A healthy and nutritious Indian style Tinda Masala Recipe cooked in onion-tomato gravy for day to day cooking. Vegan and Gluten-free recipe!

Tinda Masala Recipe or Tinday also known as apple gourd is a vegetable that is cooked in almost every Indian household. Because of its appearance not many people relish this one. I have to admit that growing up, I too was in the same boat – a big no no for this vegetable. But over the time I have developed a liking towards tinde.

I was delighted to see tinde in our local market and after I got home with them, my kids started to bombard me with questions. “What is this and who eats these GREEN BALLS,MOM?? It was a Deja vu moment for me – the younger me, asking the same questions to my mom.

With a calm smile, I answered, “We are going to eat these”. And my ears were all ready to hear what was going to come next.. a big EWWW!! That very moment I knew, I had to prepare this recipe as per their taste buds. So Mom on a mission to make her kids eat TINDAY!! 😉

RECIPE DETAIL – Tinda Masala Recipe is a simple and easy vegan recipe that is cooked in onion-tomato gravy. I have used whole tinde for my recipe but they can be quartered or halved. Cooking time will vary as cut pieces will cook faster compared to whole tinde.

Prefer a thick gravy – add less water, same way if you like your gravy to be on a liquid-y side add more water. Adjust seasoning and continue with the recipe. Add or subtract spices as per liking – like it spicy add garam masala to the recipe. Sprinkle it with chopped cilantro leaves and enjoy with warm rice or roti.

Did my kids eat this dish?

Yes and no!!

Younger one was all up for a second serving but the older one just tasted one bite and was all done. 🙁 No worries, better luck next time. 😉

SAUTEING TINDA

Wash and clean tinday.
Peel their outer layer.
And using a sharp knife trim the top off.
Make an incision vertically...
And then diagonally, looking like a + sign.
Heat oil/ghee in a pan, add tinday to this pan..
Cover and cook for 6-8 minutes.
Until tinday are half cooked.
Remove from oil and set them aside.

PREPARING GRAVY

Assemble: rest of the ingredients.
And spices...
In the same pan heat oil, add cumin seeds and as they start to sputter mix in pureed onion along with ginger-garlic paste and homemade tomato puree.
Mix and saute for 2 minutes. Mix in chopped green chili and all the spices one by one.
Saute and cook until oil starts to leave the onion- tomato mixture. Add water..
Cover and cook for 10 minutes on medium low flame.
Uncover and adjust seasonings.
Add tinday to this cooked mixture.
Take some mixture and coat each tinda with it..
All done.
Add 1/4-1/2 cup of water to this mixture. If you like thick gravy add 1/4 cup of water but if you prefer diluted gravy add 1/2 cup of water.
Cover and cook for 8-10 minutes or until tinday are tender and soft. For me it was 9 minutes 30 seconds.
If all the water has dried out feel free to add some, adjust seasonings and...
Garnish with chopped cilantro leaves and....
Serve hot with warm rotis..
Or with warm rice.