Maharashtrian Tendli Bhaat | Ivy Gourd Rice (No Onion No Garlic)

Sharing is caring!

Tendli or Tondli Masale Bhaat is a traditional Maharashtrian no onion no garlic one pot meal. This Maharashtrian Tendli bhaat is typically made during gatherings or special occasions. Generally served with a dollop of ghee and accompanied by solkadhi (Kokum Beverage) or taak (Buttermilk).

A little about Tendli

Tendli or Tondli means Ivy Gourd in English. Also known as scarlet gourd, Tindora, Kowai fruit, Dondakaya Avakaya, kovakkai etc etc. It grows primarily in tropical climates and is very commonly found in India. There are a lot of recipes of this Tendli. Eaten as a curry, dry sabji, pickles or even deep fried along with a few spices.

Tendli are best when they are firm, young and immature. The flesh inside should be white and seeds small. Mature tendli tend to be a bit soft, the flesh turns a bit pinkish colour and they are more sweeter in taste. Wash them nicely as they tend to accumulate dirt. Each and every piece should be given a nice rub so that the dirt is removed. Pat dry them with a clean towel. The top and the bottom ends should be sliced off and discarded. One can chop them lengthwise or in small circle as they wish.

I do not get good Tendli here or generally it happens that whenever I go for grocery shopping I end up finding the mature ones. So I do not buy them. But this time my local grocery had some fresh tendli and I was sure if they get it at all, I am going to buy it straigtaway. Why?

Why I am making Maharashtrian Tendli Bhaat?

I have not eaten this for ages now and secondly this month the letter was I for our facebook group A-Z Recipe Challenge . The group is managed by Jolly Makkar from Homemade Recipes and Vidya Narayan from Masala Chilli. We do need to cook a dish with an ingredient that begins with I. Letter “I” is a bit difficult. Very few ingredients to choose from and I was sure I was going to prepare something from Iceberg Lettuce, as that is commonly available here. But god had other plans, and Ivy gourd came to my rescue on time.

Maharashtrian Tendli Bhaat Recipe

Maharashtrian tendli bhaat comes in very quickly and can be done under 30 minutes. It does not uses any onion and garlic, just a few masala’s and you are done. One can use goda masala but the taste of this masala bhat with freshly grounded masala is completely different. Also typically dry coconut is used for the masala but I have used desiccated as I did not had dry coconut. Ambemohar the fragrant rice is typically used for this preparation but you can use any rice which is not sticky. I have used basmati rice.

Ingredients

For the Masala (Spice Mix)

• 2 tbsp Desicatted Coconut/Dry coconut
• 1 tbsp Coriander Seeds
• 4-5 Black peppercorns (Kali Mirch)
• 1 Black Cardamom (Elaichi)
• 3-4 Cloves (Lavang/Long)
• 1 tsp Cumin Seeds (Jeera)
• 1/4 inch Cinnamon Stick (Dalchini)

For Tendli Masale Bhaat

• 1 Cup Rice
• 100 gms Tendli/Tondli/Ivy Gourd
• 2 tbsp Oil
• 1 tsp Mustard Seeds (Rai)
• a pinch of Gluten Free Asafoetida (Hing)
• 2-3 tbsp or 7-8 Broken Cashew (Kaju)
• 8-10 Curry leaves
• 1/4 Cup Fresh Grated Coconut + Extra for Garnish
• Chopped Coriander for Garnish
• 1/4 tsp Turmeric (Haldi)
• Salt to taste
• 1+3/4 -2 Cups Water

Preparation

Masala (Spice Mix)

• Dry roast the ingredient one by one on slow until fragrant or they change colour.
• Let this cool completely.
• Grind it into a fine powder.

Tendli Masale Bhat

• Wash and Soak the rice for 20-30 minutes.
• In a pressure cooker, add the oil.
• Once hot add in the asafoetida and mustard seeds.
• Let the mustard seeds crackle. Now add in the curry leaves and cashew.
• Stir fry it for 8-10 seconds until the cashew starts changing colour.
• Now add in the fresh coconut, tendli and give a quick mix.
• Add in the rice, freshly grounded masala and salt.
• Mix in everything very gently so that the masala is coated nicely. Be gentle or else you will break the rice.
• Let this cook for a minute or two. This helps in the masala getting cooked and also getting it coated to the rice.
• Now add in 1+3/4 or 2 cups of Water (Depending on your rice).
• Give everything a quick mix and pressure cook for 1-2 whistle or as per your pressure cook setting.
• Once the pressure settles , serve it garnished with some fresh coconut and coriander. One can add a dollop of ghee too and enjoy.

Notes

• 1 Cup = 240 ml, 1 tbsp = 15 ml, 1 tsp = 5 ml
• Asafoetida (Hing) powder available in shops contains wheat and is not gluten free. Gluten intolerant people can either skip completely or opt for Gluten Free Asafoetida (Hing)

Few more No Onion No Garlic Rice Recipes on my blog:

Tried this recipe? Please comment and rate the recipe. Share your pics and tag us.

Subscribe to my email list to get the new recipes straight into your mailbox.

Disclaimer & Privacy Policy

Sharing is caring!