Majjige Huli

Majjige huli is a flavorful, mildly-spicy stew made using water-based vegetables cooked in a fresh coconut, green chili, and buttermilk base. It is a popular dish in the state of Karnataka.

Generally, we use Boodugumbala Kaayi/ Ash gourd to make this dish. However, one could use other water-based veggies such as squash, snake gourd, sambar cucumber, and even lady’s finger or bhindi.

Majjige huli is a perfect lunch or dinner dish that goes well with steamed rice and pickle or any dry vegetable curry. This simple yet delicious recipe of boodugumbala kaayi majjige huli is a personal favorite. I learned this recipe from my mom and now often make it on weekdays. And when I do, we eat this for both lunch and dinner. SO delicious! Now, if you got ash gourd at home(or not), you know another recipe to try with it, hehe. Continue reading to understand how to make delicious majjige huli.

Prep time: 20 minutes
Cook time: 20 minutes
Total time: 40 minutes
Yield: 4 – 5 servings

ingredients:

250g Ash Gourd, skin and seeds removed, then rinsed and diced
1/4 teaspoon ground turmeric
Water
2 tablespoons of cooking oil
1/2 teaspoon mustard seeds
1/2 teaspoon of cumin seeds
Hing or asafoetida, a pinch
One sprig of curry leaves
2 dried red chilies, split into halves
Buttermilk (150g yogurt/curd churned with 150 ml of water)
Salt to taste

For blending:
2 tablespoons of cooking oil
1 teaspoon cumin seeds
1-2 green chilies
1/2 tablespoon of rice
1/2 inch ginger
4 tablespoons of coconut, grated
2 tablespoons of chopped coriander leaves(Optional)

preparation:

1. Into a pressure cooker, add diced ash gourd, 3/4 teaspoon of salt, 350ml of water, ground turmeric, and pressure cook until one whistle or until ash gourd is soft and well cooked. Instead of a pressure cooker, you could use a regular pot too to cook ash gourd.

2. Blending: Heat 2 tablespoons of cooking oil in a saucepan. Once hot, saute cumin seeds, ginger, green chilies, and rice on low heat for 2 – 3 minutes(ensuring the ingredients do not burn). Allow the ingredients to cool and transfer them into a mixer jar. Into it, add grated coconut, coriander leaves, and blend into a fine paste, adding a little water.

3. Heat 2 tablespoons of oil in the same saucepan. Add mustard seeds and cumin seeds and allow them to pop and sizzle.
4. Add curry leaves, dried red chili, and hing. Then transfer the freshly ground paste of coconut, mix, and cook for 2-3 minutes.

5. Transfer cooked ash gourd and pour 100 ml of water( You could use the stock of cooked ash gourd too). Then stir in salt to taste, cover and cook majjige huli for 2-3 minutes on low heat until it starts boiling and thickening.
6. Add the prepared buttermilk into this boiling stew, combine well, cover, and cook on low heat for another 4 -5 minutes, allowing the flavor to get well infused into the cooked ash gourd.

7. Enjoy yummy majjige huli with steamed rice and a spicy pickle of your choice(optional).

note:

• You can tweak the quantity of each ingredient as per your taste and preference.
• Add water gradually while making majjige huli, as it might become too runny.
• You can skip adding coriander leaves while blending the coconut paste and use it only for garnish; This would give majjige huli a yellowish-white color and not greenish-yellow.
• Store majjige huli for up to a day in the refrigerator and reheat before consuming.