Google
 

November 2, 2008

Bengaloor Katrikkai (Chowchow) Thuvayal





As a child, teen or young adult, I ate everything that Amma cooked at home. For years, I cooked only a certain set of vegetables. That set comprised cauliflower, peas, potatoes, beans, carrots, capsicum, corn, baby corn, spinach and broccoli. This year, I experimented with loads of new vegetables. Tori, Tinda, Raw Jackfruit, Cluster Beans, Bitter Gourd and many more. During one trip to the INA Market, I found this vegetable that I hadn't eaten in about 5 years: Chowchow, Marokkai, Vilayat Vaingan or Bengaloor Katrikkai. The vegetable, known as the Chayote Squash, looks like this (courtesy Google Images):


I bought a couple right away. Peeled and chopped them at the first available opportunity and put them away in freezer bags. This is a vegetable I ate, but never relished. So, I never thought of buying it as I didn't really miss the vegetable. A few days later, I was chatting with my classmate and friend of many, many years one afternoon about what we had eaten for lunch that day. She said, "Chowchow kootu" and I told her, "I plan to make that soon. I even ready chopped vegetable at home." She suggested that I make a thogayal/pachadi as S would probably like it. I tried it that very day and it turned out just great. I know I will make this often. Thanks A. This is one way that I would eat this vegetable without complaining.


1 cup Bengaloor Katrikkai, peeled and diced

2 tsp Oil

3-4 Red Chillies

2 tsp Urad Dal

1/2 tbsp Tamarind paste

Salt to taste


For the tempering:

1 tsp Oil

1/2 tsp Mustard Seeds

1/2 tsp Urad Dal

1/4 tsp Asafoetida

7-8 Curry Leaves



Heat one teaspoon of oil in a pan and add the diced vegetable. Saute for a couple of minutes and cover and cook for 5-7 minutes. Keep aside.


In a small pan, heat the other teaspoon of oil and add the urad dal. When it turns slightly brown, add the red chillies and fry for a minute. Grind this along with the tamarind paste, salt, and sauteed vegetable.


In a frying ladle, heat the oil for the tempering. Add the urad dal and mustard. When the mustard splutters, add the asafoetida and curry leaves. Add this to the ground paste.


We had this with some steaming hot rice and although I had intended this as a side, that's about all I ate that evening.



Do check out my fellow marathon runners on day 2 of the marathon:

My fellow runners are:
1)
DK

2) Siri

3) Srivalli

4) Ranji

5)PJ

6)Curry Leaf

7)Medha

8)Priya

9)Bhawna

10)Raaji

11)Ruchii

12)Anu

13)Kamala

14)Roopa

15)Divya Kudua

16)Rekha

17)Divya M

18)Lakshmi

23 comments:

amna said...

Oh this is a new use for chow chow. I only use it to make koottu or in sambar

Raaga said...

Oh yeah Nags... I was so taken in with the new idea that I made it that very day. Believe me when I say it is finger licking good!

Bhawana said...

wow good one again. u r great.

Srivalli said...

Thats really so innovative raaga...good to have you running the marathon!

raaji said...

Hi Raaga,
Nice to meet u thr this RM.
Lovely chowchow recipe.....never ever tried this before...must find where i can get that.....
looking forward for ur daily recipes....

CurryLeaf said...

Lovely ,Its nice to run the RM with you and looking forward to all your recipes,some older ones are already bookmarked and I was wondering where u were when u too a break :)

Deepthi Shankar said...

looks nice .. new dish for me .. good luck with the marathon

Unknown said...

I use chayote on daily basis, never made chutney with that. something new to try. nice recipe.

Unknown said...

Hey nice entry! I have never tried choyote. I see them in indian stores, next time I will try it :)Nice running with you for Marathon :)

Siri said...

I didn't lay my hands on Chow Chow yet Raaga..:). I got some yellow squash this weekend. still wondering what to make with that. the thuvayal looks yummy!

Hugs,
Siri

kamala said...

I ceme to know some veg.only after the marriage..Chow chow is one ampng them..I made only kootu with this..Nice thuvayal..Nice to run with you Raaga

Priya Suresh said...

Hi raaga...Happy to run along with u in RM #2..thuvayal looks fabulous, i never tried thuvayal with chowchow..will give a try soon..

Kalai said...

I love this thuvaiyal! I've made a version of this several times and it was love at first bite! Posted it a while back. Delicious, Raaga! :)

Sig said...

For the longest time, I didn't know chow chow was a type of squash till I read about it in some blog! I have only heard of chow chow bath before! I still haven't tried this vegetable... Love your picture of the veggie...

Divya Kudua said...

Chow chow..hmm...have avoided buying that veggie...dont know why..you are tempting me to try it...great to run with u in the marathon!!

Unknown said...

yum yum you tempting me yaar to day is my fasting hummm looks yummy wel come to marathon dear

Vijitha said...

Looks lovely!! nice post.....i have bookmarked this page.

Jayashree said...

Nice, new way of using up chow-chow.

Arundathi said...

believe it or not, i love chowchow - people think i'm crazy - thanks for the recipe. sounds delicious..

Kitchen Chronicles said...

Nice i also make thuvaiyals using chow-chow. then the name bengaluroo katrikkai for chow-chow is new to me.

Medhaa said...

I would never eat this as a kid but love it now. But sad part I have to travel 2 hours to get these so get them only when I go there.

Laavanya said...

I had no idea that a thovaiyal could be made... i always make kootu or pitlai

Pavithra Kodical said...

Yummy chutney..This goes well with dosa..My mom used to make chow chow chutney and we used to eat it with hot rice :)