Parval Curry

Parval is the popular vegetable of the Northeastern part of our country. When we lived in Guwahati in the early 90s, I saw this vegetable for the first time in my life time. I learnt to shallow fry it as well. Though it somehow resembles ivy guard in its looks, the taste is different.  Only tender ones can be used to prepare curry though.  The little beyond tender ones will have small and hard seeds and will have to be removed before using for this dish. This simple curry is a recipe for starters.

What you need to have:

1. Chopped Parval – 2 cups

Fresh Parval Veggies

Pealed and chopped Parval

Ingredients of Seasoning:

1. Chopped Tomatoes – 1/4 cup

2. Mustard seeds – 1 Teaspoon

3. Cumin seeds – 1/2 Teaspoon

4. Asafoetida powder – 1 Teaspoon

5. Turmeric powder – 1 Teaspoon

6. Dhania-Jeera powder – 1 Teaspoon

7. Chilli powder – 1 Teaspoon

Ingredients of Seasoning

What you do with what you have:

1. Wash and peal Parval and cut it lengthwise as shown in the image above. Wash and chop Tomatoes as well and keep it aside.

2. Place a skillet with 2-3 Teaspoons of cooking oil in it on medium flame. When heated add mustard seeds to it. When it sputers add cumin seeds to it.

Seasoning Parval curry

3. When cumin also sputters add Dhania-Jeera powder, Asafoetida powder and chilli powder one after the other.

seasoning in progress

4. Add chopped Tomatoes from step 1 to the seasoning and saute for a while adding required quantity of salt. When done add chopped Parval from step 1 to it and let it cook for a while till it is smooth.

Chopped Parval added to the seasoning

5. Keep the lid of the dish closed till it is done. Ready to serve Parval curry is as shown in the image below.

Ready to serve Parval curry

How long it takes: 30 minutes

Number of serves: 2-3