Ever opened the fridge and wished you had a quick, tangy chutney that brightens plain rice or dosa in seconds?
This Ridge Gourd Chutney (Andhra style pachadi) is exactly that — light, comforting, slightly tangy and garlicky, with a crunchy tempering that makes every spoonful sing.
What it tastes like
You’ll get mild vegetal sweetness from the ridge gourd, a roasted, nutty backbone from the dals and coriander, tang from tamarind, and a finishing pop from the hot tempering.
Make it when you want something fresh, comforting and ready fast. Try it — you’ll want to make it again.
A quick cuisine note
Ridge gourd (beerakaya / turai / peerkangai) is used across South India in simple pachadis and dals because it cooks quickly and soaks up flavors beautifully.
This Andhra-style chutney leans on roasted dals and tamarind to create a shelf-stable, travel-friendly side that pairs perfectly with rice and tiffin favorites.
Why you should make it
- Fast & low-effort: cooks in ~20 minutes.
- Light & digestible: great with hot rice, dosa, or idli.
- Nutritious: ridge gourd is hydrating and low-calorie; dals add a little protein/texture.
- Lunchbox-friendly: the tempering helps keep flavors lively for hours.
Ingredient quick-look
- Ridge gourd: soft body, soaks masala; mild taste that carriers spices.
- Chana dal + urad dal: roast to add crunch/roasted aroma and body to the chutney.
- Coriander seeds + cumin (tempering): warm, citrusy spice notes.
- Tomato + tamarind: tang and depth — you can tweak tamarind to control sourness.
- Garlic & green chiles: punch and heat.
- Rock salt: traditional mineral edge; adjust to taste.
- Tempering (mustard, urad, cumin, red chillies, curry leaves, hing, garlic): final aroma boost and textural contrast.
How to cook this
First, heat oil and roast your dals and coriander seeds until they smell toasty — that smell is your checkpoint. Sauté chopped ridge gourd with tomato, green chilies and garlic until the gourd collapses and the tomato breaks down. Add a little tamarind and rock salt, let the mixture come together and the raw edge disappear.
Cool slightly, then grind the cooked mix to your preferred texture — coarse for bite, smooth if you prefer a dip-like chutney. While the chutney rests, do a hot tempering: heat oil, pop mustard, let cumin and urad dal color, add curry leaves, split red chilies, hing and a few smashed garlic cloves. Pour that sizzling tempering over the chutney right before serving so the aroma blooms.
Pro Tip 💡: If your ridge gourd is watery, sauté it longer so the chutney isn’t runny. For a richer finish, add a teaspoon of sesame oil to the tempering.
What goes with it
- Dosa/idli/pesarattu
- Steaming rice + ghee (classic)
- Rotis or as a spread on toasted bread for a fusion twist
- Curd rice — use chutney sparingly as a side
How to serve
Scoop into a small bowl, drizzle tempering and serve warm or at room temperature. Garnish with fried curry leaves or roasted peanuts for texture.
Packing & lunchbox tips
- Cool chutney completely before packing to avoid condensation.
- Store in a tight container; it keeps in the fridge for 3–4 days.
- Pack tempering separately in a tiny leakproof cup and add just before eating to retain crispness.
Party / Bulk prep
Make the cooked ridge-gourd mash and the ground masala ahead of time and refrigerate. Right before guests arrive, blend and do a fresh tempering — you’ll have a table-ready chutney in under 10 minutes. Scales up well: multiply ingredients and cook in a wide pan so everything reduces evenly.
Other Related Recipes You Might Like:-
- Chammanthi (Coconut Side Dish) — classic coconut chutney — creamy, fresh and perfect with dosa/idli.
- Peanut Chutney — roasted nutty chutney with a smooth, rich texture.
- Mint Coconut Chutney (Pudina Pachadi) — cooling mint + coconut chutney — bright and herbaceous.
- Onion Chutney — caramelized, tangy onion chutney with a sweet-savory punch.
- Tomato Peanut Chutney — tangy tomato base with crunchy peanuts — great with dosas.
- Tomato Mint Chutney — refreshing tomato + mint chutney — zesty and aromatic.
- Bombay Chutney — bright, spiced chutney with Bombay-style flavors.
- Toor Dal Chutney (10 Minutes) — quick dal-based chutney — protein-rich and mildly spiced.
- Raw Mango Chutney — tart, tangy mango chutney — seasonal and punchy.
- Idli Sambar — (serve suggestion) classic idli + sambar pairing — ridge gourd chutney works beautifully alongside.
Ridge Gourd Chutney
Description
This Andhra-style ridge gourd chutney, also known as peerkangai pachadi, is a simple yet flavor-packed side dish that comes together in just 20 minutes. Fresh ridge gourd is roasted with lentils and coriander seeds, then cooked gently with tomato, green chillies, garlic, and tamarind for a perfect balance of heat and tang. It’s coarsely ground to retain texture and finished with a fragrant South Indian tempering of mustard, cumin, red chillies, and curry leaves. This chutney pairs beautifully with hot rice and ghee, but it’s just as delicious alongside idli or dosa. Quick, wholesome, and loaded with traditional Andhra flavors, this is the kind of everyday chutney you’ll keep coming back to.
Ingredients
For tempering
Instructions
Prep Work
-
Clean and peel ridge gourd
Wash ridge gourd, peel the outer skin and set peel and flesh aside separately
-
Chop the vegetables
Roughly chop ridge gourd flesh and skin, roughly chop tomato, peel garlic and keep green chillies ready -
Assemble spices and tamarind
Take chana dal, urad dal, coriander seeds, tamarind bits and rock salt in one place -
Ready tempering items
Keep tempering oil, mustard, jeera, extra urad dal, red chillies, crushed garlic, hing and curry leaves within reach
Method
-
Heat oil and roast dals & seeds
Heat the oil in a wide pan and add chana dal, urad dal and coriander seeds; roast on low flame until they are golden and aromatic
-
Add ridge gourd and roast
Add the chopped ridge gourd pieces along with the chopped skin to the pan, mix and roast briefly -
Add tomato, chillies, garlic, tamarind and salt
Add the chopped tomato, green chillies, garlic cloves, tamarind bits and rock salt; mix everything well
-
Cover and cook till soft
Cover the pan with a lid and cook on low flame for 15 minutes until the ridge gourd is soft and the water released reduces slightly -
Cool and grind coarsely
Let the cooked mixture cool completely, then grind it coarsely — the chutney should keep some texture and not be too smooth
-
Temper and finish
Heat oil for tempering, add mustard, urad dal, cumin, red chillies, crushed garlic, hing and curry leaves; pour this tempering over the ground chutney and mix well -
Serve
Serve the chutney warm or at room temperature with hot rice and ghee, or use it with idli and dosa
Equipment
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Nutrition Facts
Servings 4
- Amount Per Serving
- Calories 120kcal
- % Daily Value *
- Total Fat 8g13%
- Saturated Fat 1.3g7%
- Sodium 860mg36%
- Potassium 200mg6%
- Total Carbohydrate 8g3%
- Dietary Fiber 3g12%
- Sugars 2g
- Protein 3g6%
- Vitamin A 150 IU
- Vitamin C 10 mg
- Calcium 40 mg
- Iron 1 mg
* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2,000 calorie diet. Your daily value may be higher or lower depending on your calorie needs.
