Bottlegourd Stirfry

This is one vegetable that I have never had back home in Kerala, I have never even seen it in the Kannur market.In the US Indian/Asian markets it is available in abundance.This is one of my son's favorite stir fry's now.

Ingredients:

1. Bottle gourd - 2 medium sized peeled and chopped into 1/2 inch cubes
2. Garlic - 5 cloves crushed
3. Onion - 1 big chopped
4. Chicken Bullion cubes/soup cubes  - 4 (If you are vegetarian you can avoid this)
5. Chilly powder - 2 tsp
6. Coriander powder - 1 tsp
7. turmeric powder - 1/2 tsp
8. Sugar - 2 tsp
9. Vinegar - 2 tsp
10. salt -to taste
11. Mustard seeds - 1/2 tsp
12. Oil - 2 tbsp
13. Curry leaves - 1 spring.

Method:
Heat oil in a pan and splutter the mustard seeds.
Add in the curry leaves , crushed garlic and chopped onion and stirfry ntil it starts turning slightly brown.
Add in the chilly , turmeric and coriander powder and saute until the raw smell is gone.
Add the diced bottle gourd pieces and crushed chicken bullion cubes and stir well.
Add in vinegar and check for salt .
add salt if required - chicken bullion cube contains salt so you might not need to add any.
Cover and cook for 5 minutes - the vegetable gives out a lot of water.
Remove the lid and increase the flame to high and stir-fry until all the water evaporated.
Add in the sugar and stir-fry for another 10 minutes until the mixture is dry and starts to brown slightly.
Serve with rice or Roti.