Egg and Ridge Gourd Kootu

Ingredients

• 4 eggs, hard-boiled
• quarter kilo ridge gourd, chopped (பீர்க்கங்காய்)
• 1 onion, chopped
• 6 cloves garlic, crushed
• half a tsp mustard seeds
• 1 tsp cumin seeds
• 3 green chillies
• 2 dried red chillies
• quarter tsp turmeric powder
• as needed rock salt, curry leaves
• 2 tsp coconut oil
• 1 cup milk (பால்)

Method

1. Fry the whole boiled eggs in 1 tsp oil until blistered, then slit them and set aside.
2. In the rest of the oil temper mustard, cumin, green and dried chillies, garlic and curry leaves, then add the onion and ridge gourd.
3. Salt and let the gourd cook in the water it releases.
4. Pour in the milk and simmer to a kootu consistency, then add the eggs and cook 5 minutes on medium heat.

Adapted from பேலியோ ஆரோக்கிய சமையல் (Paleo Arokkiya Samaiyal) by Rtn Kannan Azhagirisamy, page 70. Method rewritten in our own words; ingredient quantities follow the book, with gram weights estimated for the nutrition figures. The book thanks the Arokkiya Unavugal (Healthy Foods) Facebook group and tamilpaleorecipes.com.