Pavakkai Puli Kuzhambu Recipe | Bitter Gourd Curry | Kuzhambu Recipes | Startup Cooking

PAVAKKAI PULI KUZHAMBU | BITTER GOURD CURRY | KUZHAMBU RECIPES | STARTUP COOKING

Bitter gourd is one of the traditional South Indian vegetable. Many people avoid bitter gourd due to its bitterness. But, if cooked properly it is one of the delicious vegetable. 

Bitter gourd is also known as Karela in Hindi and Pavakkai in Tamil. Bitterness is one of the six tastes (sweet, sour, bitter, salt, pungent and astringent). It is essential to add all the six tastes often in our regular menu.  

This pavakkai puli Kuzhambu goes well with steamed rice with roasted papad. Adding a little amount of jaggery or brown sugar will surely enhance the taste of this kuzhambu. 

The beauty of this recipe is that even kids would love to eat bitter gourd with “dal rice” with a liberal amount of ghee. Follow my  video recipe to prepare Pavakkai Puli Kuzhambu. If you like this recipe, share it, tweet it and pin it. Please do try and post your comments.

RECIPE FOR PAVAKKAI PULI KUZHAMBU

Course       : Main, Curry

Cuisine      : South Indian

Author       : Jayashree Karthik

Prep Time  : 15 min

Cook Time : 35 min

Total Time  : 50 min

BITTER GOURD CURRY RECIPE VIDEO

INGREDIENTS

• 1 medium size bitter gourd

• 3 tbsp sesame oil

• 1/4 tsp mustard seeds

• 1/4 tsp fenugreek seeds

• 1/4 tsp hing

• 1 spring curry leaves

• 25 small onions / shallots

• 1 handful of garlic (around 12)

• 1 medium size tomato – chopped

• 1 gooseberry size tamarind (soak in water)

• 1/4 tsp turmeric powder

• 3 tsp sambar powder

• salt to taste

• 1 tbsp brown sugar / jaggery

PROCEDURE

• take 1 medium bitter gourd, cut the edges, slice into thin round and scoop out the seeds

• finely chop the bitter gourd

• soak tamarind in warm water and extract the juice

• heat oil in a cast iron wok

• add mustard seeds and allowed to crackle

• add Fenugreek seeds and hing, saute for few seconds

• add a springful of curry leaves and allowed to turn crisp

• add shallots / small onions and saute well

• add garlic

• shallots and garlic has to saute well in oil until it turn translucent

• add chopped tomato

• saute well until it turn mushy

• add chopped bitter gourd

• saute well until the raw smell goes

• add 1 cup of tamarind water

• add turmeric powder, sambar powder and salt

• mix well

• add 1.5 cup water

• close with lid and cook in low medium flame

• once it turns thick, add jaggery / brown sugar

• mix well and cook for another few minutes, until the oil separates from the curry

• bitter gourd curry ready

• Enjoy !

NOTES:

1. You can cadd 2 small bitter gourd
2. adjust sambar powder as per your taste or you add chili powder and coriander powder (ratio is 1:2)
3. you can add bitter gourd into thin slices rather than chopped
4. adding shallots is a great choice to this recipe
5. adding jaggery will enhance the taste of this kuzhambu
6. sesame oil is good for this recipe

PAVAKKAI PULI KUZHAMBU WITH STEP-BY-STEP PHOTO RECIPE

take 1 large bitter gourd, cut the edges

slice into thin round and scoop out the seeds

heat oil in a wok, add mustard seeds, allow to crackle, add fenugreek seeds, saute for few seconds

add curry leaves, allow to turn crisp

add shallots

add garlic

saute well till it turn translucent

add chopped tomato and chopped bitter gourd

saute well

add tamarind water

add turmeric powder, sambar powder and salt

mix well and add 1.5 cup water

cover and cook in low medium flame, until the oil separates from the curry

add jaggery

mix well and cook for another 5 minutes

???????? perfect consistency

Pavakkai Puli Kuzhambu Ready, Serve hot with steamed rice and papad