Chef Kunal Kapur shares his signature turai ki sabzi recipe to try in summer: See step-by-step preparation

Turai is an underrated vegetable, feels chef Kunal Kapur. He highlights it in a comforting curry that helps the flavour shine through.

Summer is the season of simple hydrating vegetables, but not all of them get their due recognition, especially from kids and non-vegetarians. Taking to Instagram on March 29, celebrity chef and MasterChef India judge Kunal Kapur highlighted one such vegetable, the turai (also known as ridge gourd).

Kunal shared the recipe for turai ki sabzi, a comfort dish for desi homes. He described the recipe and the key ingredient in the caption, writing, “Turai has always been that sabzi most of us ignored growing up, but it deserves better. It’s simple, soft, and quietly comforting in a way that feels like home. There’s no heaviness, no overthinking—just honest flavours that come together beautifully. The kind of dish you don’t crave loudly, but keep going back to. Maybe turai was never boring, just misunderstood.”

The detailed recipe is presented as follows.

Ingredients for turai ki sabzi

• Turai, medium (tori / jhinge / ridge gourd) - 8 / 500 gms
• Onion, medium - 3
• Mustard oil - 5 tbsp
• Amritsari wadi, large (sun-dried lentil nuggets) - 1
• Mustard seeds - 1 tsp
• Cumin (jeera) - 1 tsp
• Saunf (fennel) - 1 tsp
• Garlic, chopped - 2 tsp
• Ginger, chopped - 2 tsp
• Green chilli, slit - 2
• Tomato, medium - 6
• Salt - to taste
• Turmeric (haldi) - 1 tsp
• Chilli powder - 2 tsp
• Coriander powder - 1 tbsp
• Garam Masala - a pinch
• Kasoori methi powder - a pinch
• Coriander, chopped - handful

Method of preparation

1. Wash and peel the turai lightly. Cut into small pieces. Keep aside.
2. Crush the Amritsari wadi into small chunks. Heat one tbsp of oil and lightly fry the wadi till golden. Remove and keep aside.
3. In the same pan, heat the remaining mustard oil till it reaches the smoking point, then let it cool slightly.
4. Add mustard seeds, cumin seeds, and saunf. Let them crackle.
5. Add chopped garlic, ginger, and green chillies. Sauté till fragrant.
6. Add sliced onions and cook till soft and lightly golden.
7. Add tomatoes, salt, turmeric, chilli powder, and coriander powder. Cook till the mixture softens and the oil starts to separate.
8. Add the chopped turai and mix well. Cover and cook on a low flame. Turai will release water—no need to add extra.
9. Once half-cooked, add the fried wadi pieces and mix.
10. Cook till turai is soft, and the sabzi comes together.
11. Finish with garam masala, kasoori methi, and fresh coriander.
12. Serve warm - simple, comforting, and full of flavour.

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