Pavakka Mathura Curry/ Sweet Bitter gourd Curry

Pavakka or bitter gourd is a vegetable known for its nutritious value and medicinal properties. This is a vegetable which many like and dislike at the same time. I felt this is more an adult vegetable as children have shown aversion to eat. Strangely I loved this while I was a kid and still passionate in trying different recipes with this vegetable. This is a no fuss recipe and has a sweet and sour taste. Basically it is similar to Kerala theeyal but tastes somewhat like puli inji (pickle) both made with tamarind.  Adding tamarind  gives this dish the taste of a sweet an sour chutney which children might love. Try this easy recipe. It goes well with rice.



Ingredients
Bitter gourd- 3 
Shallots chopped- 1/2 cup
coconut- 1/2 cup
Ginger- 1 inch
fenugreek seeds- 1 tsp
Chilly powder- 1 tsp
Coriander powder  - 2 tsp
Turmeric powder- 1/2 tsp
tamarind- small lemon sized ball
Jaggery- 3-4 tsp
curry leaves- 2spring
mustard - 1/2 tsp
Dry Red Chilly- 2
Oil
Salt to taste.

Roast Cocunut, fenugreek and curry leaves till browned up. Make a fine powder of this and set aside.
Chop bitter gourd into thin slices and stir fry them (using very little oil) till it is also browned up and set aside. In the same pan crackle mustard seeds, and drop in red chilly and curry leaves and fry them a bit and add ginger and saute a bit. Add shallots, salt and turmeric and saute till golden brown. Now add the bitter gourd, chilly and coriander and finally tamarind pulp and 1/2 cup of water and allow it simmer. Just one minute before switching off the flame add the coconut powder and jaggery. Serve hot with rice and buttermilk curry.

Try this...

This dish goes to Padmajha and Sunith's wonderful event Think Spice- Think Tamarind Event.

Hope you will all enjoy