Beerakaya Palu Posina Kura -Ridge Gourd Curry

Beerakaya Palu Posina kura is a low-calorie vegetarian dish from the traditional cuisine of South Indian State called Andhra Pradesh. Made with fresh ridge gourd and a splash of milk, this unique curry tastes good with rice or roti. Gluten-free and vegan options included.

Everyone knew about Indian curries that are served in Indian restaurants across the globe. Ideally are made with similar sauces and loaded with lots of butter and oils, ok I do admit they taste amazing.

But Indian subcontinent has 2 states and each region in each state boasts several cuisines which are unique in its own way. Every household has a unique way of making their curries. there are innumerable incredible curries that are never seen by the outside world coz Tikka masala took over the king place.

Let’s talk about this Beerkaya Palu Posina Kura(literally translated to Ridge Gourd Milk Curry) which is a fragrant light vegetable curry made of simple ingredients and minimal spices. This unique ridge gourd curry is a regular appearance in Telugu/Andhra and is part of traditional Andhra cuisine(a famous South Indian cuisine).

We normally don’t make curries with heavy sauces for regular everyday eating. All curries are made with minimal spices and using plenty of fresh vegetables. More importantly, garam masala is something we reserve for occasional cooking and never use it in daily dishes.

What is Beerakaya Palu Posina Kura?

In Telugu, Beerakaya means ridge gourd, palu is milk and Kura is a light curry. So this literally translates to Ridge gourd milk curry which I am not so happy translating and hence the traditional name Andhra style beerakaya palu posina kura in the post title 🙂

Check other Andhra recipes from the blog below

Kalchina Vankaya Pachadi

Pachi Tomato Pachadi

Ingredients for ride gourd curry

Ridge gourd – a gourd variety which is low calorie and full of nutrients.

Onions – form the base of the curry

Milk – you can use dairy or plant-based milk but dairy milk is used in the traditional version.

Green chilli , Chilli powder – Use either of these for a low spice preference.

Turmeric – which is a must for any Indian curries.

Mustard seeds, channa dal, uradh dal – is a basic tadka(tempering) for almost all indian household curries.

What makes this recipe ideal for weight loss?

Instant Pot beerakaya palu posina curry is a healthy dish and can be included in all weight loss and calorie counting diets.

• ridge gourd is a low-calorie vegetable that is extremely rich in dietary fibre and has a negligible concentration of saturated fats and cholesterol which makes it a perfect choice for weight-loss.
• Ridge gourd also contains a good amount of cellulose and high in water content that helps to relieve from constipation.
• And moreover, insulin-like peptides and alkaloids in ridge gourd help control blood sugar levels, hence maintaining body weight and metabolism in diabetics. Read here for more details.
• Also this recipe is made with using 1 teaspoon of oil for 4 servings and pressure cooked.

Include ridge gourd in dals, stews and chutneys as much as you like to make a low calorie meal,

Step by Step Photo recipe

Here am giving you a step by step recipe for beerakaya palu posina kura made in my instant pot(electric pressure cooker). But you can follow the same method for stovetop too with little changes in the time. I will give the detailed stovetop method in the recipe card below

Ridge gourd is a fast cooing vegetable so making this is a breeze and needs less attention too.

1 – Press saute button on instant pot and set the mode to medium(see notes). Once the display shows On, heat a teaspoon of oil and splutter mustard seeds, then add urad dal, channa dal and green chillies and fry for a minute until nice aroma comes.

2 – Add in chopped onions, turmeric and sauté until the onions turn truculent.

3 – Add in chopped ridge gourd pieces and mix well. Cook, it covered with a lid for 4 minutes.

4 – Add in red chilli powder and mix well.

5 – Add a splash of water(2-3 tablespoons approx) and mix well.

6 – Close the lid and cancel the sauté mode. Press manual/pressure cook mode and set the timer for 1 minute making sure the pressure valve is in the sealed position.

7- Once it indicates the cooking is done(displays L00), so a manual pressure release and add milk.

8- Cancel the pressure cook mode and press saute and set to medium. Simmer the curry for 5 minutes or more according to your desired consistency

Serving Suggestions

• Usually, Andhra style beerakaya curry is served with hot rice but I also eat it with hot Rotis/Indian flatbreads.
• You can have the curry on its own too and it tastes divine. Or pair it with rustic toasted bread. this is more like a chunky ridge gourd soup, if I may say so 🙂

Tips and FAQs

• Pick tender ride gourds for making curry, one can lightly pinch the tender vegetable with their fingernails.
• You can make this curry without adding milk also, just follow the same recipe and simmer without adding milk.
• Use semi-skimmed milk to keep the calorific value low, you can also use plant-based milk like almond and soy milk.
• Either use green chilli or red chilli powder to keep the spice level low.

What diets beerakaya curry is suitable for?

It is completely suitable for vegetarian and gluten-free diets, to make this vegan, replace the dairy milk with plant-based milk like almond or soy.

Storage Suggestions

• the beerakaya curry stays good at room temperature for 24 hours after which you will need to store in fridge due to dairy being used.
• This curry is suitable for freezing for at least a month provided you don’t use milk.

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