Even though this vegetable is extremely bitter in taste, there are ways in which it can be transformed into a delicacy. My dish today ‘Crispy Bitter Gourd Fry’ is a crunchy and delectable combination with Rasam Rice. The tangy and spicy taste of the masala blends amazingly well with the  bitterness of the gourd.

This recipe has been passed on to me from my Grandma. However, the traditional recipe is quite long and time consuming. My aunt in Bangalore gave me this easy way of making Bitter gourd fry. The procedure is simple and easy to follow. Thanks Sudha Chikki for the recipe 🙂

 

INGREDIENTS:

Bitter Gourd / karela / hagalakaayi – 2 nos (Medium sized – refer pic below)

Tamarind paste – 3 tsp

Red Chilli powder – 2.5 tsp

Turmeric powder – 1/2 tsp

Asafoetida / hing – 1/2 tsp

Salt – as per taste

Oil – 1 tbsp + 1 tsp

To coat:

Fine Sooji – 1/2 cup

METHOD:

Wash the bitter gourd well and chop them in the shape of rings. Remove the seeds from them.

Rinse a microwave safe dish so that the dish is damp. Add the chopped bitter gourd / karela, a tbsp oil and mix well.

Microwave on high power for 2 minutes, stirring every minute. The bitter gourd pieces need to become tender but not completely cooked.

While this is being done, prepare the spice paste by mixing tamarind paste, red chilli powder, turmeric powder, asafoetida and required amount of salt.

Now mix the spice paste to the microwaved bitter gourd pieces gently so as to coat each of the rings well yet making sure not to break them.

Once mixed well, keep it aside for about 15 minutes.

Heat a cast iron skillet or any other pan that you use for shallow frying.

Dip each of the marinated bitter gourd pieces in fine sooji and cook them on the skillet. Make sure to turn the pieces so both sides get cooked well and get crispy.

The crispy tangy and spice filled bitter gourd fry is ready to be served with some hot rice and rasam.

This recipe will surely get a place in your heart 😉