Pavakkai(Bitter gourd) Kara kulambu

Kara kuzhambu is traditionally made with vattrals or dried veggies like sundakkai etc. But this recipe could also be made with everyday vegetables like bitter-gourd, brinjal, garlic, okra etc. Puli or kara kozhambu's usually tastes great on the second or third days.

Prep Time : 10 min|Cook Time : 30 min|Serves   :4 persons

Ingredients:

Bitter gourd	1( cut in rounds)
Onion	1 no
Tomato	1 no
Tamarind	1 medium amla size
Green chillies	3 slits
Dry red chillies	2 nos
Hing	¼ tsp

To temper

Oil	4 tbsp
Mustard seeds	1 tsp
Fennel seeds	1 tsp
Curry leaves	1 sprig
Turmeric powder	¼ tsp
Chilli powder	1 tsp
Coriander powder	1 tsp
Sambhar or vathakulambu powder	2 tsp

 

Method

1. Soak the tamarind in 2 cups of warm water.Sprinkle salt on the sliced bitter gourd and leave it for about 10 minutes. Then squeeze the water out. This will reduce the bitterness.

2.  Heat oil in a pan, add mustard seeds to splutter. Now add fennel seeds, dry red chillies and curry leaves. Add hing, fry the onion to pink color. Add tomatoes followed by the masala powders. Adjust salt.Sauté these well till it comes to a thick gravy consistency

3. Now add the bitter gourd pieces and mix well.Pour in the tamarind juice. Let this mixture comes to a boil. 

4.  Add water to the rice flour and make it into a thin paste.Pour this into the kulambu and keep stirring continuously.

5.  Reduce the flame and cook for 10 mines, till the curry comes to a thick consistency. Lastly add all the remaining oil.

6 Serve with rice and appalam.

Linking this to Swathi Iyer’s “Raising Diabetes Awarness Through FOOD”

Linking this to the event "Eat Vegetables Stay Healthy" sponsored by Just Eat.

 

Notes

Fry the bitter gourd in the oil before adding to curry.(optional)