Khatta Meeta Karela | Sweet & Sour Bitter Gourd

Bitter Gourd stir fry with Indian spices & Jaggery

Summer is at it's good mood here & I should admit that I am having a great time. Usually it seems that,  summer here means no snow & frequent rains with sun peaking out once in a while. But this time it's more of the radiant bright yellow hue with less of rains & I sincerely hope it remains the same :) And the pathways & gardens & fences are lined with bright & chirpy flowers in brilliant & bold shades. Even the river that flows through the center of this town looks lush green with the shadow of the big pines & apple & cherry trees on it's banks !! And the days are long as 20 hours, that  you never see the night for nearly 4 months a year,  unless you are a very late sleeper.. Feels heavenly right?? Wait before you decide that this is more better than your hometown :D All these goodness is compensated during the next 8 months of the year, when it snows heavily & you see the sun only for 4 hours a day !! And you can talk about the temperatures in (minus two digit) range :( But, some people do enjoy that weather right, so all together it comes as a package :) So here are some pics for you my friends !!

I have been doing a lot of cooking these days, but the photo shoot does not happen that often & hence it doesn't make it to this space. I had been having a lot of guests & get togethers & some experimental cooking.. Come summer time & it is jolly time for we ladies out here. Frequent get togethers & that implies food, food & a lot of food.. But summer is just an excuse to meet more frequently than in winter :D So coming to today's recipe, it's a bitter gourd stir fry that gels well with rotis & parathas and even with steamed rice & Morukari (Gravy with curd) as I had. Bitter gourd is Deeps' favorite veggie & so it features often in our menu (& hence this space ;)) & I not being a great fan of it, like to experiment with it to suit my taste buds. This recipe is from my mom's old cooking diary which too has a story with it ;) Maybe some other time, I guess I have talked enough for now..  Definitely try this recipe if you are not a great fan of bitter gourd as it has the perfect blend of sweetness & sourness to it which would take you a step closer to liking the healthy veggie !! Some other recipes with bitter gourd that are there in the blog are Pitla, Pavakka Puli Kuzhambu, Pavakya Pulin Curry & Bitter Gourd Fry.. 

Recipe from Ma's ole diary 

Serves: 3-4 persons

I Took: 35 minutes

I Used:

Bitter Gourd/Karela - 500 gm Onions - 2 nos - big - chopped Ginger-Garlic Paste - 1 ½ tbsp Red Chilly powder - ⅓ tsp Coriander powder - ⅓ tsp Amchur (Dry mango) powder - ½ tsp Turmeric powder - ⅓ tsp Jaggery - 4 tsp White Vinegar/Lemon juice - 1 tbsp Oil - 2 tbsp Salt - As Needed

The Way:

1. Wash & scrape the bitter gourd. Remove the seeds and cut them into ½ inch thick pieces
2. Boil them in salt water. I kept on microwave high for 12 minutes. Drain the water & keep aside
3. Heat oil in a pan. Fry onion slices. When they turn translucent add the ginger-garlic paste & saute well
4. Once the raw smell goes off add turmeric powder, red chilly powder, coriander powder, amchur powder, salt & 4-5 tsp of water & mix well
5. Add the boiled bitter gourd pieces and mix well. Cover & keep on low flame for 5-6 minvutes
6. Remove the cover & add jaggery to it. Cover again & cook for 2 minutes 
7. Remove from flame & add the white vinegar OR lemon juice & mix well

Serve hot with parathas or roti or puri

Cheers,

Chitz