Earlier this month, market stalls along the highway between Mysore and Coorg were laden with locally grown seasonal produce, including a variety of cucumbers.

There were dark green ones, pale green and white striped ones, and skinny, fuzzy ones an even lighter shade of green. All of these were arranged in neat pyramids, soothing to the eye and conjuring visions of cooling salads for the increasingly dry and warm weather ahead.

Between the harvest and replanting of a staple crop, it’s common practice to turn over part of fields to the cultivation of pumpkins , gourds, melons, and cucumbers. Quite a  Cucurbit family plot, so to speak!

One of my personal favourites in this extended family is  Bollari*, a pleasingly plump field marrow with flamboyant yellow, green and ochre striped skin and cool, crisp flesh. Unlike its more delicate cucumber cousins, it takes cooking to bring out the best in it. And it handles heat just fine,  holding its own and not falling to pieces even after a long simmering in a spice bath.

At home on a visit recently, I spied a cheery bollari in the vegetable basket, and decided it was time to revisit an old favourite, bollari barthad. This is a dry fried preparation with a hot, sour and sweet spicing.This is my favourite way to eat bollari, scraping the flesh off the thin, firm skin and enjoying the delicious medley of flavours wrapped around tender chunks of bollari.

* Mangalore cucumber or Madras cucumber

Bollari barthad

Dry fried Mangalore cucumber

• 1 kg bollari deseeded and sliced into 2″ chunks
• 1/ 2 tsp mustard seed
• 1 sprig curry leaves
• 2 medium onions, finely sliced
• 2-3 cloves of garlic, lightly crushed
• 1-2 green chillis, slit
• 1/2 tsp turmeric powder
• 1 tsp red chilli powder or to taste
• 1 tsp coriander powder
• 1/4 tsp ground cumin
• 2 tsp jaggery
• Salt to taste
• 2-3 tbsp oil

Grind together:

• 2 tsp thick tamarind extract
• 2-3 tbsp ground coconut paste

Rinse the chopped bollari to remove any sourness and stray seeds. Drain, then sprinkle all the dry spice powders and salt** over and toss to coat the pieces.

Heat the oil in a deep pan and sputter the mustard. Add the curry leaves, followed by the onions. When the onions have softened and are just beginning to brown, add the crushed garlic and green chillis.

Saute for a couple of minutes, then add the bollari to the pan. Stir to coat the pieces evenly, then add a 1/4 cup of water, cover and cook on medium-low heat for 10-15 minutes.

When the bollari starts to look transparent, add the jaggery. Cover and cook for a few more minutes.

Stir in the coconut and tamarind paste and sauté until any extra moisture has dried up.

**If you prefer the skin to be tender, add salt later, after simmering for a while and before the jaggery.

Thouté saaru

Mangalore cucumber, a Mangalorean way.

The second recipe, featured in the pictures, is one in the Mangalorean style, with similar spicing, but here the bollari is sliced thin and stewed until the skin is tender. The finished dish has a sauce that can be made to whatever thickness you fancy.

 

• 1 kg bollari deseeded and sliced thinly into 2″ pieces
• 2 tsp red chilli powder
• 1/2 tsp turmeric
• 1/2 tsp ground cumin
• 2 tsp coriander powder
• 1/2 small onion, sliced (grind the other half to a paste with 2 cloves of garlic)
• 1 green chilli, slit
• 1 tsp thick tamarind extract
• 2 tsp jaggery
• Salt to taste
• 3-4 tbsp ground coconut paste

Tempering:

• 2-3 tbsp coconut oil
• 1/2 tsp mustard seed
• 1 sprig curry leaves
• 2 cloves garlic, lightly crushed

Rinse the sliced bollari to remove any sourness and stray seeds. Put it in a deep pan, add 1 1/2 cups*** of water, and bring to a gentle simmer. After 15 minutes, add salt to taste and the sliced onion and green chilli. Continue cooking, adding a little more water if necessary, until the skin is tender.

Sprinkle on the chilli powder, turmeric, cumin, and coriander. Stir , then add the ground onion and garlic paste. Cook for two minutes, then add the jaggery, followed by the tamarind extract.

After a couple more minutes, add the ground coconut, mix, and simmer for a few more minutes. Taste for salt, sweet, and chilli. If it’s too spicy, add a little more coconut and jaggery.

In a small pan, heat coconut oil and sputter the mustard. Add curry leaves and garlic. When the garlic is lightly browned, pour the contents of the pan over the bollari.

*** Add more or less water depending on whether you plan to serve this preparation with rice or flatbreads.

That’s two delicious ways to cook a cool ( Or should that be hot?) cucumber! 🙂