Bitter Gourd / Paavakkaai Podi

Paavakkaai Podi

This is a very simple dish / podi / fry of the bitter gourd or the paavakkai (we fondly call it as Momordica charantia). This paavakkai podi is made with very few ingredients. The sauteing process takes little time. But worth waiting. Personally, I like this recipe made with paavakkai than other dishes as the others are more bitter. 😁

This podi stays good in fridge for few days. It goes well well with plain white rice or curd rice.
Let me show how I make it.

For more stir fry / Poriyal recipes click - Poriyal / Stir fry 

Ingredients:

• Paavakkai / bitter gourd - 500 grams
• Garlic - 5 big cloves
• Chilli power - 1/2 teaspoon
• Coriander powder - 1/2 teaspoon
• Turmeric powder - 1/4 teaspoon
• Salt - as per taste
• Urad dhal - 1/2 teaspoon
• Mustard seeds - 1/2 teaspoon
• Asafoetida - 1 pinch
• Jaggery - 1/2 teaspoon
• Oil - 2 tablespoon

Procedure:

• Grate the bitter gourd in a grater. You can also whip it in a blender to the grated consistency. You can also use a food processor.
• Finely chop the garlic and keep ready.
• Heat the oil in an iron kadai.
• Add the mustard seeds, urad dhal and asafoetida.
• After few seconds, add garlic, followed by the grated bitter gourd.
• Add salt, turmeric, chilli powder and coriander powder.
• Stir well. Let the heat be in low. Cover it and let it cook in its own water.
• Open after 7 minutes. Stir again.
• Let the stove still be on low for another 15 minutes or more if required.
• Keep stirring once a while. Saute.. saute.. saute.
• The contents should become dry, dark in colour and separate from each other. It will take time to reach this stage. Just keep stirring once in five minutes.
• Add the jaggery and continue sauteing. 
• When the dish reaches this dark colour and dry stage, you can turn off the stove.
• The simple and flavourful paavakkai podi is ready.

We used to mix it with hot plain white rice and eat. It can go as a good side dish with curd rice too.

Tips:

1. If you are the person who eats paavakkai just for taste alone, then you can squeeze out some juice from the grated bitter gourd. This will quicken the sauteing process. This will take just half the time mentioned.
2. But the juice is the health potion. So, try to saute it with the juice if you are conscious about health.

Happy cooking !!