Dosakaya Mukkala Pachadi – Yellow Cucumber Chutney from Andhra Pradesh

Dosakaya Mukkala Pachadi or Yellow Cucumber Chutney is a traditional Andhra recipe that is often served at weddings and religious occasions. It is easy to make; very, very healthy; and simply delicious.

It is called mukkala pachadi because unlike traditional chutney which is ground fine, this dish has pieces (mukkalu in Telugu) of cucumber. I like this pachadi because it is chunky and crunchy; so much so that I eat it as a salad.

You can also make Dosakaya Pappu with the Yellow Cucumber.

Ingredients

1. Dosakaya/Yellow Cucumber – 1 Medium sized ~ 250 gms
2. Minapappu/Udad Dal/Black Gram – 1 tbsp
3. Tamarind Pulp – 1 tsp
4. Red Chillies – 3 or 4
5. Turmeric Powder – 1/4 tsp
6. Avalu/Rai/Mustard Seeds – 1/2 tsp
7. Curry Leaves – 4 or 5
8. Oil – 2 tsp
9. Salt to Taste

Method

1. Peel the dosakaya and cut in quarters vertically.
2. Deseed the dosakaya quarters.
3. Cube the doskaya into 1/4″ pieces.
4. Taste a small piece to ensure that the dosakaya is not bitter.
   • If the dosakaya is bitter, soak it in some salt water for 10 minutes.
   • Wash clean.
   • Taste again. The dosakaya should lose its bitterness. If the bitterness remains, you have no option than to discard the dosakaya. 🙁
   • Now follow the rest of the steps.
5. Add salt, tamarind paste, curry leaves, and turmeric.
6. Mix well and set aside.
7. Heat 1 tsp oil.
8. Add the minapappu and fry till golden brown.
9. Add the 2 split red chillies and fry for 10-20 seconds.
10. Set aside to cool.
11. Grind the fried minapappu, red chillies, and about 2 tbsp of dosakaya pieces to a coarse paste. It should remain grainy.
12. Add the ground mix to the dosakaya mix.
13. Heat 1 tsp of oil.
14. Add mustard seeds and wait till they splutter.
15. Add to the remaining red chillies and curry leaves.
16. Fry for 10-20 seconds.
17. Add to the doskaya pachadi.
18. Mix well.
19. Let it marinate for about 1 hour.
20. Serve with hot rice or with curd rice as a side dish.

Tips

• Traditionally, we pound the fried minapappu and dosakaya pieces in a “rubbu rolu” or a stone mortar. I have said coarsely grind as a replacement for this step. However, if you do have a mortar and pestle, please do pound the pieces together.
• When I say “coarsely grind”in step 10, i mean just give it one whirr in a mixer. The dal should just shatter but not become a powder. This is close to the effect we would get if we pounded the dal in a mortar.
• If you want the pachadi to be mild, do not grind the fried chillies. Just add the whole to the pachadi.