Tindora Batata Sabji | Ivy Gourd Stir-fry

An Indian stir-fry made with ivy gourd and potatoes, this Tindora Batata sabji is perfect to serve with rotis, parathas or rice.

It comes together in minutes and needs only a handful of masalas.

Indian meals almost always have a dry vegetable served with dal, rice and rotis. The vegetable can vary from potatoes and tendli to cauliflower and cabbage; but is always present.

These stir-fry sabjis come together quickly, need only a handful of ingredients and are always delicious. Paired with various dals, it makes the meal full of texture and taste.

My mother and grand mother always made these as part of lunch and I have continued the same. Whether having it at home as part of lunch or packed in the lunch box, these work beautifully with rotis.

This post is about a popular Gujarati style ivy gourd recipe. While it is popular in our households, this recipe is not easy to find in restaurants or buffets. It is a cozy recipe that is passed from one generation to the next but not popular commercially.

What is Tindora Batata Sabji

Tindora, Kundru, Tendli, Kovakkai or Ivy Gourd as the vegetable is called is a tropically grown plant. It yields small long green fruits that may or may not have white stripes on them.

Africa and Asia cultivates this in large proportions and is used in numerous recipes. The raw fruit is green and that is the one that is popular in Indian cooking. Learn more about tindora here.

This when paired with potatoes makes a quick stir fry with minimal spices. It is delicious, easy to make and great as a side.

A Gujarati version that works for a meal or lunch box and even for meal prep, tindora is worth trying for sure!

How to pick and cut Tindora

For the recipe we use the raw fruit of tindora plant. The ones we use have to be green, firm and not with yellow or orange ends. The ones with colored ends tend to be ripe and full of hard seeds.

Pick the ones that are slender, long and not squishy. They will make the best sabji.

In order to prep the tindora, first wash and pat dry. Then chop off the ends on both sides and discard.

Cut the tindora in to half and slice each half. This 'chips' style cutting is popular in many households.

Another way to cut the tindora is to slice them into rounds like cucumber or tomatoes. This style works well too. Generally these slices are cooked with chickpea flour to make a delicious sabji with just tindora.

This Recipe of Tindora Batata Sabji

• Is super easy and quick. The only time consuming part is the chopping part. Once the tindora is chopped, the sabji comes together in 30 minutes.
• Can be made as part for meal prep or prepared the day before for lunchbox. It stays well for 3-4 days in the refrigerator.
• Is a great side with rotis, parathas or steamed rice. In fact, it is a favorite side in many households.
• Is a recipe popular in Gujarati households but not in commercial setups. This is still one of the lesser popular recipe outside the Gujarati community.

This recipe has been a regular in our household for years. It makes an appearance on our weekly menu and we enjoy it with steamed rice and Gujarati style Rotlis.

Video Recipe

Ingredients

Tindora/Ivy Gourd: Tindora is the first ingredient in the recipe. To make this sabji we wash, dry and cut the vegetable.

To cut, remove the edges and cut the tindora into half. Cut each half into thin slices. Make sure they are even size so they cook evenly.

I like to buy this vegetable from the store rather than online as I can pick slim tendlis that are not over ripe.

Potato: Potato adds a lot of texture and volume to the vegetable. I like to cut them slightly bigger so they do not disappear or disintegrate in the vegetable.

This can be skipped but I strongly recommend adding them as they tend to make the sabji interesting and amazing.

Spices: The spices we use in the recipe includes mustard seeds, asafetida and cumin seeds in the tempering.

Plus, we use the dry spices i.e. red chili powder, turmeric powder and dhania jeera powder.

These and salt and garam masala is perfect to season the sabji. Thus, we do not add any other seasoning to this stir-fry sabji.

Aromatics: I use curry leaves and green chili in the recipe. These are great for flavor. Skip them if you do not have them at hand.

Oil: Any neutral oil can be used in the recipe. I like to use olive oil or sunflower oil for this recipe.

I have not used ghee but a lot of folks do use it. Adding ghee will keep the recipe vegetarian but not vegan.

Step by Step Instructions to make Tindora Batata Sabji

1- In a pan heat oil. Once hot, add mustard seeds and asafetida. Let the mustard seeds pop.

2- Next add cumin seeds, curry leaves and green chili. Let the seeds pop.

3- Add the sliced ivy gourd (tendli) and mix well. Cover and let it cook.

4- Open the cover and add red chili powder, turmeric powder and salt. Mix well.

5- Cook for another 8-10 minutes. Then, add potatoes and garam masala. Mix well.

6- Cook covered for 6-8 minutes till the potatoes soften. Add dhania jeera powder and mix well.

7- Add lemon juice and turn down the flame. Season with cilantro leaves.

8- Enjoy with rotis or parathas and rice.

Tips and Notes

• Cut the tendli of even size to ensure they cook at the same time. The potatoes can be slightly bigger as they cook faster and will not disappear in the tendli.
• Adding ginger, garlic or other masalas does work too. I like to use just garam masala and basic spices for this recipe.
• The sabji can be enjoyed off the stove or later. Heat for a couple of minutes in the microwave or on the stove before serving. This tindora batata sabji works really well for meal prep. It is great for lunchbox too.

More Gujarati recipes to try

If you are a fan of Gujarati recipes or exploring the cuisine, I have some authentic and delicious recipes for you to try.

Gujarati Kadhi and Rice in Instant Pot: This classic combo is easy to make in the Instant Pot. It is perfect for lunch or dinner.

Handvo: A savory cake made using rice, lentil and vegetables; Handvo is another Gujarati classic. It is great as a snack, appetizer or a complete meal.

Rava Dhokla: A favorite breakfast, snack or appetizer, Rava Dhokla is something you HAVE to try. It is soft, delicious and really easy to put together.

Paatra: Another awesome Gujarati dish, this preparation made with colocassia leaves and spices, this Gujarati snack is addictive and easy to make.

This post has been updated from the recipe archives, first published in 2015.