Today’s recipe is a healthy vegetarian side dish. Bitter gourd or pavakkai is mostly detested for its bitterness. But this unusual vegetable is full of nutritious benefits including folic acid, rich in vitamins & minerals and very good for diabetes and liver. Bitter gourd is mostly made at my place in the form of curry. In this recipe, the bitter gourd pieces are cooked in a tamarind and spicy coconut sauce. The spices added masks the bitterness of bitter gourd and makes it delicious even to bitter gourd haters. I am sure after savouring this dish, you will add this tasty dish to your “like” list. It is best served with rice and sambar / rasam. Here goes the easy n best recipe..!
Ingredients
Bitter gourd - 2
Tamarind - small piece
Onion - 1
Garlic cloves - 5
Grated coconut - ½ cup
Oil - 2 tbsp
Mustard - ¼ tsp
Fenugreek - ½ tsp
Split urad dal - 1 tsp
Curry leaves - 1 spring
Turmeric pwd - ¼ tsp
Red chilly pwd - 1 tsp
Coriander pwd - 1 tsp
Salt to taste
Fresh coriander leaves
1 of 10
Instructions
1.
Wash and chop the bittergourd into small circles.
2.
Soak tamarind in warm water and take thick extract out of it.
3.
Dry roast onions, garlic cloves on low flame. Once it cools, add it to blender along with grated coconut.
4.
Add little water and grind it to coarse paste and keep ready.
5.
Heat oil in a pan.
6.
Splutter the mustard, cumin seeds, fenugreek, split urad dal and curry leaves.
7.
Add the sliced bitter gourd pieces and saute in low medium flame for 5 to 7mins.
8.
Add turmeric pwd, red chilly pwd, coriander pwd and salt.
9.
Give a quick stir and combine the spices.
10.
Now add the thick tamarind juice and mix well.
11.
Add required water and cook covered for 2 to 3 mins.
12.
Once the bitter gourd is half cooked, add the coconut paste.
13.
Combine well.
14.
Let it cook until the masala thickens.
15.
Simmer the flame and saute once in a while for few more minutes.
16.
Turn off flame and garnish with fresh coriander leaves.
17.
Yummilicious & spicy Bitter gourd fry is ready.
18.
Serve hot with some white rice, sambar, pappad etc.
19.
Also it pairs up with chapattis & rotis.