Kovakkai Fry is a healthy side dish made by stir frying sliced tindora with spices and herbs. Kovakkai Fry is relished with rice meal and a healthy option for diabetic people. Learn to make Kovakkai Fry Recipe with step by step pictures.

This kovakkai fry is a great side dish for rice and even for chapathi. Tindora / Ivy gourd / Kovakkai makes only a rare appearance in my kitchen as both hubby and me are not a big fan of it. This is one of the easy and quick curry that you can make in a jiffy…Now lets get on to learn this easy kovakkai curry.
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About Tindora Fry
Kovakkai is also called as tindora or dondakaya. This kovakkai fry is one of the healthy side dish that you can serve with rice and sambar or even with rasam. I was not fond of this vegetable until I started making this fry. Do try this easy tindora fry and enjoy!
Tindora or Ivy gourd is a underrated vegetable as it happened with us also. Initially we did not like it but later knowing the health benefits I started buying it and now it has become a regular at home.

Kovakkai Fry Ingredients
- Tindora – You can add thinly sliced kovakkai or even cut like wedges.
- Onion – Onion is added for sauteing.
- Spice powders – Red chili powder and coriander powder is added.
- Masala paste – A masala paste is made using onion, tomato and fennel seeds.
- Tempering – A basic tempering is made using oil, mustard seeds, urad dal and curry leaves.
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How to make Kovakkai Fry Step by Step
1.Rinse tindora well, trim both the ends. Then slice it as fine as possible as shown in the pic, Set aside. Grind together onion tomato with fennel seeds to a fine paste, set aside. Heat oil in pan – add the items listed under ‘to temper’ let it splutter then add onion and fry till slightly golden.

2.Them add the tomato-onion paste along with spice powders and fry till raw smell of tomatoes leave. Then add the veggie and saute and cook for 2 minutes until the masalas blend well with the veggie. Add required salt.

3.Add water till immersing level and cook keeping it covered. Once it turns soft, let it cook for 3 minutes until the curry becomes dry. Switch off.

Serve with hot rice and any kuzhambu of your choice.
Expert Tips
- You can add a pinch of garam masala for extra zing.
- Instead of big onion, you can even add small onion.
- Slice it thin so that it gets cooked evenly.
- Choose nice green tindora not the ripe one.
Serving and Storage
Kovakkai Fry can be served with rice, roti etc. This curry keeps well in fridge for 2 days, reheat and serve it.

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📖 Recipe Card
Kovakkai Fry Recipe | Tindora Fry Recipe
Ingredients
- 2 cups kovakkai / tindora sliced thin
- 1/2 medium sized big onion
- 1 teaspoon red chili powder
- 2 teaspoon coriander powder
- salt to taste
To grind to a paste
- 1 big sized tomato
- 1/2 big sized big onion
- 1/2 teaspoon fennel seeds
To temper
- 3 teaspoon oil
- 1 teaspoon mustard seeds
- 3/4 teaspoon urad dal
- 1 sprig curry leaves
Instructions
- Rinse tindora well, trim both the ends. Then slice it as fine as possible as shown in the pic, Set aside. Grind together onion tomato with fennel seeds to a fine paste, set aside. Heat oil in pan – add the items listed under ‘to temper’ let it splutter then add onion and fry till slightly golden.
- Them add the tomato-onion paste along with spice powders and fry till raw smell of tomatoes leave. Then add the veggie and saute and cook for 2 minutes until the masalas blend well with the veggie. Add required salt.
- Add water till immersing level and cook keeping it covered. Once it turns soft, let it cook for 3 minutes until the curry becomes dry. Switch off.
- Serve with hot rice and any kuzhambu of your choice.
Notes
- You can add a pinch of garam masala for extra zing.
- Instead of big onion, you can even add small onion.
- Slice it thin so that it gets cooked evenly.
- Choose nice green tindora not the ripe one.
Veena Theagarajan
I just had it for lunch.. Yummy
Nupur UK-Rasoi
Once again, you have nailed the recipe Sharmi. With your step by step presentation and excellent pictures !!
Ramya Krishnamurthy
delicious curry
Hamaree Rasoi
Curry looks simply delicious and wonderfully prepared.
Deepa
AparnaRajeshkumar
u r adding water sharmi thats why it cooks less than 10 minutes otherwise it is one of the tough veggie to cook in oil 🙂 unless or until u pour more oil on that !
Manjula Bharath
wonderful step wise tutorial 🙂 and super delicious curry dear 🙂
Sheela Belin
Can u please specify the quantity of fennel seeds
Sona S
Delicious kovakkai curry.
dassana
Yum… one of my favorite veggies.
Maha
I am a great fan of your recipes an your blog is my first stop whenever I want to check for one. This time it was for veg cutlet 🙂
Btw, wanted to share my mom's recipe for kovakkai which I love! Pressure cook kovakkai with onions, chilli powder and salt (you can also cook it on stove, but pressure cooking makes the job easier). Once cooked, lightly fry it just to absorb water and add pottu kadalai powder and fry it well. The pottu kadalai powder renders a different yummy taste to the veggie 🙂
Pavithra
Hubby loved this. Thanks Sharmi.