Mexican sour gherkin (Sandita) and baby potatoes in bagara masala gravy

Mexican sour gherkins have a name SANDITA!

Mexican sour gherkin are also known as mouse melon or melothria scabra. They are the size of large grapes, look like our kundru (miniature) or doll sized watermelons and taste like cucumber or kundru. This variety is not genetically-modified hybrid developed in laboratories! It is heirloom that has been grown and eaten in Mexico for centuries. A long-lost heirloom, cucamelon has only recently been rediscovered. Now, they are grown in USA and are available in farmer's markets etc during summer. Mexican sour gherkin is mostly used in salads, pickles along with pearl onions etc.

If you are looking for seeds to plant in your garden, you may have to look for "melothria scabra"

 

  

Google search provided some information about its availability in India, though I wonder if it is the same vegetable. Kachri or kachari is a wild variety of cucumbers, and grows wildly in Rajasthani desert. It is supposed to be sour to taste and kachri powder is used in tenderizing meat etc.

 

Last year it was planted in our yard and the fruits were eaten raw from the plant as snack! It almost looks like kundru and also tastes very much like kundru or cucumber. I wanted to make use of this vegetable in making Indian subzi. This year we got quite a few of cucamelons and I got to experiment. You may use the same masala as in the recipe for dondakaya kothinira karam kura also. I am inserting some photos of the climber etc for more information.

This time I made bagara style gravy for the subzi. I included baby potatoes also as both the vegetables looked similar in size!

 

 Sandita on the climber:

 

 

 

Ready for cutting:                                                                                       Cut only partially:

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

As compared to kundru you can see the size:

 

 

Ingredients:

•      1 cup sandita (Mexican sour gherkin's name)
•      1 cup baby potatoes
•      1/2 cup onions (diced)
•      2 pods garlic
•      2 inch cinnamon stick
•      3 or 4 choti elaichi (green cardamom)
•      2 or 3 laung(cloves)
•      3 Tbsp. oil
•      1/4 Tsp. turmeric
•      1 Tsp. dhania powder
•      1/4 Tsp. jeera powder
•      1 Tsp. chile powder (according to taste)
•      Salt to taste
•      Few curry leaves
•      Cilantro for garnish

Masala:

•      2 Tbsp. peanuts
•      2 tsp. sesame seeds
•      1 Tsp. poppy seeds
•      4 or 5 almonds (soaked and peeled)
•      3 Tbsp. dry coconut powder
•      2 Tbsp. tamarind paste

Directions:

      

1.       Clean sandita and slit them in half, while one end is not cut. 
2.      Roast peanuts in a pan without any oil.
3.      When peanuts are almost roasted, add sesame seeds. Sesame seeds splutter. Use some cover to avoid the seeds flying everywhere!
4.      Add poppy seeds and all the ingredients are fully roasted, turn the heat off.
5.      Add coconut powder.
6.      Add peeled almonds.
7.      Keep stirring for a few minutes.
8.      Let the mixture cool.
9.      Saute sandita in a shallow pan with a spoon of oil. (you may microwave for 2 to 3 minutes on high till they are cooked))
10.      Saute baby potatoes separately in oil. (you may microwave for 2 or 3 minutes till they are cooked)
11.      Set them aside.
12.      Grind onion and garlic to a coarse paste.
13.      Grind the roasted nut mixture with a little water.
14.      Heat oil in a deep pan.
15.      When the oil is hot, add cinnamon, elaichi and laung.
16.      Add curry leaves.
17.      Add onion garlic paste and keep stirring.
18.      When onion paste is translucent, add turmeric, dhania and jeera powder.
19.      Add chile powder.
20.      Keep stirring.
21.      Add cooked sandita and baby potatoes.
22.      Stir well.
23.      Add masala mixture, tamarind paste and more water, if necessary.
24.      Add salt.
25.      Let the whole mixture cook for about 10 minutes.
26.     Turn off the heat.
27.     Garnish with cilantro and serve.

Note: Adding baby potatoes is not necessary. As both the vegetables appear to be same size, they look good and of course, potatoes are hot favorites for a lot of people!!