Pavakkai Poriyal / Bitter gourd Stir fry

Ingredients

• Bittergourd - 4
• Onion - 1
• Mustard seeds - a pinch
• Urud dal - 1/2 tsp
• Dry Red Chillies - 2
• Turmeric powder - a pinch
• Curry leaves - few
• Oil - 2 tsp
• Salt as per taste
• Little water (optional)

Method

• Wash and cut bitter gourd and onion in to small pieces.
• In a kadai, add 1 tsp oil, and when hot add mustard seeds, urud dal and fry till urud dal becoms light brown.

• Add onion, red chillies and curry leaves.

• When onion becomes translucent, add the bitter gourd and start frying it.

• After 5min, sprinkle little water. (Do not add more). Add required salt to taste.
• Add another 1 tsp oil, fry and add turmeric powder and close the kadai with a lid.

• Stir the bitter gourd, in 2 minutes interval and take care not to over fry it.
• Check whether the bitter gourd are cooked, by smashing one piece in hand.

• When cooked, switch off, and serve it as a side dish for Rasam Rice or Sambar rice.

This goes to my event
Dish Name Starts with P

Pavakkai PuliKuzhambu (Bittergourd Tamarind Gravy/Pavakkai Theeyal)

Hi Friends, My Guest Post is published in Nithus Kitchen. I am really happy to participate in her Guest post. If you too want to participate, do drop a mail to her. It really helps many new bloggers. Thank you Nithu dear and i wish you continue this great work for the years to come.....

Here comes the recipe now...

Ingredients

• Pavakkai/Bittergourd/Karela - 4
• Onion - 1 big (Shallots - 10 to 12, Kuzhambu will be more tasty, when shallots are used) (cut into small pieces)
• Tamarind - 1 lemon size
• Jaggery/Sugar - 1/2 lemon size (1 tsp sugar)
• Grated Coconut - 1/2 cup
• Red chilli powder - 1/2 tsp
• Coriander powder - 1/2 tsp
• Chana dhal - 1/2 tsp
• Urud dhal - 1/2 tsp
• Coriander seeds - 2 tsp
• Red Chilli - 2 to 3
• Pepper - 1/2 tsp
• Cumin seeds - 1/2 tsp
• Fenugreek seeds - 1/2 tsp
• Curry leaves - a handful
• Salt - as per taste
• Water - 3 cups (can be adjusted according to the need)
• Oil - 4 tsp

Method

• Soak the Tamarind in 1 cup hot water.
• Cut the Bittergourd in to small slices. (if you dont like the bitterness, soak the vegetable in salt water for 30 to 40 minutes and wash well. But it is not a healthier part and so i didnt do like that.)
• In a kadai or pan, add the Bitterourd and start frying with l tsp oil till it becomes light brown color (Dont fry too much) and pour the tamarind extract and allow to cook. When it starts boiling, keep the flame in simmer and let the gravy thickens.
• In a mixie, add the grated coconut, coriander seeds, pepper seeds, cumin seeds, fenugreek seeds and make it to a paste by adding little water. (dont add more water)
• In a kadai, add oil, urud dhall, channa dhall, curry leaves, and fry them for 2 to 3 mts.
• Add the shallots or onion and fry till they becomes transparent.
• Add in the Tamarind gravy with BG to this and add the salt, coriander powder, chilli powder and grinded paste and allow to cook in medium fame adding 2 more cups of water.
• Add the jaggery and cook for another 10 minutes and switch off the stove.
• Meanwhile, prepare the tampering, by adding 2 tsp oil in a small kadai, add curry leaves and red chilli and pour this to the gravy and serve hot with rice.

Also today i got an award "You are the Best blogger" from a lovely blogger  - Priya Sreeram of Bon Appetit . Thank you Dear. She has a wonderful blog with very new and innovative recipes to try out. Please do visit her's to try out her lovely recipes....

                                        

Though want to share this award to all my fellow bloggers, sharing this with the following bloggers.

1. Sara of Sara's Corner

2. Nithu of Nithu's Kitchen

3. Peanutts of Chillies and Lime

4. Prathiba of The Chef and Her Kitchen

5. Kanchan of Kitchen Gossip

6. Jeyashri of Jeyashri's Kitchen

7. Krishnaveni of Krishnaveni's Kitchen

8. Geetha of En Samayal Araiyil

9. Chitra of Chitranna

10. Sameena of My Culnary Creations

11. Menago of Sashiga

12. Santosh Bangar of Santosh's Kitchen

13. Paaka Shaale of Paaka Shaale

14. Suhaina of My Singapore Kitchen

15. Nithya of Aaha-Oho

Friends, please take the award and share it with the other bloggers....

                                                                                                                                          



                                                                                                                                            

Moru moru Pavakkai Varuval (Crispy Bitterguard fry) (Crispy Karela fry)

Some people love Pavakkai (bitterguard/karela) and most does not. In my childhood days, my mother used to cook it as a curry but i never touch it as it will have more bitterness. But in my college days, my friend zhagazhi, used to cook and bring it and i never feel the bitter taste in it and it will be delicious. From that time onwards i started eating and loving the pavakkai...

Since i have understood the goodness and nutritious value in that, i want my kids to eat it and i try it in different varieties to remove its bitterness. Now my kid love to eat it, when i do the pavakkai fry...

Ingredients

• Pavakkai/Bitterguard/Karela - 1/4 kg
• Turmeric powder - 1/4 tsp
• Chilli powder - 1.5 tsp ( can be adjusted according to your taste)
• Coriander powder - 1/2 tsp
• Besan - 1 stp
• Corn flour - 1.5 tsp
• Rice flour - 1/2 tsp
• Salt as needed
• Vinegar - 1/2 tsp ( or lemon juice)
• Ajinamoto - a pinch
• Curry leaves for garnishing
• Oil for frying

Method

• Mix all the ingredients except curry leaves and oil.
• If you need water, slightly sprinkle on it.
• Allow to marinate for about an hour.
• Fry in oil in small batches. (the oil must be very hot)
• Fry the curry leaves in the same oil and garnish the bitterguard fry
• Serve hot.

[ Note: The masala's used to remove most of the bitterness in the pavakkai(karela), but if need to remove it fully, 1 tsp of jaggery can be added during marination. I didnt do like that since my kid eat it as it is].

Sending this recipe to the following events:

1. My event - Celebrating Indepence Day - 2010

2. Pari's Only Event - Kids Delight

3. Sharmi's - Lets munch - tea time snacks

Stuffed Bittergaurd (Stuffed Paavakkai)

Ingredients

• Bittergourd – 5
• Chilli powder – 1 tsp
• Turmeric powder – ¼ tsp
• Coriander powder – ½ tsp
• Lemon or vinegar – 1 tsp
• Salt as per taste
• Onion – 1 big ( chopped nicely )
• Tomato – 2 ( chopped nicely )
• Coriander leaves – few
• Curry leaves – few
• Cumin – ½ tsp
• Ginger garlic paste – 1 tsp
• Mustard – a pinch
• Oil for frying

Method  

• Cut the bittergaurd in lengthwise or if it big enough, then cut the two edges and remove the seeds inside and make a hole.
• Now boil them in salt water until they are cooked nicely and becomes soft. (it may take some 10 mts )
• Take them out and keep aside.
• In the mean time of cooking the bittergaurd, you can start preparing the masala.
• In kadai, add oil, mustard seeds and when they start spluttering, add the onion, cumin seeds and fry it they are golden brown.
• Now add the ginger garlic paste, tomato, salt, turmeric powder, chilli powder, coriander powder, curry leaves, coriander leaves, vinegar and I have added the bitter guard seeds also as my family like the seeds.
• Now stuff the masala to the bitter gaurds and fry in the pan with little oil added.
• Serve this dish hot.