Kundru sabji recipe, called kundru ki bhujia or bhunjia in Bihar, is the perfect example of a North Indian stir-fried vegetable that is simple and requires few ingredients. At the heart of the dish is ivy gourd, or kundru, a small, cylindrical green vegetable with a mild, slightly sweet flavour and a firm bite when cooked well. Known as kundru in Hindi, tindora in Gujarat, and kovakkai in Tamil Nadu, this vegetable is one of the most widely cultivated gourds across India and one of the most underappreciated.
Mustard oil is an important part of this kundru sabji, which is a common choice across Bihar, Bengal, and much of North and East India. The oil is smoked (to lose its sharpness) before frying the ingredients in it. Cumin seeds go into the hot oil first, which crackles, then go in with the garlic and green chillies. This is the base of flavour for the otherwise bland kundru sabji, which absorbs it while cooking. The sliced gourd is added raw and tossed immediately in the spiced oil, every piece coated evenly in turmeric and salt before the heat is lowered and the pan is covered to let the steam do its magic.
The final step is to uncover the pan and stir-fry over high heat for the last two minutes for a dry-ish stir-fry finish. Kundru ki bhujia is not meant to have a sauce or gravy; it is a dry stir-fry, and its texture should have just enough char at the edges to give it depth without becoming tough. This is the bhunjia of Bihari kitchens: simple, aromatic, and cooked with certainty. Double or triple the quantity of ivy gourd, and the spice ratios remain the same; only the cooking time increases by a few minutes.
Wash the ivy gourd well under running water. Trim both ends. Slice each kundru into thin rounds or split lengthwise into halves depending on preference; rounds cook slightly faster and give a crisper finish, while lengthwise halves give more surface area to absorb flavour. Set aside.
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Step 2: Heat the mustard oil
Heat the mustard oil in a kadai or thick-bottomed pan over medium-high heat until it just begins to smoke lightly. This is important: raw mustard oil has a sharp, bitter edge that brief smoking removes. Once it starts to smoke, reduce the heat to medium.
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Step 3: Temper with cumin
Add the cumin seeds to the hot oil. Let them crackle and turn a shade darker; this takes about 30 seconds. Do not let them burn, as burnt cumin will make the entire dish bitter.
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Step 4: Add garlic and chillies
Add the crushed garlic and chopped green chillies. Stir and sauté for 1-2 minutes over medium heat until the garlic turns lightly golden and fragrant. The kitchen should smell deeply aromatic at this point.
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Step 5: Add the kundru and spices
Add the sliced kundru to the pan. Sprinkle in the turmeric powder and salt. Toss well to coat every piece in the oil and spices. Stir-fry over medium-high heat for 2-3 minutes. Then reduce the heat to medium, cover the pan, and cook for 8-10 minutes, stirring once or twice in between, until the kundru is cooked through but still slightly firm. Uncover for the last 2 minutes and stir-fry on high heat to dry out any moisture and give the kundru a slight caramelised finish.
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Step 6: Serve
Transfer to a serving bowl immediately. Serve hot with roti, poori, or plain rice and dal.
Kundru and parwal are not the same vegetable. Both look similar and are green, but the parwal is larger than the kundru and more watery than the latter.
Kundru is a low-calorie, nutrient-dense vegetable that is a good source of dietary fibre, essential minerals such as iron and potassium, and vitamins A, B, and C.
Kundru is the Hindi name for ivy gourd, a small cylindrical green vegetable also known as tindora in Gujarat and kovakkai in Tamil Nadu. It belongs to the gourd family.
Yes, any neutral cooking oil, such as sunflower or refined groundnut oil, can be used. However, mustard oil is what gives Bihari kundru ki bhujia its signature flavour.