Sorakaya Pachadi (Andhra Bottle Gourd Chutney)

Quick answer

Total time: 30 min
Level: Easy
Servings: 2 servings
Ingredients: 10

About this dish

Sorakaya pachadi is an Andhra-style chutney of sautéed bottle gourd ground coarsely with urad dal, chana dal, green chili, and tamarind.

Brown the lentils and chili first, remove them, and soften the gourd in the same pan until lightly colored. Cool the ingredients before blending and leave a little texture instead of making a smooth paste. Finish by pouring over a hot tempering of mustard seeds, curry leaves, and asafoetida.

Ingredients (2 servings)

Ingredient	Amount	Unit
bottle gourd	200	g
urad dal	15	g
chana dal	15	g
green chili	15	g
tamarind paste	10	g
mustard seeds	3	g
curry leaves	5	g
oil	20	ml
salt	4	g
asafoetida	1	g

Instructions

Read the steps as a cooking flow: prep, heat, seasoning, doneness control, and finish.

5 steps

1

Prep

Peel the bottle gourd and chop it into 1cm pieces.

Roughly chop the green chilies.
2

Finish

Heat 10ml oil in a pan, add urad dal, chana dal, and chilies.

Sauté until the lentils turn brown, then transfer to a plate.
3

Heat

In the same pan, add the chopped gourd and sauté for 7 minutes until soft and slightly browned, then let it cool.
4

Season

In a blender, combine the lentils, gourd, tamarind, salt, and 30ml water.

Blend into a slightly coarse paste.
5

Step

Heat the remaining 10ml oil, add mustard seeds, curry leaves, and asafoetida.

Once they splutter, pour over the chutney.

Practical Cooking Checks

The cues that matter most while cooking.

Key technique: Nutty flavor of roasted lentils paired with tangy tamarind
Finish cue: In the same pan, add the chopped gourd and sauté for 7 minutes until soft and slightly browned, then let it cool.
Avoid this: Avoid blending the chutney into a super smooth paste; keeping a bit of texture gives a nice mouthfeel.
Substitution: Cool the ingredients before blending and leave a little texture instead of making a smooth paste.