Ivy Guard fry - Kovakkai varuval

Ingredients:

Ivy Guard/Gentleman's Toes/Tindla - Kovakkai - 1/2 kg
Onion - Vengayam - 1 no.
Tomatoes - Thakkali - 1 no.
Red chilly powder - Milagai thul - 1 table spoon
Coriander powder - Dhania thul - 2 table spoons
Turmeric powder - Manjal Podi - 1 tea spoon
Hing/Asafoetida - Perungayam - a pinch
Salt - Uppu - For taste

For tempering:
Oil - Ennai - For frying
Mustard seeds - Kadugu - 1 tea spoon
Cumin seeds - Jeeragam - 1 tea spoon
Black gram dal - Ulutham paruppu - 1 table spoon
Curry leaves - Karuvepilai - small quantity

Method:

Wash and cut kovakkai length wise, slit into two pieces. Heat oil in a pan/kadai, splutter mustard seeds, black gram dal (Split), curry leaves, hing, then add onions, tomatoes, fry for some time. Then add kovakkai, red chilly powder, coriander powder, turmeric powder, little salt and fry for some 10 minutes till the vegetable is cooked well. Serve hot with any rice items. This can be served for 4 persons. Requires hardly 20 minutes to cook.

Note: Vegetable oil is good for health. Split urad dal can be used for tempering. Salt is not good for health, hence add only for taste.

Optional: Ingredients can be added or removed.

New Orleans food is as delicious as the less criminal forms of sin

Mark Twain