I love this one. Hirikai (Ridge Gourd) is one of the most frequently used vegetable in North Karanataka. We make Palle, Chatni with this and when we moved south, to Bangalore, we discovered more dishes, like Sambar. Bangaloreans use a more ripened version for Sambar, where as in North Karnataka, we prefer to use the younger version of the Hirikai. Below is the recipe for Hirikai Chatni, made of it's grated edges, not the whole vegetable.

Ingredients

• Ridge Gourd scrapes from the gourds (hirikai skin)
• onion - 1 small
• 4~5 green chillies or even Green Chilli paste can be used
• 1 teaspoon sesame seeds
• 7~8 Kotambari (cilantro) leaves
• 7~8 curry leaves
• 1 teaspoon oil
• 1 teaspoon cumin seeds
• 1/2 cup Peanuts
• 1 teaspoon tamarind paste
• salt to taste,
• few garlic cloves or even Garlic paste can be used
  
• 1/2 teaspoon mustard seeds
• A pinch of Hing (asafoetida)

Method

• Heat oil in a small kadai.
• Add cumin seeds, mustard seeds, and asafoetida and wait till they pop.
  
• Add Curry leaves, Chillies and Peanuts and stir till golden brown
• Add onion and scrapes of hirikai and roast
• Add garlic, coriander leaves, tamarind paste, and salt
• Put all this in a blender and blend to make a fine paste
• Serve with Joladarotti, Chapati or even Dosas