Pavarkai Porial | Bitter gourd fry

Bitter gourd is loaded with vitamins and minerals. This is one of the common vegetables in south Indian cuisine. I like the bitter taste form this. If you don’t like the bitter taste then you can chop and soak the bitter gourd in sour curd for 20 mins and follow the below steps. You will get fry with nice texture with no bitterness.

 

 Let us see how to prepare this.

Ingredients:

Pavarkai/Bitter gourd – 1 cup finely chopped

Mustard seeds – 1 tsp

Urad dal – 1 tsp

Channa dal – 1 tsp

Curry leaves – 1 sprig

Red chili – 2

Asafetida – a pinch

Salt as needed

Turmeric powder – 1/4 tsp

Chili powder – 1 tsp

Oil – 1 tbsp

Method:

First wash and chop the bitter gourd finely. If you are using very young one then no need to remove seeds.

Cook the chopped bitter gourd adding 1/4 cup of water. Cover and cook in medium flame. Mix often

Keep an eye to avoid burnt at bottom.

Once the vegetable is cooked, take it out from flame.

Now take a kadai, add a tbsp. of oil. Temper with mustard seeds, urad dal and channa dal.

When the dal color starts changing add red chilies and curry leaves. Give a quick fry and add cooked bitter gourd. Mix well and saute for 2 mins

Add turmeric powder, chili powder and salt as needed. Mix well

Fry for 5 to 6 mins or till the color changes slightly brown color.

This can be nice side dish for any variety rice or for rasam rice.

Note:

Soak the bitter gourd in sour curd for few mins. This helps to reduce the bitter taste.

You can replace water with thin butter milk. In this case, you can soak the chopped bitter gourd in thin butter milk for 15 mins. Cook with the butter milk. Once the vegetable gets cooked, squeeze well the butter milk and start frying.