PAVAKKAI / BITTER GUARD CURRY
Bitter guard / Pavakkai has many medicinal values and good for health. It is very good for diabetics. This is the curry / poriyal / subji made of bitter guard along with onion,tomato and indian spices. It tastes good with plain rice, chapati, roti and goes well as a side dish for rice.
I already posted stir fry,chips,kuzhambu with this bitter guard. Today we learn how to make bitter gourd curry with step wise pictures.
Preparation Time : 10 mints | Cooking Time : 30 mints | Serves : 2 - 3
Ingredients :
Oil - 2 tbspn Mustard seeds - 1/2 tspn
Bitter gourd (pavakkai) - 200 grams chopped
Garlic - 2 pearl chopped Onion - 1/3 cup chopped
Tomatoes - 1/4 cup chopped Tamarind - very less (soak it in 1/3 cup of warm water) Salt as required Turmeric powder - a pinch Sambar powder - ½ tsp Coriander powder - 1 tsp
Hing - a pinch
Tamarind extract - 1/2 cup
Jaggery - 1 tbspn
Water - as required
Method :
1. Remove the seeds and finely chop the bitter gourd. Chop the onion , tomato , garlic finely. Take tamarind extract and keep it aside. Heat the oil in the kadai and add mustard seeds.
2. When mustard splutters, add chopped garlic and onion. Sauté until they turns transparent. Then add tomatoes.
3. Add sambar powder, turmeric powder, coriander powder, hing and sauté until tomatoes become a little soft. Add bitter gourd and sauté for 5 minutes. Add 1/2 cup of water and mix well.
4. Cover and cook till the ridge guard is tender or half cooked. Add salt and tamarind extract.
5. Add jaggery to it. Mix well and cook on a low heat till it is cooked well and until the water evaporates. Switch off the heat.
Serve as an side dish for rice or chapati.
My Notes :
1. Pavakkai will be slightly bitter even after its cooked well. If you need to rid off the bitterness completely, fry the bitter guard in oil for 5 mints separately then add it to the onion tomato sabzi.
2. You can also pressure cook pavakkai for 1 whistle with water and turmeric. Then add it to the onion tomato sabzi.
3. You can cook the bitter guard as much fry as required at last.
