Choko Touffee (Chayote Squash Stir-fry)

Touffee is a mild vegetable dish from the fair isle of Mauritius; simply prepared with a bare minimum of spices. Touffee is a a creole culinary term meaning "smothered" or "stewed"; it is a contraction of the French word 'Etouffee'. Other veggies such as potatoes, eggplants, taro leaves and stems, etc. are also prepared this way. Sometimes onions, garlic, ginger, and tomatoes are also added.  This is Hema's favorite way to preparing "choko" or chayote squash :) - simply delicious!

Note:  Wear gloves or smear your hands with a little oil before cutting the chayote as this vegetable leaves a sticky film on your hands.  The film is not harmful and washes off after a while (if you forget to don gloves) especially when you wash the dishes :).

Choko Touffee

Ingredients;

1-2 Tsp oil

1 generous pinch Brown Mustard Seeds/Cumin Seeds
1 Tbsp Urad dal (optional)

1 hot Green Chile, end slit OR 1 dry Red Chile, broken into two pieces

2 Chayote Squash

1 stem Curry Leaves
1 pinch Turmeric
1/2 tsp Sea Salt

1/2 Lime (optional)

Method:

Wash, peel, rinse again to remove the sticky juices, and slice or dice the chayote evenly into bite size pieces including the seeds - the seeds are delicious!

Heat a kadai/wok and add oil, add the seeds and dal; when the seeds pop and the dal is pinkish, add the chile and cook for a few seconds.

Stir in the sliced chayote along with the turmeric, curry leaves, and salt; stir well.

Cover and cook over moderate heat stirring occasionally until tender.

Remove cover and keep cooking until the veggies reach desired softness. Fish out and discard chiles so that no one gets an unpleasant surprise of hot chiles!

Serve hot with a squeeze of lime juice with rice/roti, your favorite dal, and a salad or raita. Enjoy!!