PAVAKKAI PITLAI

 PAVAKKAI PITLAI

Mainly because of its health benefits, I often make dishes with Bitter Gourd in my home. I use it because though it is bitter as the name suggests, we find it to be very tasty and as mentioned it has many health benefits. It is very strong in Vitamins A and C and helps reduce blood sugar. 

Bitter Gourd is commonly available all over India and is known as Haggalakai in Kannada, Pavakkai in Tamil, Karela in Hindi, and Kaarathe in my mother tongue, Konkani.

Elsewhere in this blog, you will find recipes for some yummy dishes made with bitter gourd such as:-

• Pyaz Wale Karele
• Karela Andhra Style
• Haagalakai Gojju

Today's recipe is for a Pitlai made with Bitter Gourd. In Tamilnadu cuisine, Pitlai is an accompaniment -which is thicker than sambar- for hot steamed rice. 

We enjoyed this a few days ago for lunch and I hope you will like it too! 

Ingredients:-

• Pavakkai (Bitter Gourd), 2 medium size
• Tur Dal, (Split Pigeon Peas), 1/3 cup
• Brown Channa, 1/4 cup
• Tamarind, size of a small lemon
• Salt, to taste

For the Pitlai Masala;

• Coriander Seeds, 1 tbsp
• Bengal Gram (Channa Dal) , 1 and 1/2 tsp
• Byadgi Red Chillies, 4 
• Raw Rice, 1/2 tsp
• Fresh Coconut Gratings, 1/4 cup
• Oil, 1 tsp- to fry the ingredients before grinding 

For the Seasoning:

• Mustard Seeds, 1/2 tsp
• Fenugreek Seeds, 1/2 tsp
• Red Chilli, 1, broken into halves
• Asafoetida, 1/8 tsp
• Curry Leaves, 1 sprig
• Oil, 2 tsp

Method

Wash the bitter gourd, snip off the two ends and cut the bitter gourd into roundels

Discard the seeds if they are not tender

Apply a little salt to the roundels and keep aside. After 15-20 minutes, squeeze the water out of the bitter gourd. 

Soak the tamarind in lukewarm water for about 10-15 minutes and extract the juice, discarding the pulp 

Soak brown channa for 6-8 hours or overnight. Later, discard the water

Cook the soaked channa in a pressure cooker with adequate fresh water for 3-4 whistles or till done. 

In the same pressure cooker, in a separate container, cook the tur dal in adequate water for 3-4 whistles or till done. 

Once the cooker cools, remove the cooked brown channa and the cooked tur dal and keep aside.

Mash the cooked tur dal. 

Heat oil in pan and on medium heat roast the coriander seeds, Bengal gram, red chillies and raw rice. When the dal changes colour, add the coconut gratings and fry till they turn golden 

After it cools, transfer to a mixer jar and grind to a smooth paste adding a little water. Keep aside

In a thick bottomed kadhai, heat 2 tsp of oil  and on medium heat add the mustard seeds, when they splutter, add the fenugreek seeds, broken red chilli, asafoetida, and curry leaves and saute for a few seconds. To this add the bitter ground roundels and saute for a few minutes. Add 1/2 cup of water and cook the bitter gourd covered on medium heat, stirring from time to time, till they get done

Now add the tamarind extract, cooked channa and salt to taste and mix well 

Cook for about 5 minutes till the raw smell of the tamarind goes. 

To this add the mashed tur dal and the freshly ground Pitlai paste and the required amount of water to get the desired thick curry like consistency 

Bring this to a boil and then lower the heat and allow it to simmer for 3-4 minutes

Switch off the gas and transfer to a serving bowl

Serve the Pavakkai Pitlai with hot steamed rice

MASALA KARELA

 MASALA KARELA

Bitter Gourd, (which is called Karela in Hindi, Haggalakai in Kannada and Karathe in my mother tongue, Konkani) is one of the popular vegetables used in my house.

I use this often mainly because it has so many health benefits.

Elsewhere in this blog, you will find recipes for dishes made with bitter gourd such as:-

• Haagalakai Gojju
• Karathe Puddi Sagle
• Pyaz Wale Karele

Today's recipe is for an easy to make yet yummy side dish from North India made with bitter gourd called Masala Karela.

In this dish, the bitter gourd can either be deep fried or shallow fried. I choose to shallow fry it.

It goes great as an accompaniment to a meal of rice and dal.

Ingredients:

• Bitter Gourd ( Karela) , 3  or about 450 gms
• Onions, medium -sized, 2
• Chilli Powder, 1 tsp or to taste 
• Turmeric Powder, 1/2 tsp
• Coriander Powder, 1 and 1/2 tsp
• Tamarind Paste, 1/2 tsp 
• Garam Masala, 1/2 tsp
• Salt, to taste
• Oil, as required- deepening on whether you deep/shallow fry

Method:-

Wash the karela, chop off the two ends and cut into equal -sized roundels

Discard the seeds if they are too hard , retain if they are tender

Apply salt to the roundels and keep aside for about 30-45 minutes

Then squeeze out the water from the karela ( this makes it less bitter) and keep aside

Peel and slice the onions

Heat oil in a thick-bottomed pan and shallow fry the karela till they get cooked and become golden brown in colour. Keep aside

(Alternatively, you can deep fry the karela) 

In the same kadhai, heat  1 and 1/2  to  2 tbsp of oil, add the sliced onion and a little salt and sauté till they become translucent

To this add the chilli powder, turmeric (haldi) powder, coriander powder and the tamarind paste

Mix well and sauté on low flame till the onions get well mixed with the spice powders

Now add the shallow fried karela and the garam masala powder

Mix again to ensure that the karela, onions and spices are well blended  

Switch off the gas and transfer the Masala Kareal to a serving bowl

Serve as a side dish with hot steamed rice and dal 

KAKARAKAYA PULUSU /BITTER GOURD CURRY

KAKARAKAYA PULUSU (BITTER GOURD CURRY)

Bitter gourd is frequently used in my cooking at home . I use it a lot because though it is bitter as the name suggests, we find it to be very tasty and of course it has many health benefits. It is very strong in Vitamins A and C and helps reduce blood sugar. It is commonly available all over India and is known as Haggalakai in Kannada, Pavakkai in Tamil, Karela in Hindi, and Kaarathe in my mother tongue, Konkani.

Elsewhere in this blog, you will find recipes for dishes made with bitter gourd, such as :- 

• Haagalakai Gojju
• Karathe Puddi Sagle 
• Pyaz Wale Karele

Today's recipe is from Andhra cuisine and gets it's name from Kakarakaya or Bitter Gourd in Telugu and Pulusu which is a Tamarind-based gravy. I have adapted this from Kakarakaya Pulusu from the well-known website Hebbar's Kitchen. 

I have preferred to keep this dish semi-dry but please adjust the consistency - adding more water while cooking it - to meet your requirements. 

We enjoyed this dish very much and hope you will, too! 

Ingredients:-

• Bitter Gourd, about 200 gms
• Tamarind, size of a lemon, 
• Small sized Onion, 1
• Ginger Garlic Paste, 1 tsp
• Turmeric Powder, 1/4 tsp
• Jaggery, grated, 1 tbsp
• Salt,  to taste 
• Coriander Leaves, finely chopped, 2 tbsp for garnish

To Be Dry Roasted & Ground To A Masala Powder :-

• Peanuts, 2 tbsp
• Sesame (Til)  2 tbsp
• Chana Dal, 1 tsp
• Urad Dal, 1 tsp
• Cumin Seeds, 1 tsp
• Coriander Seeds, 1 tsp
• Fenugreek (Methi) Seeds, 1/4 tsp
• Byadgi Red Chillis, 4

For Seasoning:-

• Mustard Seeds , 1 tsp
• Urad Dal, 1 tsp
• Chana Dal, 1 tsp
• Cumin Seeds, 1/2 tsp
• Asafoetida (Hing), 1/8 tsp 
• Dry Red Chilli, 1, broken into halves
• Oil, 3 tbsp

Method:-

Wash the bitter gourd, snip off the two ends, cut the bitter gourd into roundels and remove the seeds 

Apply salt to the bitter gourd and keep aside for half an hour

Peel and chop the onion 

Soak the tamarind in 1 cup of warm water for about 15 minutes and extract the juice. Keep aside.

In a thick-bottomed kadhai, dry roast the peanuts till they change colour,

Add the sesame seeds, chana dal, urad dal, cumin seeds, coriander seeds, methi seeds and Byadgi Red Chillies and roast on low flame till the dals change colour and the spices give off a good aroma 

Allow the roasted ingredients to cool and then transfer to a small mixer jar and grind to a fine powder. This forms the Masala Powder. Keep aside.

After half an hour of being kept with salt, squeeze out the juice from the bitter gourd 

In the same kadhai, heat 3 tbsp oil and fry the bitter gourd roundels on medium/low flame till they turn golden in colour. Keep aside.

In the remaining oil, do the seasoning by adding the mustard seeds, urad dal, chana dal, cumin seeds, asafoetida, and dry red chilli 

Once the mustard and cumin seeds splutter and the dal change colour, add the chopped onion and sauté till it becomes translucent

To this add the ginger garlic paste and sauté till the raw smell goes

Now add the fried bitter gourd, turmeric powder, and salt and mix well

Add the prepared masala powder and mix well

Next add 1 cup of tamarind extract, grated jaggery and mix well 

Add water as required to get the desired consistency and bring to a boil

Lower the flame and cover and cook for about 5 minutes or till the oil separates

Switch off the gas

Lastly, garnish with finely chopped coriander leaves

Serve Kakarakaya Pulusu with hot steamed rice 

STUFFED KARELA

STUFFED KARELA

"Karela" is the Hindi word for bitter gourd which is commonly available all over India. We call it Karathe in my mother tongue, Konkani. It is called Haagalakai in Kannada and Pavakkai in Tamil.

You might be interested to know that bitter gourd has numerous health benefits.

I make it a point to use bitter gourd in my cooking at home from time to time. Elsewhere in this blog, therefore, you will find recipes for dishes with bitter gourd such as:-

• Karathe Puddi Sagle from our Konkani cuisine. 
• Haagalakai Gojju from Karanataka
• Besan Karela from North India

Today's recipe is for a dish from North Indian cuisine called Stuffed Karela. This has been adapted from Master Chef Sanjeev Kapoor's Khana Khazana.

This dish calls for the small sized bitter gourd.  Lightly scraping the bitter gourd to reduce the bitterness is optional.  I have not done so.

Ingredients:-

• Small Bitter Gourds, 10-12
• Medium-sized Onion, finely chopped, 1
• Turmeric Powder, 1/4 tsp
• Chilli Powder, 1 tsp
• Coriander Powder, 1 tsp
• Coconut Gratings, 1/2 cup
• Peanuts,  roasted and crushed to a coarse powder, 1/2 cup 
• Fennel Seeds, 1/2 tsp
• Dry Mango Powder, (Amchoor), 1/2 tsp
• Coriander Leaves, chopped, 1/2 tbsp + some for garnish
• Salt, to taste
• Oil, 1 tbsp for the stuffing + 2 tbsp for shallow frying the karelas 

Method:-

Wash the karela and pat them dry. Slit them with a knife and remove the seed without breaking the karela.
Rub salt to the karela and keep aside for about 30 minutes
After 30 minutes, wash the karelas and keep aside

For the Stuffing:

 Heat 1 tbsp of oil in a thick-bottomed kadhai and on medium heat add the chopped onion and sauté till it becomes translucent
To this add the turmeric powder, chili powder, coriander powder and mix well
Also add the coconut gratings, roasted and coarsely crushed peanut powder, fennel seeds and 1/2 tbsp of coriander leaves and salt to taste
Mix and cook well
This forms the stuffing for the karela

Stuff each of the karela with the prepared mixture/stuffing

Heat 2 tbsp of oil in a kadhai and on medium heat shallow fry the stuffed karela till they are evenly cooked on all sides
Garnish with chopped coriander leaves

Transfer the Stuffed Karela to a serving plate

PYAZ WALE KARELE

PYAZ WALE KARELE

The name for this dish comes from the two major ingredients namely Onions ( called Pyaz in Hindi) and Bitter Gourd ( called Karela in Hindi). Bitter Gourd is a vegetable which I have found draws two kinds of reactions. There are those, like in our house, who welcome it and we make this quite often. Others do not like the basic taste of this vegetable and avoid it!!!

Elsewhere in this blog, you will find recipes for dishes made with Bitter Gourd, such as Andhra-style Karela , Haagalakai Gojju from my Home State of Karnataka, and Karathe Puddi Sagle, from our GSB Konkani cuisine.

Today's dish was much appreciated in my house. It is adapted from Onion and Karela Subzi by Tarlaji Dalal the noted cookery expert. The sweetness of the onions and the addition of jaggery counter the inherent bitterness of the Bitter Gourd and give the dish a delicious taste.  If you wish you may use sugar in place of jaggery.

Ingredients:-

• Pyaz (Onions), large sized, 2 
• Karela (Bitter Gourd), medium-sized, 2
• Haldi (Turmeric) Powder, 1/2 tsp
• Chilli Powder, 2 tsp
• Jaggery, grated, 1 tbsp or to taste 
• Amchur ( Dry Mango Powder), 1 tsp
• Til (Sesame Seeds), 1 tbsp 
• Salt, to taste
• Oil, 2-3 tsp

Method:-

Cut the large sized onions length wise into thin slices so as to get about 2 cups
Wash the bitter gourds, snip off the two ends, cut them into thin roundels and de-seed them 

In a deep bowl mix together the bitter gourd roundels along with a little salt and keep aside for 20 to 30 minutes
The bitter gourds release water due to the addition of the salt
Squeeze out the water from the bitter gourd and spread them out on a clean kitchen towel and allow them to dry
Dry roast the sesame seeds on medium heat stirring continuously till they turn slightly golden. Keep  aside
Heat oil in a thick bottomed kadhai and on medium heat add the thin slices of onions and saute for 2 minutes
To this add the bitter gourd roundels, mix well, cover and cook on low heat for about 15 minutes stirring from time to time
Next add the turmeric powder, chilli powder, amchur powder, roasted sesame seeds, grated jaggery, salt, and 1 tbsp of water
Mix well and cook on medium flame for 2 minutes so that the bitter gourd gets well blended with the spices
Serve as a side dish with rice or rotis

HAAGALAKAI GOJJU

HAAGALAKAI GOJJU

In Kannada, bitter gourd is called, "Haagalakai." This vegetable is known as "Karela" in Hindi and "Kaarathe" in my mother tongue, Konkani. Elsewhere in this blog you will find recipes for dishes using bitter gourd, such as Karela Andhra Style, Besan Karela, and Karathe Puddi Sagle.

Today's recipe is for a sweet and spicy gravy called, "Haagalakai Gojju" from my home state of Karnataka. I have adapted this from " The Udupi Kitchen" by Malati Srinivasan and Geetha Rao.  If you are a foodie with an interest in trying out authentic dishes from different cuisines, you should buy this book which has a collection of recipes from the Madhava Brahmin community of Karnataka.

As per the original recipe the bitter gourd had to be scraped but I haven't done that. We enjoyed this dish with rice and also with chapatis.

Ingredients:-

• Haagalakai, ( Bitter Gourd), 500 gms
• Salt, 1/2 tsp (for applying to the bitter gourd) + 1 and 1/2 tsp, or to taste 
• Turmeric Powder, 1/4 tsp
• Tamarind, torn into small pieces, 1/4 cup 
• Jaggery, grated, 4 tbsp
• Curry Leaves, torn, 12
• Salt, to taste

To Be Roasted & Ground To A Coarse Paste:-

• Oil, 1 tsp
• Hing ( Asafoetida) Powder, 1/8 tsp
• Urad Dal, (Split Black Gram) 1 tbsp
• Chana Dal, (Split Bengal Gram), 1 tbsp
• Methi Seeds ( Fenugreek Seeds), 1 tsp
• Til, (White Sesame Seeds), 2 tbsp
• Byadgi Red Chillies, 12
• Copra (Dried Coconut), grated, 1/2 cup

For Seasoning :-

• Mustard Seeds, 1/2 tsp
• Hing ( Asafoetida ) Powder, 1/8 tsp
• Oil, 1/4 cup

Method:-

Wash the bitter gourds and snip off the two ends

Slit the bitter gourds vertically, de-seed them and cut them into 1/2 " slices
With your fingers apply salt and turmeric powder to the bitter gourd pieces and keep aside
After about 30 minutes, squeeze out the juice from the bitter  gourd pieces
Transfer the marinated bitter gourd pieces to a microwave- compliant plate and microwave for 4 minutes
(This makes the bitter gourd pieces dry)
Soak the tamarind in 1 cup of warm water for 5-10 minutes and then extract the juice. Keep aside.
In a thick- bottomed kadhai, heat 1 tsp of oil and on medium heat add the asafoetida powder
Saute for a few seconds, then add the Urad Dal and Channa Dal, fenugreek seeds, sesame seeds, and the Byadgi Red Chillies and roast till the dals change colour and the chillies become crisp
To this, add the copra and roast for 2-3 minutes or till it becomes fragrant
Transfer the roasted ingredients to a plate and allow it to cool
In a small mixer jar, grind the roasted ingredients, adding the required amount of water, to a coarse paste. Keep aside.
In the same kadhai, heat 1/4 cup of oil and on medium heat add the mustard seeds and when they splutter add the asafoetida powder and saute for a few seconds
To this add the bitter gourd and fry for about 5 minutes or till they turn golden brown in colour
Now add the tamarind juice extracted earlier and salt to taste
Mix well and cook for about 3 minutes
Next add the coarsely ground paste, and some hot water as required to adjust the consistency, mix well and cook for about 5 minutes
Add the grated jaggery and the torn curry leaves and allow it to simmer for about 3-4 minutes
Switch off the gas and transfer the Haagalakai Gojju to a serving bowl
Serve with rice or chapatis

KARATHE PUDDI SAGLE ( A KONKANI DISH OF BITTER GOURD)

KARATHE PUDDI SAGLE (A KONKANI DISH OF BITTER GOURD)

This recipe is for a traditional Konkani dish made of bitter gourd which is commonly made in all GSB ( Gowd Saraswat Brahmin) homes. It goes well as an accompaniment to the main meal of rice and dal.

I have adapted this recipe from Mithra Rao's in the well-known blog Kudpiraj's Garam Tawa owned by my friend, Raj Shenoy. Though the recipe calls for the use of coconut oil, I have used the regular cooking oil. I have also shallow fried the bitter gourds instead of deep frying them as usually done.

I hope you will find this dish to be as delicious as we do.



Ingredients:

• Karathe (Bitter Gourd), medium-sized, 4 
• Coconut Gratings, 1/2 cup
• Onion, large-sized, chopped, 1
• Coriander seeds, 3 tsp
• Tamarind, size of a small gooseberry
• Roasted Byadgi Red Chillies, 6-8
• Salt, to taste
• Oil, 1 tbsp

Method:

Chop bitter gourd into small bits, apply salt and keep aside for 1 hour or so
Squeeze out the extra water and shallow fry on medium heat with sufficient oil till brown, dry and crisp. You may also deep fry this, if desired. Keep aside.
In a little oil, roast the coriander seeds till they turn golden
In a mixer, grind together coconut gratings, roasted red chillies, roasted coriander seeds, and tamarind to a coarse paste using very little water
Heat oil in a kadhai, add chopped onions, fry till golden
Add the ground paste and salt to taste
Fry till well browned
Lastly, add the shallow fried bitter gourd and mix well till they are well and evenly coated
Transfer to a serving dish

BESAN KARELA

BESAN KARELA

This preparation from the North of India is made of Karela which is what bitter gourd is called in Hindi, and besan (the Hindi word for gram flour.) This is basically bitter gourd cooked in spices and coated with gram flour.

In many houses, bitter gourd is not much fancied by adults as well as kids and it is a challenge to get them to eat this! However, a lot depends on how it is cooked. Some dishes of karela can be very tasty indeed. I have earlier posted another Karela dish cooked in the Andhra style.

I also make it a point to use bitter gourd as it has many health benefits.

Here is a recipe from Master Chef Sanjeev Kapoor's book, "Everyday Cooking", which I tried out the other day and liked a lot. I adapted the recipe to suit my requirements by a) not scraping the bitter gourd, and b) reducing the oil to 3 tbsp.



Ingredients:

• Besan (Gram flour), 3 tbsp
• Karela, Bitter Gourds, medium-sized, lightly scraped, 3
• Salt, to taste
• Oil, 5 tbsp
• Hing (Asafoetida), 1/4 tsp
• Ajwain (Carom seeds), 1/2 tsp
• Dried Mango Powder, 1/2 tsp
• Turmeric Powder, 3/4 tsp
• Red chilli powder, 1 tsp
• Coriander-cumin powder, 2 tsp
• Sugar, 3 tsp
• Fresh Coriander Leaves, chopped, 1 tbsp

Method:

Chop the bitter gourd into small cubes. Sprinkle a little salt and mix. Set aside for 30 minutes.
Squeeze out the excess juice
Heat the oil in a non-stick kadai. Add the bitter gourds. Saute on medium heat till lightly coloured.
Cover and cook till done.
Sprinkle the gram flour and toss well.
Add the carom seeds, dried mango powder, turmeric powder, chilli powder, coriander-cumin powder, and sugar and toss again.
Continue to cook on medium-low heat, sprinkle a little water occasionally.
Cook till the gram flour coats the bitter gourds well
Adjust salt to taste
Take the kadai off the heat and serve garnished with the chopped coriander.

KARELA ANDHRA STYLE

KARELA ANDHRA STYLE

Karela or bitter gourd is one of those vegetables which I find often that people either hate or love. There seems to be no middle path as far as this vegetable goes! In spite of it having many benefits for health. In our family we have generally liked all kinds of vegetables and in my experience, no vegetable by itself is bad. It all depends on how it is cooked!

If someone you know doesn't like karela, why don't you try this dish adapted from Karela Andhra Style by Master Chef Sanjeev Kapoor.  You may be surprised to find that they will change their mind....

Bitter Gourd cooked in the Andhra style.

Ingredients: 

Bitter Gourd (Karela),  medium- sized, 4-5

Byadgi Red Chilli, 4

Coriander seeds, 1 tbsp

Sesame seeds (Til), 1 tsp

Cumin seeds, 1 tsp 

Onions, medium-sized, 2

Garlic Cloves, 5

Ginger, 1"

Tomato Puree, 1/4 cup

Jaggery, grated, 2 tbsp

Tamarind pulp, 2 tbsp

Salt, to taste

Oil, 1 1/2 tsp

Method:  

Wash and cut the bitter gourd (Karela) in half, lengthwise.

De-seed and thinly slice the bitter gourd. Apply salt and keep aside for about 20 minutes.

Now squeeze out the excess water from the bitter gourds

Peel and chop the onions, chop the ginger, and peel the garlic

Make a fine paste of the garlic and ginger

In a kadhai, roast separately the dried red chillies, coriander seeds, cumin seeds, and sesame seeds on medium flame, stirring continuously, till they turn a light brown in colour

Allow it to cool and in a small mixer jar grind it to a fine powder. Keep aside.

Heat oil in the kadhai and when it gets hot add the sliced bitter gourd and saute for about 5 minutes or till it turns slightly brown

Add the chopped onions and stir fry for 3-4 minutes

Add the ginger garlic paste and stir for 1-2 minutes till the raw smell goes

Add the tomato puree and cook for another 2-3 minutes

Now add the ground powder which you have prepared earlier, grated jaggery, tamarind pulp, and salt to taste. Remember that some salt has already been applied to the bitter gourd earlier

Mix well, add 1 cup of water and bring to a boil

Lower the flame, cover the dish and let it simmer for about 5 minutes

Transfer to serving bowl and serve as a side dish along with the main meal