera / cumin seeds
• 4 green chillies (more or less)

For seasoning:

• 1 tsp ghee
• 1/4 tsp mustard seeds
• 1/2 tsp cumin seeds
• pinch of hing

Method:

1. Crush the ginger and keep it ready
2. Wash the ridge gourd and peel the skin. Cut into small pieces
3. Cook this on medium heat with some water(may be 1/2 cup to 1 cup)
4. Wash and pressure cook the toor dal along with 1 to 1 1/4 cup water, turmeric powder , and oil on medium heat . Turn off the heat after 3 whistles. Let it cool
5. Grind coconut, jeera, chillies to a fine paste. adding enough water
6. To the cooked ridge gourd add masala, add little water and mix it well.
7. Once it starts to boil, add cooked dal, crushed ginger, and salt. mix it well and let it boil for 5 to 6 minutes. Add water if needed, The consistency should be like sambar.
8. After 5 to 6 minutes,.. add chopped coriander leaves and turn off the heat. Then squeeze the lemon /lime.

For seasoning:

1. Heat the ghee in ladle on medium heat. Once hot add mustard seeds, after it pops add jeera and hing. Turn off the heat
2. Add the seasoning to thove. Ridge gourd thove is ready and serve it with rice.