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Saturday, October 04, 2008

Kaipakka / Bitter gourd Curry

I am sure bitter gourd is not a popular veggie with every one. But then certain preparations makes this veggie likable, as is the case with this bitter gourd curry. When ever my mother prepared bitter gourd this way, there was no complaints to have bitter gourd. Bitter gourd known as pavakka / kaipakka in malayalam, is known for its curative properties and is a good source of iron.

Ingredients

2 medium size - Bitter gourd

Grind to a smooth paste with little water

1.5 cup - Freshly grated coconut
2 big - Small onions/ Shallots
3/4 tsp - Chilly powder
1/2 tsp - Turmeric powder

Seasoning

1 tsp - Mustard seed
6 big - Small onions / shallots,chopped
2 - Green chili, chopped
3 sprigs - Curry leaves

Method

1 ) Cut bittergourd into very small fine pieces. Heat little oil in a pan. Add mustard seeds and pop it. Then add onion, chili and curry leaves. Fry for a minute then add bitter gourd. On a slow flame, fry till bitter gourd is light brown in color.

2 ) Add ground coconut mixture into the pan with bitter gourd. Add just little water to make a thick gravy. Add salt to taste and just bring to a boil. Don't boil over. Take off the stove.

Serve with rice as a side dish.
For all bittergourd fans out there, other recipes to try out :
  1. Pavakka Pachadi,
  2. Pavakka pulli curry,
  3. Pavakka Thoran
  4. Kaipakka / Pavakka Kondattam

23 comments:

Mahimaa's kitchen said...

looks very pretty.. will try it.

Anonymous said...

The curry looks so very good, but I have have never been able to bring myself to try bitter gourd. I have read that it requires careful preparation. Is this true? I should be more brave.

Priya Suresh said...

Looks Delicious..

Sangeeth said...

luv the colour of your curry! simply inviting!

Purnima said...

Pravs, thks for the recipe..would try tonight. :D Lovely pic!! (Do u de-seed it or use it whole?)

Pravs said...

mahimaa : Thank you.

Vegeyum : Thank you :) I am told that there is 2 types of bittergourd..one with dark green color and other very light green..(almost like white ) Light color one is supposed to be less bitter. You can try with this type of bittergourd. I am not sure why you need to be careful while preparing it ...no idea :)

Priya & sangeeth : thank you :)

Purnima : sure, do try and let me know. Please de-seed and cut to really small pieces.

Priyanka said...

A very tempting picture....the curry looks delicious.

raaji said...

I rarely shop for this veggy as its only me who have to eat.....but your look so rich....

Unknown said...

This looks beautiful.I dont like bittergourd though..

Purnima said...

Tks for yet another great recipe..was polished off! :) While preparing I also got the idea that if coconut masala is left dry,it can turn into a upperi as well! So again a two-in-one keeper dish frm you!

Purva Desai said...

I guess i shuld try this dish on my hubby who hates veggies, complete opp of me... I just love all vegetables, including bitter gourd...
This curry looks really delicious
Thanks for sharing

Pravs said...

Priyanka, raaji,divya : Thank you :) I would suggest you gals try this curry for once...you might like it.

Purnima : I was waiting for your feedback and am so happy to know this curry was liked and polished off :) I have not thought of making this in upperi form.Thats something to try.

Purva : oh man ! try on a person who doesn't like veggies ??bittergourd will be a punishment :) but who knows he might like this curry :)

Unknown said...

ur blog is very nice & INnovative...

Looks very nice & new 2 me.. will try.. yummy dishes,,..

Divz said...

kaipakka is kaipakka..as the name suggests, it wud be kaippu only-no matter what!! but this recipe looks like it will camouflage its bitterness!! shall surely try it out..
have heard from a friend that if u peel the rugged portion(i.e the outer portion) the bitterness wud reduce drastically..
cheers
divz

Purnima said...

Yeah..not only that, one tablespoon was left, which I packed wt Taiiyar-saadham for his lunch, got review that it tasted even more delicious with few hours of standing time!! :) SO now..more karela for this dish! Thanks Pravs!

Pecos Blue said...

Any recommendations for a good wet chicken curry for chicken that i have left over?

Ai Lien ^-^ Cook for Happiness said...

I love spicy...thanks for sharing !

Shreya said...

hi, we love bitter gourd at home, and have it every sunday. I love bitter gourd masala curry and your version is really nice. have a few posts on bitter gourd on my blog too:-)

Raks said...

I am not a bittet gourd lover, so I never cooked after I got married...but one day both me and my hubby thought we should staart eating....Thanx for the recipe:)

Unknown said...

This curry sounds great and I have bookmarked it.I am great fan of bitter gourd.

Anonymous said...

It was very interesting for me to read that article. Thank you for it. I like such themes and anything connected to them. I would like to read more on that blog soon.

Anonymous said...

I tried it. Nice one and healthy food. Thank you.

Munks said...

Great Recipe!!! Improvised by adding tamarind juice instead of water. Turned out to be a transparent idea.. :)