Bitter gourd fry is made with veggies like onion, tomato and garlic.
The first step to make pavakkai varuval is to cut the bitter gourd into thin slices and soak it in buttermilk.
Bitter gourd is one of the vegetables which is avoided by children as well as the elderly, thanks to its extremely bitter taste. However, a bitter gourd is rich in several nutrients, and very beneficial to the body. So, here is a way you can turn it into a mouthwatering dish, called the pavakkai varuval or simply a bitter gourd fry. Check out the detailed recipe of the dish here.
You will need the following ingredients:
250 grams of bitter gourd
1 big onion
2 tomatoes
10 cloves of garlic
A quarter teaspoon of turmeric powder
Two teaspoons of red chilli powder
A quarter teaspoon of mustard seeds
One and a half teaspoons of chickpeas
Some curry leaves
A few coriander leaves
Cooking oil, according to the requirement
Sesame oil
Salt, as per your taste
Directions to cook:
-Cut the bitter gourd into thin slices and soak it in buttermilk.
-Take a pan, add some oil to it and keep it on a medium flame.
-When the oil is heated enough, add the mustard seeds and sauté it.
-After the mustard seeds have crackled, add garlic to it and fry to make it golden brown. Then add the chickpeas and fry. When it turns golden brown, add chopped onions and curry leaves to the mix.
-When the onion looks golden brown, add the chopped tomatoes and again saute the mix. After cooking it for some time, add the turmeric powder, red chilli powder and salt, and continue to fry it for a few minutes.
-Cook the veggie mix till the masala smell is gone and add the sliced bitter gourd to it. Thoroughly fry the vegetables, to mix the masala with the gourd. When the gourd is cooked well, pour some water into the pan and mix it well. After that, sprinkle it with some coriander leaves and let it cook more.
-Finally, when the dish is cooked, pour some sesame oil into it, to enhance its taste and saute. The bitter gourd fry or pavakkai varuval is ready to be eaten.