Chayote Gravy Curry (Chow Chow Gravy Curry)

Today, day 4 of BM# 5, I have a curry that can be made in a hurry in the pressure cooker. Chayote/ Chow chow/ Bengaluru vankaya takes a little while to cook on stove top, but takes just minutes to cook to tender in the pressure cooker.

I didn’t know chayote is a widely used vegetable in Latin American cuisine and it is also eaten raw in salads and salsas. Another thing that I didn’t know that even the root, stems and leaves of the chayote plant are edible. So there you go some wiki gyan to start a conversation at your next party.

Coming back to the curry, I used MTR brand curry masala that I bought recently and it gave the dish the bright orange-red color and subtle masala flavor that was not too over-powering. Dish was mild and not too hot which is how I like my curries, but my husband on the other hand prefers spicier dishes, so increase the amount of curry powder and red chili powder if you want a spicier curry. Also curry powder can be replaced with garam masala, Kitchen king masala would be awesome addition too.

Ingredients:
Chayote/ Chow chow – 2, peeled and chopped
Onion – 1 large, finely chopped
Tomato puree – ¼ cup
Red chili powder – ½ tsp
Curry powder (I used MTR brand) – 1½ tsp
Turmeric – ¼ tsp
Ginger+Garlic paste – ½ tsp
Cashew butter – 2tbsp
Milk – ½ cup (optional)
Salt – to taste

For tempering:
Urad dal – 1tsp
Mustard seeds – ½ tsp
Cumin seeds – ½ tsp
Curry leaves – 8-10

Method:

• Heat 1tbsp oil in a pressure cooker, add tempering ingredients and once the seeds start to splutter, add the onions and sauté until lightly browned around the edges, takes about 6-7 minutes.
• Add turmeric and ginger+garlic paste at this point; mix well and cook for 1 minute.
• Add tomato puree and cook for 3-4 minutes.
• Next add cashew butter, red chili powder, curry powder, salt and chopped chayote. Mix well; add ½ cup of milk or water, no need to add too much water since chayote gives out moisture while cooking.
• Close the lid and pressure cook on medium flame for 2 whistles.
• Once the pressure drops, open the lid and serve hot with rice or rotis.

Lets see what my fellow marathoners have been cooking up today.
Curry in a hurry under 30 min: Aarthi, Divya, Jayashree, Kaveri, Pavani,
Seven Days of Indian Sweets:Gayathri, Priya Suresh,
Seven Days of Microwave Meals: Monika,
Seven Days of Regional Specials:Harini, Vaishali, Suma, PJ
Seven Days of Colorful Dishes Kid's Special: Kalyani
Summer Coolers: Jayasree, Kamalika, Srivalli