Traditionally in Tamil Nadu, India, bitter gourd/melon (pavaakai/karela) is used to make Puli Kulambu ( a tangy tamarind based curry), but my husband is not a big fan it so I decided to make a Kurma out of it. I used Chinese bitter melon, which is softer and less bitter than the Indian variety. This Kurma tastes great with plain white rice, idly, dosai and chapathi
Ingredients:
- Bitter gourd - 1 or 2, chopped into small pieces
- Oil - 2 Tblspn
- Onion - 1, chopped
- Tomato - 1 Chopped
- Cinnamon stick - 2
- Cloves - 5
- Ginger garlic paste - 1 1/2 Tsp
- Salt - to taste
- Chili Powder - to taste
- Coriander powder - 2 Tblspn
- Tamarind extract - 1 tblspn (or more if you like it to be more tangy)
- Coconut milk - 1 cup
Steps:
- Prepare the bitter gourd - Cut them length wise and scrape off the seeds in the middle. Discard the seeds and chop the bitter gourd into small pieces. Soak them in salted water until ready to cook. This step helps reduce the bitterness of the gourd.
- Heat oil in a wok or sauce pan.
- When hot, add the cinnamon stick, cloves, onions and half of the salt and sauté well.
- When the onion is slightly cooked, add the ginger garlic paste and sauté until the raw smell of the ginger garlic paste is gone.
- Now add the chopped tomatoes and sauté well.
- When the tomatoes are half cooked, add the bitter gourd and sauté well (Just the bitter gourd, not the salted water it was soaking in).
- When the tomatoes are fully cooked, add the chili powder, coriander powder and rest of the salt and sauté well. Add in splash of water, if it starts sticking to the bottom or if the mixture is too dry and thick.
- Sauté till the raw smell of the spices are gone.
- Now add the tamarind extract. Add half cup or more of water to cover all the bitter gourd. Let it boil well and then simmer for 10 mins or until the bitter gourd is fully cooked.
- Now add the coconut milk or ground coconut, stir well, and let it boil for 2 mins. At this point you can add more water, if the Kurma is too thick.
- Switch off heat and garnish with coriander leaves.
