BITTER GOURD CHIPS AND CURDS

Tried and tasted by Nivedita

Hi All,

Bitter Gourd!!! Do not close the page.. Read it full and you will be tempted to try this out. A very tasty side dish. 

Past few days, my daughter wants to have it often and bitter gourd is in my fridge always.

Ingredients:

Bitter Gourd - 2 big

Corn flour  - 1 tsp

Rice flour - 1 tbsp

Salt to taste(less as we use salt to clean the bitter gourd)

Chilly powder - 1 tsp

Ajwain - 1/2 tsp

Oil to fry

To clean the bitter gourd
Salt 1 tbsp or to cover the bitter gourd
A pinch of turmeric powder

For CURDS
Yogurt - 1 cup
Salt to taste
Pepper powder - a pinch





Method:

Wash the bitter gourd.

Peel the skin and cut into two parts.

Remove the seeds.

Mix the salt and haldi and apply it well to both the sides.

Keep it for an hour or two.

Squeeze and wash the pieces twice.

Cut into thin slices and allow to dry.

Heat the oil.

You can either shallow fry or deep fry. But I felt the deep fried chips took less oil than the shallow fried ones.

Keep it for some time till they get crispy.

Just before serving 

Prepare the curds with given ingredients.

Add the crispy chips and serve it.

These fried bitter gourd chips can be kept for 2 days.

Before it is served on the table, it gets over as my hubby and my daughter fights to have it first and finish.


Keep Smiling,

Bitter Gourd Chutney Powder(Food Remake)

Tried and tasted by Nivedita

Hi All,

This powder has become common in my house and I am totally in love with it.

Any one going for Bitter gourd chutney powder??? I am sure you all will say a big NO!! But try this powder and you also will fall in love with it. Yes!!! 

Its simple, healthy and perfect side dish with hot rice or with chapati. Do you believe I eat it just like that.

Have it to believe it.

And Tons of thanks to Pratibha of THE CHEF and HER KITCHEN for sharing such a wonderful recipe.

Kakarakaya Podi / Bittergourd Powder

I have copied the recipe exactly from her. Even the down written recipe is from her blog(I did not get better words to write it in my own) Visit her for many wonderful recipes and tips.

Ingredients:
Bittergourd - 1/2 kg 
Onions - 4 big,very finely chopped
 Dry coconut - 1 heaped cup grated
Curds - 3 tbps
Red chillies - 15,fiery hot one's
a gooseberry sized tamarind
Regular oil - 1/2 cup apprx.
salt to taste
Method:

• Grate the bitter gourd with a grater.
• Add salt and curds to it and mix well and leave it aside for 1 hour.
• Squeeze the water completely from the bitter gourd and keep it aside.This step is mandatory in order to ease the process of frying the bitter gourd and storing the powder,it will also remove 60-70% of the bitterness.
• Cut the tamarind into small pieces and slightly dry roast the red chillies and tamarind for few seconds.This step is however optional if your red chillies are softer and tamarind is slightly damp.
• Grind the red chillies,tamarind,dry coconut with salt to a slight coarse powder.
• In a thick bottomed kadai heat oil(1/2 cup approximately) add squeezed bitter gourd and fry on a very low flame until it is slight golden in color(75-80% done),it approximately takes 15-20 min.This step is very important and it is to be on very low flame.
• Now add the very finely chopped onions to the bitter gourd and fry on a very low flame until the onions and bitter gourd is deep golden in color.It takes around 15 to 20 minutes.
• Add the ground spice mixture to it and mix well and keep stirring on low flame for 3-4 min and remove it from the stove.
• Cool the powder completely and store it in air tight container.You can store it for 2 weeks also.
• When you taste it, you will start thinking where the bitter gourd has disappeared!!!!
  

 I am sure all of you will enjoy this and you are going to try this at home, (if not  tried before), for those, who  have already tried this, they know the taste.

Keep Smiling,

Kaarchi Kai(Mini bitter gourd) Sabji

Tried and tasted by Nivedita

Hi All,

I do not know the English name of the vegetable in the photo, but in North Karnataka, we call it "Kaarchi kai"(Kannada). It tastes like bitter gourd. It is available only in the rainy season. It is having crunchy seeds. Its having tails on both the sides, need to be removed before we cook. One more thing to keep in mind is, if it is exposed to direct sun, it will open and split and the seeds will come out. Then you can not cook it.

"IF ANY ONE KNOWS ANY INFORMATION ABOUT IT, PLEASE SHARE WITH ME AND OTHERS, WHO WANTS TO KNOW ABOUT THIS"

Now, here is the recipe,

Kaarchi kai - 250 gms

Onion - 1 big chopped

Curry leaves - few

Mustard seeds - 1 tsp

Jeera - 1 tsp

Chilly powder - 1 tbsp

Haldi - a pinch

Fresh coconut - 1/4 cup

Salt to taste

Lime juice - 1 tbsp

Sugar or jaggery - 1 tbsp

Oil - 2 tbsp to fry

and 1 tbsp to prepare the masala

Wash the kaarchi kai, cut the tails and keep in closed bag, if you are not cooling immidiately. Keep in mind to cook as early as possible and not to expose it to the sun.

Heat oil in the kadai, fry the vegetable till slightly brown. Keep it aside in a plate. In the same kadai, add 1 tbsp oil. Add mustard seeds, jeera, curry leaves and onion. Fry for some time. Add kaarchi kai, salt, chilly powder, haldi, fresh coconut. Mix it properly and Cook for 2 to 3 minutes. Off the heat. Add lemon juice and mix properly again. The vegetable is ready to serve.

It tastes good with Jowar rotti.

Keep smiling,

Karela fry salad(Bitter gourd salad)

Tried and tasted by Nivedita

Hi All,

Bitter gourd or karela or (ಹಾಗಲ ಕಾಯಿ) is a vegetable, I can eat any time, with anything.

I love to experiment with bitter gourd, as I like it. I have tried making chutneys, pickles, stir fries, simple gravies. I will try to post the recipes in the future.

Now, here is the salad, which I love to eat any time with anything or just like that.

Bitter gourd - 2 to 3

Onion - 1 medium

Tomato - 1 big

Lime juice - 2 to 3 tbsp

Chilly powder - 1 tbsp or as per taste

Salt to taste

Sugar 1/2 tsp

Oil - 3 tbsp

Fresh coriander or Parsley(or both) - 1 handful chopped

(General tip to wash the bitter gourd to remove its bitterness

Wash the bitter gourd. Without peeling the skin, cut in to half length wise. Remove the seeds and apply salt both sides and keep for half an hour. Clean with water 2 times. The bitter gourd is ready to cook.)

(If you do not have time to keep it with salt, you can just peel the skin and wash it with saltwater.)

Cut the bitter gourd in to thin slices. Heat oil in kadai, add the cut slices and fry till brown. Keep on stirring other wise it will get burn. Before serving mix all other ingredients in a bowl. Add the fried bitter gourd at the end, mix it well and serve as a side dish.

Keep smiling,