Simple and no-frill ivy gourd stir fry or kovakkai poriyal/kari as we say in Tamil – a perfect everyday curry that pairs well with rice! Learn how to make this simple curry in a cast iron pan with detailed step-wise pictures.

easy kovakkai poriyal cooked and served in cast iron pan placed on red mat

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Easy side dish for rice
Chop the ivy gourd ahead
Ingredients required
Dietary specifications
How to make kovakkai poriyal
Recipe notes
Explore other ivy gourd recipes
📖 Recipe

Easy side dish for rice

If you follow me on Instagram, you all know how the typical meal looks in our household. It’s mostly rice or grain with rasam/sambar/kuzhambu and kootu, a gravy or with poriyal, a dry curry. And this kovakkai(Tamil word for ivy gourd) poriyal is one of the typical dry curries we make. I atleast make this four to five times a month.

Guess what? Back in Periyakulam, my native, it is hard to find kovakkai. I would rather say you can’t find kovakkai. I grew up eating it only during summer in Chennai at my grandma’s place. It’s one of my favorite veggies, and I was super glad to find them here in Indian groceries. It’s the very first vegetable that I cooked in my kitchen here in the US. :-)

Ok, enough of personal stories. As I mentioned before, it’s a no-frill and straightforward recipe. It’s a no-onion, no-garlic, and no-coconut recipe. The vegetable tastes excellent on its own without any other additional ingredients.

I love making it in a cast iron pan as it gives that nice crunch. It’s a perfect one-pan recipe that you can prepare in less than 30 minutes. Wait, I do not include the chopping time here. It does take some time to chop.

Chop the ivy gourd ahead

If there is one vegetable that I recommend chopping well ahead, it would be the ivy gourd. Clean the ivy gourd, pat them dry and trim the edges. Either chop them lengthwise or in rounds, store them in a ziplock bag or air-tight container, and refrigerate. Chopped ivy gourd stays good for 5 to 6 days. For this recipe, I went with the lengthwise cut.

Ingredients required

To Temper: I went with mustard seeds, urad dal, and chana dal along with hing. You can add cumin seeds, too, or skip urad dal and chana dal, and add cumin seeds along with mustard seeds. You can use the oil of your choice.

Ivy gourd: It’s the key ingredient. Try to pick tender ones. Rinse them thoroughly and trim the edges, and cut them as per your preference. Don’t use the ripe ones for this poriyal. You can use it to make chutney.

Spice: I used red chili powder for this curry, but you can also use sambar powder or rasam powder. We also need a small amount of ground turmeric.

Rice flour: Rice flour is optional, but I highly recommend it as it helps with a crispier texture.

Apart from these ingredients, we need water and salt.

Dietary specifications

This kovakkai poriyal is a vegan curry naturally. Use gluten-free asafoetida for a gluten-free version, or skip it.

You can serve this with any rice-based dish or even with roti. But we prefer it with rice.

I haven’t stored this poriyal beyond one day. I always make the required amount and use it within a day or two. Refrigerate the extra and reheat the required portion before serving. But refrigerated curry loses its crispiness.

Now without any further ado, let’s see how to make this kovakkai poriyal. Please check the recipe notes section for the microwave option.

How to make kovakkai poriyal

Heat the cast iron pan and add the oil. Add the mustard seeds, urad dal, chana dal, and asafoetida when the oil is hot. Let the mustard seeds splutter.

Now add the chopped ivy gourd, salt, turmeric powder, and red chili powder.

Sprinkle 1 to 2 tsps of water and mix well. Do not add more water.

Cover and cook for 5 minutes.

After 5 minutes, remove the lid. Mix well. Here is how it looks.

Reduce the heat to medium-low and cook for 10 to 12 minutes. Keep stirring for every two to three minutes. Please do not leave it unattended.

After about 12 minutes, add the rice flour and mix.

Cook again for 3 to 4 minutes until the ivy gourd crisps up. For a crispier version, reduce the heat to low and cook for a longer time. But I cooked it over medium-low heat for 4 minutes. Turn off the heat and serve warm with rice and sambar/kuzhambu/rasam or with a variety rice of your choice.

Recipe notes

You can also microwave the chopped ivy gourd for 8 to 10 minutes to speed up the process. In that case, don’t cover and cook. Add the spices and cook for 10 to 12 minutes till the moisture is all gone, and ivy gourd turns crispy.
We love the light brown/black crust on our ivy gourd. It tastes so good, and it’s the magic of slow cooking in a cast iron pan. After covering and cooking the ivy gourd, reduce the heat to medium-low and do not cook in high heat.
As always, adjust the spices and salt to taste.
Use tender ivy gourd for best results. Do not use the ripe ones.
Do not use more water while cooking the vegetable. It makes it mushy. We want soft, tender ivy gourd with a crunch.

ivy gourd curry served in the cast iron pan placed on red mat

Explore other ivy gourd recipes

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If you try this kovakkai poriyal, please don’t forget to comment and rate this recipe. If you have any questions, please leave a comment, and I will get to it ASAP. Make sure to follow me on my Pinterest or Instagram or join my Facebook Group for recipe updates and simple Indian meal ideas.