Kakarakaya Karam or Bitter gourd Spice powder is an Andhra special Condiment. It is eaten with steamed rice or idli / Dosa with a generous addition of ghee.
There are several people I know (me included) who would turn their nose up at eating bitter gourd / bitter melon, despite its health benefits.
Goes by the name Bitter gourd, bitter melon, kakarakaya (Telugu), Hagalakayi (Kannada), Pavakkkai (Tamil), this has lovers and haters in equal proportion. Without this recipe, surely I wouldn't be attempting to eat bitter gourd on a regular basis. For the lovers of this veggie, this is a tasty, healthy podi that goes well with hot steamed rice and Idli / Dosa / Adai equally.
As the blog turns 9 today, I can’t help but reflect how much our eating and lifestyle habits have changed (for the better). With absolutely no knowledge of lighting or photography or plating or social media or facebook, it’s been a wonderful learning experience as I take into presenting recipes in healthier, ecologically sustainable formats.
The family’s support in this journey has been undoubtedly massive as has the support and comments from readers and co-bloggers ! Thank you for the same and hoping to see more traction and movement as I gather more momentum to take this journey forward !!
What can be served with this Kakarakaya karam?
Steamed rice with a generous dollop of ghee / Sesame oil. Even piping hot idlis are great with this podi and a liberal serving of ghee. We love it with upma, dosa too.
Tips and tricks to make the best Kakarakaya Karam:
- Bring all ingredients to room temperature
- Roast all ingredients one by one to avoid burning / raw taste. Each ingredient takes a different time to roast and brown
- Use tender bitter gourd for best results.
- De-seed the gourd and only then start dehdrating them
- If one prefers, you can also deep fry the veggies , drain the oil and them make into powder. But we prefer to oven or pan roast.
Other condiments / spice powders you may like on this blog:
Prep time - 15 mins , cook time - 20 mins (or bake/ fry time as needed),
Makes - approx 150 grams of spice powder.
PIN FOR LATER
Ingredients to make Kakarakaya Karam Podi:
- 250 grams Bitter gourd
- 4 tablespoon + 2 teaspoon Oil (pref sesame or groundnut oil)
- 1.5 teaspoon Salt (or to taste)
- 1.5 teaspoon Sesame powder
- 2 teaspoon jaggery (optional but recommended)
For the spice powder:
- 30 grams Tamarind (or a medium gooseberry size)
- 8-10 Garlic pods (optional but recommended)
- 2 tablespoon split black gram (Urad dal)
- 5 tablespoon bengal gram (channa dal)
- 10 Dry Red chillies (adjust spice)
- 1 sprig Curry leaves - few
- 2 teaspoon Coriander seeds
- 1 teaspoon Cumin seeds (Jeera)
Shelf life - about 30~45 days if stored under sterile conditions.
How to make Kakarakaya Karam Podi:
Follow the YouTube video embedded below and check how to make this.
- Wash, peel and scrape the bittergourd.
- Scoop out the seeds and Cut them into thin roundels.
- Either in am airfryer / Oven / thick bottomed pan, dry roast them till they turn crispy.
- If using a pan, glaze it with light coating of oil, and keep tossing them from time to time till they turn crisy. takes about 20-25 mins
- If using an airfryer, dehydrate the slices on a lined sheet at 160C for 8-9 mins or till crisp.
- Cool the crispy bittergourd slices on a plate.
- Dry roast all the ingredients for the spice powder mentioned above one by one. Cool and powder very coarsely.
- To this powdered mix, add the salt, bitter gourd and pulse gently till mixed and the veggies are ground well.
- Add sesame and jaggery at the last and just pulse quickly.
- Transfer to a plate, cool and store in a sterile container.
- It will keep upto 10 days on a countertop (depending on the humidity) and upto 1 month under refrigeration.
- Use the quantity required , paired with steamed rice and ghee.
Kakarakaya karam | Andhra Style Bitter Gourd Spice Powder
Equipment
- Thick Bottomed Pan Sub with Airfryer / Oven, see recipe card for details
- Spice Grinder
- Spatula
Ingredients
- 250 grams Bitter gourd
- 4 tablespoon + 2 teaspoon Oil pref sesame or groundnut oil
- 1.5 teaspoon Salt or to taste
- 1.5 teaspoon Sesame powder
- 2 teaspoon jaggery optional but recommended
- 30 grams Tamarind or a medium gooseberry size
- 8-10 Garlic pods optional but recommended
- 2 tablespoon split black gram Urad dal
- 5 tablespoon bengal gram channa dal
- 10 Dry Red chillies adjust spice
- 1 sprig Curry leaves - few
- 2 teaspoon Coriander seeds
- 1 teaspoon Cumin seeds Jeera
Instructions
- Wash, peel and scrape the bittergourd.
- Scoop out the seeds and Cut them into thin roundels.
- Either in am airfryer / Oven / thick bottomed pan, dry roast them till they turn crispy.
- If using a pan, glaze it with light coating of oil, and keep tossing them from time to time till they turn crisy. takes about 20-25 mins
- If using an airfryer, dehydrate the slices on a lined sheet at 160C for 8-9 mins or till crisp.
- Cool the crispy bittergourd slices on a plate.
- Dry roast all the ingredients for the spice powder mentioned above one by one. Cool and powder very coarsely.
- To this powdered mix, add the salt, bitter gourd and pulse gently till mixed and the veggies are ground well.
- Add sesame and jaggery at the last and just pulse quickly.
- Transfer to a plate, cool and store in a sterile container.
- It will keep upto 10 days on a countertop (depending on the humidity) and upto 1 month under refrigeration.
- Use the quantity required , paired with steamed rice and ghee.
Notes
- Bring all ingredients to room temperature
- Roast all ingredients one by one to avoid burning / raw taste. Each ingredient takes a different time to roast and brown
- Use tender bitter gourd for best results.
- De-seed the gourd and only then start dehdrating them
- If one prefers, you can also deep fry the veggies , drain the oil and them make into powder. But we prefer to oven or pan roast.
cookwithrenu says
I am not a Karela fan but I might try if sneaked in this way. Specially in the form of podi's as I make a lot of Idlis. The podi looks quite flavourful too.
Mayuri Patel says
I'm not a Karela fan but I'd probably enjoy this kakarakaya garam podi. An excellent way to enjoy the nutritional value of karela.
Swati says
I love Karela and this is another good way to include in my diet.. dry chutney powders are so handy and have longer shelf life. looks so inviting.. will surely try it!
Priya Iyer says
Wow, what a great recipe! I do like karela, but don't love it. I've been hearing a lot about Karela Podi lately, how delicious it tastes. Would love to try this out some time. 🙂
Congratulations on 9 years of blogging!
Vasusvegkitchen says
Congratulations on completing 9 wonderful years of blogging Kalyani, Keep rocking dear. This one is my current fav podi,your podi looking very tasty, loved all the pics. Love to have this podi with all South Indian breakfasts and rice but need ghee 🙂
Sujata Roy says
Congratulations Kalyani for your 9 year blog anniversary. Many more to come. Loved this podi recipe with bitter gourd. I think people who don't like bitter gourd also love this flavorful podi. Great with hot steamed rice and ghee.
preethi'scuisine says
We love Karela at home. I love this bitter gourd chutney powder. It is so delicious.
preethi'scuisine says
Hearty congrats on your blog anniversary!! Wish you all a very happy Anniversary!!
Poonam Bachhav says
I like bitter gourd but never tasted or made a chutney with it. Your video sounds very simple to follow. Would definitely love trying it.