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Indian

Duck curry with ash gourd

Non-vegetarian

Duck slow-cooked with onion, ginger, garlic and spices until rich, then simmered with chunks of ash gourd that soak up the gravy. A festive Assamese dish.

Duck curry with ash gourd is an Indian curry, ready in about 2 hours and made with duck (pieces) and ash gourd (winter melon). It serves 4 and is rated intermediate to cook.

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Prep
20 min
Cook
1 h 40 min
Total
2 h
Serves
4
Level
Intermediate
Calories
432

Ingredients

4 servings

Equipment

Method

  1. Step 1

    Rub the duck (opens in a new tab) with the turmeric (opens in a new tab) and 1 tsp salt. Sear the pieces skin-side down in a dry heavy pot until the fat renders; pour off most of the rendered fat.

    Food safety: Wash hands and boards after handling raw poultry.

    Meat searing in a hot pan
    How it looks · Photo: Skylar Kang on Pexels

  2. Step 2

    Add the mustard oil (opens in a new tab), bay leaves (opens in a new tab), cardamom (opens in a new tab) and cinnamon (opens in a new tab), then the onions (opens in a new tab), and fry until golden brown.

    • 10 min
    • medium heat
    Onions frying golden in a pan
    How it looks · Photo: Magda Ehlers on Pexels

  3. Step 3

    Add the garlic (opens in a new tab), ginger, green chillies, cumin (opens in a new tab), coriander, chilli and pepper (opens in a new tab) and fry, stirring, until the duck (opens in a new tab) is well coated and the masala smells cooked.

    • 8 min
    • medium heat

  4. Step 4

    Pour in the water, cover and simmer until the duck (opens in a new tab) is tender.

    • 55 min
    • low heat

  5. Step 5

    Add the ash gourd (opens in a new tab) and remaining salt and simmer until the gourd is translucent and soft. Stir in the garam masala (opens in a new tab).

    • 17 min
    • medium-low heat

    Food safety: Duck must be cooked through and piping hot (at least 74 °C).

    A curry simmering in a pot
    How it looks · Photo: Bachir Mamud on Pexels

About this dish

Origin
Assam, India · Well documentedPopular at Bihu and other celebrations.More food from India
Dish
Lunch · Dinner · Curries · Main courses
Cooking method
Braised, Simmered
Taste
rich, savoury, peppery, spicy (chilli heat)
Diet
No gluten ingredients · Dairy-free · No nut ingredients · Low-carb · High-protein
All labelsNon-vegetarian · Whole-food focused · Paleo-style · No gluten ingredients · Dairy-free · Egg-free · No nut ingredients · No added sugar · Alcohol-free · Pork-free · Beef-free · Low-carb · High-protein · Carb-conscious · Calorie-conscious
Worked out from the ingredients. How labels work
Good for
Festive & celebration · One-pot
Cook more with
Duck (pieces) · Ash gourd (winter melon) · Turmeric · Mustard oil · Bay leaves · Cardamom
Techniques
Searing · Simmering · Braising

Allergens

  • Contains, can be adapted: Mustardfrom mustard oil

Based on typical versions of these ingredients and not verified allergen-free. Brands differ and cross-contact happens, so always check labels. For severe allergies, follow your clinician’s advice.

Nutrition

432 kcal per serving

Estimated

1 serving ≈ 566 g · recipe makes 4

Where the energy comes from

  • Protein 36%
  • Carbohydrate 16%
  • Fat 48%
Nutrition per serving and per 100 g
NutrientPer servingPer 100 g*
Energy432 kcal76 kcal
Protein38.9 g6.9 g
Carbohydrate17.9 g3.2 g
Net carbohydrate11.4 g2 g
Sugars——
Added sugars0 g0 g
Fibre6.6 g1.2 g
Fat23.1 g4.1 g
Saturated fat6 g1.1 g
Trans fat——
Cholesterol154 mg27 mg
Sodium1317 mg232 mg
Salt equivalent3.3 g0.6 g
Vitamins & minerals per serving
Potassium
771 mg
Calcium
120 mg
Iron
7 mg
Magnesium
76 mg
Vitamin A (RAE)
61 µg
Vitamin C
46 mg
Vitamin D
0.2 µg
Vitamin B12
0.8 µg
Folate (DFE)
70 µg

How these numbers were made

  • Calculated from USDA FoodData Central (SR Legacy) per-100 g values and the listed quantities.
  • *Per 100 g of combined raw ingredients; the cooked dish may weigh more or less.
  • Garam masala: Curry powder (FDC 170924) used as a stand-in; both are ground blends of similar dried spices used in teaspoon amounts.
  • “—” means the value isn’t known for enough of the ingredients; it is never zero by default.
  • Values are estimates for guidance, not for medical dosing. U.S. Department of Agriculture, Agricultural Research Service. FoodData Central, 2019. fdc.nal.usda.gov.

Good to know

Tips

  • Ask for a young duck; older birds need up to twice as long to become tender.

Common mistakes

  • Adding the ash gourd too early — it collapses into the gravy.

Serve with

  • Serve with steamed rice.

Storage

  • Keeps 3 days refrigerated.

Reheating

  • Reheat until piping hot.

Variations

  • Haah aru kola til: Duck cooked with a paste of roasted black sesame seeds.

Original editorial recipe · FriendsPantry editorial · Not yet independently reviewed · Added · Updated

Recipe DNA

How this dish is built

Grouped by each ingredient’s role in the dish. Each band’s width is its share of the dish by weight. Choose a component to see what it does.

What the dish is built around

Main ingredient

Used in steps 1, 5

Masalas in this recipe

Make the masala first, then come back to finish the dish.

Reviews & corrections

Reviews come from signed-in cooks and appear after a moderator checks them. We never show made-up ratings.

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