Pavakkai Poriyal Recipe | Bitter Gourd Stir-Fry Recipe | Startup Cooking

 PAVAKKAI PORIYAL RECIPE | BITTER GOURD STIR FRY RECIPE | 

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.

In this recipe, I cooked the bitter gourd in the pressure cooker with a little amount of water. So, the bitter tones from the bitter gourd will wash away in the water. Adding garlic and grated coconut will enhance the taste for this poriyal recipe. You have to make this poriyal in low flame after adding the spices. 

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 step by step photo recipe to prepare Pavakkai Poriyal Recipe. If you like this recipe, share it, tweet it and pin it. Please do try and post your comments.

RECIPE FOR PAVAKKAI PORIYAL

Coarse        : Lunch / Side dish

Cuisine       : South Indian

Author        : Jayashree Karthik

Prep Time   : 10 min

Cook Time  : 25 min

Total Time  : 35 min

INGREDIENTS

• 2 medium sized bitter gourd

• 1.5 cup water

• 1 tbsp oil

• 1/4 tsp mustard seeds

• 1 tsp urad dal

• 1 tsp bengal gram dal

• pinch of hing

• 1 spirng curry leaves

• 2 red chilli

• 1 onion - finely chopped

• 2 tbsp garlic - chopped

• 1/4 tsp turmeric powder

• 1 tsp sambar powder

• salt to taste

• 1/4 tsp sugar

• 1/4 cup grated coconut

PROCEDURE

• wash the bitter gourd twice in water

• cut both the ends

• scoop out the seeds and discard it

• chop the bitter gourd in to small pieces

• add the chopped bitter gourd into the pressure cooker

• add 1.5 cup water

• pressure cook for 2 whistle and then switch off the flame

• once the pressure subsides down naturally, open the cooker, drain the water and keep the bitter gourd aside

• heat oil in a pan

• temper with mustard seeds, Urad Dal and bengal gram dal

• add red chillies, hing and curry leaves

• saute for few seconds

• add finely chopped onion and garlic

• saute the onions until it turns transparent, while roasting the garlic it gives a nice flavor to the dish

• add cooked bitter gourd

• add turmeric powder, sambar powder, sugar and salt

• mix well

• cover and cook on low medium flame until the raw smell of spices goes (this process takes 10-12 minutes)

• now add in the fresh grated coconut, mix well and cook on high flame for 30 seconds

• switch off the flame

• serve hot with rice

NOTES

1. after bitter gourd cooked, save the water as a juice. The water will be very bitter so drink it in one shot as its very healthy, do not discard
2. add coconut only after the raw smell of spices goes
3. must add sugar to get caramelized texture of this recipe, and the taste will be very delicious

Pavakkai Poriyal with Step By Step Photo Recipe

take 2 medium size bitter gourd, cut both the ends and 

scoop out the seeds

chop into small pieces

add chopped bitter gourd and water in to the pressure cooker

pressure cook for 2 whistle

heat oil in a pan, temper with mustard seeds, Urad Dal and 

bengal gram dal

add hing, red chillies and curry leaves, saute for few seconds

add finely chopped onion and garlic

saute well until it turns transparent

add cooked bitter gourd

add turmeric powder, sambar powder, salt and sugar

mix well

cover and cook in low medium flame until the raw smell of spices goes

add grated coconut

mix well and cook on high flame for 30 seconds

switch off the flame and serve hot with rice

Pavakkai Poriyal | Bitter Gourd Fry