Some dishes do have the ability to bowl you over with their sheer punch... I am a self confessed bitter gourd hater, and didnt like it in any form - gojju / sambhar or palya (dry curry). Sis on the other hand loved it to bits, so Amma used to make two different curries the day she cooked Bitter gourd, and the situation was no different after marriage. S can have bitter gourd almost everyday - in fact he likes the bitterness so much that he forbade me to add any jaggery while cooking this veggie...
Alas, the brain does mature, and being in the midst of knowledge explosion, one is bombarded with information on the goodness of Karela (bittergourd). So, while I was talking to my friend in Bangalore last week, she told me about this wonderful curry that she has started making almost twice a week with Karela, and with no bitterness at all. Now, I was a little sceptical, and the doubting Thomases took ground in my brain, till I finally tasted it, and apart from a tinge of bitterness, it was good to go.
Upkari is a catch-all term in Brahminical Konkani cuisine (and also extends to coastal Karnataka) to describe veg curries (mostly dry) made with veggies alone or with a mixture or any whole lentils (eg : Beans - chickpeas, potato-green gram etc) along with a coconut masala paste.. So, today I added boiled and mashed green grams along with a little gramflour. For all those Karela lovers out there, you dont need any new excuse to eat this, do you ? Sending this to Alphabet H under Blogging Marathon # 32and also to Valli's Side Dish Mela...
Prep time - 15 mins | Cook time : 15 min | Serves : 2
Bittergourd dry curry with gramflour-coconut masala
Serving suggestions : Rasam / Kozhambu / Roti / Phulka
Ingredients:
- Fresh bitter gourd - 1 large or 2 medium
- Boiled Green Gram - 4 tablespoon (optional)
- Coconut - 2 tablespoon grated
- Gramflour - 2 TBSP
- Jeera - ½ tsp
- Red chillies - 1 or 2
- Asafoetida - a generous pinch
- Salt - to taste
- Oil - 1 tsp
- Turmeric - ¼ tsp
- Til seeds / sesame seeds - ½ teaspoon (toasted) - optional
- Tempering :Mustard seeds, curry leaves
Method:
Scrape bittergourd slightly, and scoop out the seeds & cut into half moon thickish roundels
Wash the cut pieces and steam for 1 whistle in the pressure cooker with a pinch of turmeric.
Drain out all the water.
In ½ teaspoon of oil, roast the chillies separately. Dry roast the gramflour for 1-2 mins
Grind coconut, jeera, asafoetida, chillies, gramflour and salt to a smooth paste with very little water
In a pan, heat remaining oil. Splutter mustard seeds and curry leaves. Add the cooked bitter gourd and saute for 2 mins, taking care not to mash it up. Now add the ground paste and saute till the raw smell disappears...
Check for salt. and add the boiled and mashed green gram. Stir for 1-2 mins. Add the gramflour and toss it a bit
Finish with toasted sesame seeds and serve
Unknown says
oh that is so homey and comforting!!!
Sowmya
Rumana Rawat says
Very comforting dish..
Priya Suresh says
This upkari sounds prefect for me since i love bittergourd very much..I'll makes some definitely.
Gayathri Kumar says
Looks so yummy. I love bitter gourd and this preparation is quite interesting...
vaishali sabnani says
Kalyani I am very fond of Karela and can eat them even if they ate bitter..normally I never use any sugar in them.
cookingwithsapana says
This upkari sounds delicious ! Will try it ..
Unknown says
wow very nice and new recipe to me...
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Unknown says
wow upkari looks super yummy and make me hungry dear !! 🙂 very interesting recipe 🙂
The Pumpkin Farm says
hmm strange, that simple recipes, behind your backyard go unnoticed thru a food blogger's eye...i love karela only in this form, my help, makes it awesome
Janani says
looks so yumm never made it but tempting me to try it.
preeti garg says
Look so delicious.
Chef Mireille says
looks appetizing
Srivalli says
Ok picture looks very inviting, though I never eat bitter gourd!
Harini R says
Very inviting picture..
Pavani says
That's such an interesting way to cook bittergourd. It sounds delicious. Will definitely try it soon.
Sandhya Karandikar says
I love Upkari. My friend who is a GSB always sends me when she makes some special Upkari. Your Karela recipe is very interesting and I am sure a hit with my husband and I as we both love Karela.
Padmajha says
We love bittergourd and you know this one is being bookmarked. I esp love the sesame garnish 🙂
Unknown says
Very interesting dish..
Unknown says
My all time favorite vege but nobody will eat at home liiks delicious.
Suma Gandlur says
I too can't stand karela except in one dish. My parents are like your husband and my mom used to add a tiny amount of jaggery and growing up, I used to hate the bitter stuff. Now when you are vouching for this dish, let me try and tell you how this went.
Sandhya Ramakrishnan says
I love bitter gourd and thankfully everyone in my house likes it as well...We grow a ton of this each year and I love this way of making it. I also add a little bit of jaggery when making the curry to get my kids to eat it 🙂
Rajani S says
I love karela and can have it in anyform. Pitla,mezhukku piratti ec are good ways o have it.will try this too sometime...
veena says
This is new to me...should try soon
Archana says
I love karela so this one is bookmarked.Thanks
Lachu says
I am a bit confused.. it's mentioned that roasted gramflour has to be ground with coconut. But then it's asked to be tossed later on. Can someone clarify this?