Chayote squash masala curry is a simple easy Indian dish that can be made in under 30 minutes; perfect with chapattis, rotis, puris (all Indian breads) etc. or as a side with rice and dal. There are days when you want to spend less time in the kitchen but still need something healthy and quick for dinner. Seemebadenekayi or chayote squash is one such vegetable that can be cooked in no time!!! With just a few ingredients, you have a healthy vegetable curry for dinner or lunch.
I have used MDH brand Kitchen King masala powder (which I have in my refrigerator at all times) to flavor the curry with its mild but lovely aroma; no time spent on grinding fresh spices on this busy or lazy day!!! But if you do not have this masala powder, use equal amounts of coriander powder and garam masala powder. Spice it up the way you want it by increasing/decreasing the chilli powder. We like our curries very fresh and crunchy, so I have cooked it only for 5 minutes. You can make it with gravy by adding more water or prepare a dry curry. Either way, it tastes great with any Indian bread!! Other simple curries you can try are: Lobia masala curry, Aloo Tikka Masala etc.
Step-by-step method:
Wash, peel and cut chayote squash into tiny pieces. Cook Time: 8 minutes
1 seemebadanekayi/chayote squash 2 teaspoons oil ½ teaspoon mustard seeds 1 teaspoon urad dal/split black gram dal 1 teaspoon chana dal/split Bengal gram dal 2 to 3 dry red chilies, cut up ¼ teaspoon turmeric powder ¼ teaspoon hing/asafoetida powder 1 to 2 teaspoons jaggery/unrefined sugar/brown sugar (add according to taste) Salt to taste 2 tablespoons grated coconut
Instructions Notes Instead of dry red chillies, you can use ½ teaspoon of red chilli powder.
Heat a medium sized pan on high heat and add oil. Once the oil is hot, add the jeera. As soon as the jeera starts to sizzle, add the onions, garlic and green chilis (if using).
Saute on medium heat for a few minutes till the onions are translucent and soft. Stir in chili powder, turmeric powder and Kitchen King Masala powder and fry for a few seconds.
Add the chopped tomatoes and cook, stirring often, till the tomatoes are soft and the oil separates.
Once the tomatoes are cooked, add the chopped chayote squash and salt to taste. Mix well.
Add some water (just enough to make a gravy), give it a quick stir and close with a lid. Cook on medium low for about 5 minutes, till the vegetables are cooked, but still crunchy. At this stage, you may prefer to cook it till it is soft or turn the heat off when they still have a bite in them (the way our family prefers it). Remove from heat, garnish with coriander leaves and serve hot with chapattis, rotis, phulkas (Indian flatbreads) or even as an accompaniment with rice and dal!
