Dondakaya Rice|Tindora/Ivy Gourd Rice

This is also called Tindora rice. This one pot meal is very easy to make and ready in 20-30 mins. I am showing how to make tindora rice in an instant pot. But this can also be made in a pressure cooker or an electric rice cooker.

I added Brinjals also along with tindora. It can be served with raita or yogurt.

If we have the masala on hand, this recipe can be done in no time. I usually make 2 to 3 measures of the masala at once and keep it in a clean and air tight glass jar or bottle and keep it in the refrigerator. So next time when I make the rice, it saves lot of time.

Tindora rice can be cooked in 3 ways.

Instant pot
Pressure cooker
Electric rice cooker

Tindora/Dhondakaya rice recipe

PREP TIME:10 MINS COOK TIME:20 MINS TOTAL TIME:30 MINS COURSE:MAIN COURSE CUISINE:INDIAN SERVINGS : 2

Ingredients

Basmati rice – 1 cup
Tindora – 10 to 12
Brinjal – 3
Cashew nuts – a few
Oil – 2 tbsp
Ghee – 1 tsp
turmeric – 1/4 tsp
Bay leaf – 1 sm
Cinnamon stick – 1″
Cardamom – 1
Cilantro – 1 tbsp
Salt – 1 tsp/as per your taste
Water – 1 to 1 & 1/4 cup for instant pot (or) 1 and 1/2 cups for electric rice cooker or pressure cooker

Masala ingredients

Red chillies – 5 (you can use byadagi variety for less spiciness)
Coriander/dhaniya seeds – 1 and 1/4 tsp
Cumin/jeera – 1/2 tsp
Grated dry coconut – 2 tsp
Cloves – 1 to 2
Oil – 2 tsp

For garnishing

Cilantro – 1 tbsp
Fresh grated coconut – 1 tbsp
Lemon juice – 2 tsp

Instructions

First take the basmati rice into a bowl, wash, fill water till the rice is completely covered and soak the rice for at least 20 min. Drain the water after 20 mins.
While the rice is soaking, we cut vegetables and prepare masala.
Cut tindora and brinjalas into long pieces.
Take a small pan with 1/2 sp oil. Once the pan heated add rechillies, coriander seeds, jeera and cloves. Roast them till they became fragrant and change color. Add grated coconut at the end and fry before turn off the stove. Take them in a plate and let them cool down.
Grind the above roasted ingredients by adding some water and make paste.
Take an instant pot turn the saute mode on. If you are using pressure cooker/electric rice cooker, just heat the cooker then add oil, and ghee. Once the oil heats up add cardamom,bay leaf and cashew nuts.
Then add ground masala, fry the masala for a minute and add tindora, brinjal pieces and fry one more minute.
Add cilantro, salt, turmeric and soaked rice, mix everything and fry for 2 mins.
Add water, mix. Check the taste by taking a spoon of water from the rice and adjust salt or spice if needed.
Close the lid. Cancel the saute mode and turn on Rice mode, check the whistle is not in vent mode for instant pot. and for pressure cooker, close the lid and cook it till 3 whistles, and for rice cooker, just close the lid.
Once the rice is cooked, let it stand for 10 more minutes then open the lid and give a gentle mix to the rice.
When serving, garnish the with fresh grated coconut, cilantro and lemon juice.
Serve the Dondakaya/tindora rice hot accompanied with raitha/yogurt and papad.

step by step photo instructions

First take the 1 cup basmati rice into a bowl, wash, fill water till the rice is completely covered and soak the rice for at least 20 min. Drain the water after 20 mins.

2. Cut 10 – 12 tindoras and 3 brinjals into lengthwise pieces. If the tindora is too long, you can cut them in half horizontally like shown in the pic.

3. Take masala ingredients. Fry 5 red chillies (I used 2 types of chillies here, top ones are spicy, and the bottom ones are byadagi, non spicy variety. You can take a few of each variety gives subtle spiciness), 1 and 1/4th tsp coriander seeds, a little more than 1/2 sp cumin seeds and 1 to 2 cloves in a small pan with 1/2 sp oil. Fry them till they are fragrant and change color. Add coconut at the end, before turning off the stove. Take them in to a plate and let them cool .

4. Grind the roasted ingredients and make masala. If you are making 2 or 3 measures and save masala for future use, don’t add coconut for the whole thing. (If you add the coconut, it will not give you longer shelf life to the masala.) except coconut, roast all other ingredients and grind, then keep the extra masala in an air tight jar and refregerate. Then add roasted grated coconut to the masala for your present use. Add some water to make a paste.

5. Take an instant pot, turn on the saute mode, add oil and ghee. Then add bay leaf, cardamom and cashew nuts.

6. Add ground paste, fry for a minute. Then add tindora and brinjal. Fry them for one more minute.

7. Add 1/4 tsp turmeric, 1 tsp salt, soaked and drained rice, 1 tbsp cilantro. Mix, fry 2 more minutes.

8. Add 1 and 1/4 cup water (1 and 1/2 for pressure and rice cookers). Mix and check the taste for salt and spiciness. Add them more if needed.

9. Close the lid and make sure the whistle is not in venting mode. It should be in sealant mode. (3 whistle if using pressure cooker). Turn on the rice mode.

10. Once the rice is cooked, let it stand for 10 mins. Then open the lid, gently mix the rice. Garinish with lemon juice, fresh grated coconut and cilantro.