Bitter gourd /hagalakaayi/karela is very healthy but bitter vegetable. Many people like the bitterness of this hagalkaayi but some of us needs some sweetness in the dishes. So we prepare this karela with right amount of sweet and sour ingredients to make it more appetizing to consume this hagalkaayi. This is another variety of gojju/gravy using this bitter gourd.
Ingredients
- 2 bitter gourd/haagalakaayi
- little turmeric powder
- 1 small lemon size jaggery
- 1 tsp salt
- 2 to 3 cups water
- For grinding:
- 1 cup grated fresh/frozen coconut
- small lemon size tamarind soaked in water
- 1/2 tsp mustard seeds
- 1 TBSP urad dal dry roast this
- 10 to 12 green chillies reduce this if you need less spicy gojju
- For Seasoning
- 2 TBSP oil
- 1/2 tsp mustard seeds
- 1/2 tsp urad dal
- 10 to 15 curry leaves
- chopped cilantro /coriander leaves to garnish
Instructions
- Keep the ingredients ready.
- wash and cut the bitter gourd/hagalkaayi into small cubes. Discard the seeds.
- Heat the oil in a pan on medium heat. Once the oil is hot add mustard seeds, once the mustard seeds pops add urad dal, fry it until it turns golden brown.Now add the cut hagalakayi, cuury leaves and turmeric powder mix well and fry this for 6 to 8 minutes.
- Meanwhile, dry roast 1 tbsp urad dal until it turns golden brown.
- Grind coconut,chillies, soaked tamarind along with water, mustard seeds and the roasted urad dal to a coarse consistency. Add water if needed.
- Add this grind paste to hagalkayi, add jaggery,salt and water and let it cook for 8 to 10 minutes on medium low heat until the gravy/gojju becomes thick.
- Turn off the heat. Garnish with cilantro. Enjoy the haagalkayi / bitter gourd gojju with rice, rotis,dosa and rotti.
