Wash the tindora well, trim the ends if you need to, some ends are not tough so you don’t have to trim them. Quarter them.
Heat up a pan and add a few tablespoons of coconut oil. When the oil is hot, add 1 tsp mustard seeds. When they pop, add 1 dried red chile, ½ tsp cumin seeds, ¼ tsp hing powder, 1 large onion sliced, a little salt. A sprig of curry leaves, 1 green chile slit. Stir and cook until the onions are soft. Then, add one tsp of minced garlic and one tsp of minced ginger. Saute until golden. Add ¼ tsp turmeric, tbsp of ground coriander, ¼ tsp red chili powder. Make sure the heat is low so the spices don’t burn.
Stir for a minute and add one large tomato chopped, a little salt. Sautee this until the tomatoes are soft. Add the tindora, salt and saute for a minute. Add ½ cup of water, cover and cook for 15 to 20 minutes until the tindora is cooked. It’s a firm vegetable and does take at least 15 minutes to cook properly. They should not be crisp tender, they should be a little soft but not mushy. Stir occasionally.
Stir occasionally. 15 minutes later, add another sprig of curry leaves. My tindora will take another 5 minutes to cook. Taste and add more salt if you like. Get all the brown bits on the bottom. If your tomatoes weren’t very sour and the tindora needs a little sourness, take a small piece of tamarind and soak it in a little boiling water. Mix it up and use a tsp or two of the liquid towards the end of cooking. This is optional, you can substitute ½ tsp of apple cider vinegar if you can’t get tamarind.
I like to eat this healthy vegetarian dish with hot rice. You can also serve it with any kind of bread.