Known to have many health benefits, this tasty pagarkai (pavakkai) kulambu makes a great curry for rice. This kulambu has just enough sweet and spice to tame the strong bitter flavors that come from the vegetable itself.
Course: Curry, Side Dish
Cuisine: Indian
Servings: 6
Ingredients
2cupspagarkai (bitter gourd) (cut into circles)
½cuponion(chopped)
6garlic cloves
½cup tomato(cubed)
¼tsp turmeric powder
1marble sized tamarind (soaked in 1 cup water)
½-1 cupwater(as needed)
1tspjaggery
1tspmustard seeds
½tspurad dhal
½tspmethi seeds
⅛tspasafoetida(also known as hing or perungayam)
6curry leaves
4tbspgingelly oil
salt to taste
For ground paste:
6dry red chilied
2Kashmiri red chilies
1tbspcoriander seeds
1tspcumin seeds
1tspfennel seeds
½tspblack pepper
1tspraw rice
1tbspgrated coconut
Instructions
Dry roast all the ingredients under "For ground paste" except the grated coconut in a pan.
Once roasted, add grated coconut and roast for one minute.
Then, grind into a smooth paste. Add very little water, if needed.
Add 3 tbsp oil to a pan. Once hot, add mustard seeds, urad dhal, methi seeds and asafoetida.
Once mustard seeds crackle, add onion and garlic. Saute for 2-3 minutes. The raw smell should fade.
Add pagarkai and turmeric powder. Saute for 3-4 minutes.
Add tomatoes and saute for 2-3 minutes until they become soft
Next, add the ground paste, tamarind extract, salt and curry leaves. Mix well.
Add water as desired. If you want a thin kulambu, you can add more water. For a thicker kulambu, add very little water.
Boil the kulambu for 5-7 minutes. Check for salt and spice and adjust as needed.
Add 1 tbsp of gingelly oil and jaggery. Boil for another 1-2 minutes.