Bitter gourd Curry- Paavakai Kozhumbu
 
 
Tangy, spicy, sweet and sour: umami of flavors in this bitter gourd curry. Bitter gourd is also known as karela, paavakai, kakarakaya and more, is quite infamous for it's bitterness.
Author:
Recipe type: Lunch
Cuisine: Indian
Serves: 4
Ingredients
  • Ingredients:
  • 3 pavakkai/bitter gourd -Thinly sliced paavakkai/bitter gourd (remove seeds and soak in light salt water for 10 min. Rinse it well and Drain and pat dry.
  • 3 tbsp oil for pan frying + 2 tbsp vegetable oil
  • ½ tsp mustard seeds
  • 1 tsp cumin seeds
  • Pinch of asafoetida
  • 15 curry leaves
  • 1 small onion, finely chopped
  • 4-5 garlic minced
  • 1 tomato, chopped
  • 1 tbsp or more plain red chili powder or sambhar powder
  • ½ tsp turmeric powder
  • 1 tsp chutney powder/bhaath powder
  • Salt
  • ¼ cup light-medium tamarind water, fresh not the concentrate
  • 1 tbsp jaggery
Instructions
  1. Prep the bitter gourd. In a small bowl add 1 cup water, ½ tsp salt and ¼ tsp turmeric. Add the sliced bittergourd in the water and massage it well and let it soak in the water for 10 minutes. Take it out, rinse well and let dry.
  2. In a kadai or any pan, add 3 tbsp oil. Add the thinly sliced gourd. Keep it on medium heat and let it fry. This process will take about 10 min. Don’t burn it, let it get brown and cook. Take it out, set aside.
  3. In the same kadahi/cast iron pan, add another good heaping 2 tbsp of oil. Add the mustard, cumin, asafetida and curry leaves. Let everything pop. Then add the finely chopped onion, garlic and sauté on medium heat. Let it sweat and turn very light golden brown.
  4. Add the chili powder, salt, turmeric powder and chopped tomatoes. Sauté until the tomatoes sweat and become a paste. If you need to add a few tablespoon of water, do so.
  5. Once that cooks and the oil floats atop, add the tamarind water. Let boil for 3-4 minutes.
  6. Then add the gourd, lower the heat and let it cook and simmer, thicken for 8-10 min.
  7. Then add the jaggery, boil and turn off the heat.
  8. Enjoy with some daal rice.
Notes
Soaking in water is an important step to remove the bitterness.
Remember to take out the seeds.
Pan Frying it is another step which is important to cut the bitterness.
When you add chili powder, if you don't have any chutney powder add sambhar masala powder which contains other spices like coriander and daals.
Recipe by Food Fashion Party at https://www.foodfashionparty.com/2019/03/09/bitter-gourd-curry-paavakai-kozhumbu/