Royyalu Beerakaya Kura // Shrimp and Ridge gourd Curry

Olden days are golden days. When I see these generation kids, I feel these words are absolutely true. Maybe our parents felt the same when they saw our generation. My mom used to tell me a lot about her childhood days like active all the day by climbing trees, playing games, roaming in the streets and studying when they were interested, going everywhere by walk or by bullock carts, as in those times there are only radios and no television all the adults used to sit after dinner and chit-chat enjoying the fresh air after long hard working day and  kids used to play in the moon light. I love to listen about my Mom's grand father and my Mom used to tell me about him, but I remember only a few thinks about him. He is a big non-vegetarian lover in my Mom's family and used to hunt quail/Kamju pitta with stones while they are flying and catch fish. He used to grow all kinds of vegetable and flower plants and rise ducks and hens and he love distributing the veggies, eggs and flowers to the people he knew all the way to his daughters home.

Coastal Andhra is famous for sea food recipes and Kalagalupu kuralu is common in Coastal Andhra whether it is purely vegetarian or non vegetarian. Kalagalupu kura means mixed curry of 2 or more vegetables OR one vegetable and meat or sea food. Coastal Andhra is also famous for sea food like shrimp, fish, crab. Mostly shrimp can be cooked with many veggies like Beerakaya/Ridge gourd, Vankaya/Egg palnt, Anapakaya/Bottle gourd, Bendakaya/Ladies finger, Mamidikaya/Mango, Mulakada/Drum stick......

Serves - 4
Ingredients:

• Shrimp - 1 lb
• Beerakaya/Ridge gourd - 1, Large (Peel the skin and chop into small pieces)
• Onion - 3, chopped
• Green chilies - 4, slit lengthwise 
• Ginger-garlic paste - 2 tsp
• Red chili powder - 1.5 tsp or to taste
• Garam Masala - 1/2 tsp or to taste
• Salt to taste
• Curry leaves - 1 spring
• Coriander leaves - 4 Tbsp, chopped
• Oil - 2 Tbsp

Preparation:

• Clean shrimp and cook in a pan by adding 1 tsp chili powder, turmeric powder, 1 tsp ginger-garlic paste and little salt until prawn are done and there is no water. (No need to add oil)
• To the same pan, add oil and heat it. When oil is hot enough add curry leaves, green chilies, onion, turmeric and little salt and cook till onion turn brown.
• Add ginger-garlic paste, red chili powder and cook for 2 minutes.
• Add beerakaya/ridge gourd and cook with lid on. Ridge gourd will oozes water which will be sufficient to cook it. (Otherwise add little water)
• When ridge gourd is done add prawn, garam masala and cook for another 2 minutes and switch off the stove.
• Garnish with coriander leaves and serve with rice or roti.