Bittergourd

I remember,  while i was in college, there was this advertisement in a local paper for a recipe with Bittergourd / karela in Hindi. I very excitedly told my mom, I,  would send one of  her  popular Gojju recipe, and almost envisioned myself being the prize winner..!.

I,  typed out the recipe using an old fashioned typewriter.. .....technology has  sure come a very long way !...checked spellings, ingredients and recipe.  Put into an envelope, sealed it with a good luck mantra  and kept it on my desk,  all set to mail.

 After a couple of months  I very disappointingly told my mom,  perhaps there were better recipes out there and we should quit thinking about the contest.  Later that evening as I got to cleaning my desk I saw the envelope safely tucked away in a dark little corner looking at me oh! so sadly!

I was surprised and as shocked as a deer seeing headlights!

When MJ and I spotted some fresh bittergourd last week, we decided then,  it would end up as my mom's gojju, for sure. So here is the recipe all neatly typed again, but, definitely getting posted  this time!!

Ingredients;

Bittergourd /karela
Seeded and diced into small bite size pieces

To grind to a fine paste:

Coconut grated -fresh or frozen -1 cup
Red Chillies-5
Salt to taste
Mustard seeds-1/2 tsp
turmeric /haldi
rice flour - 1 tsp
for thickening the gravy.

For tadka/seasoning:

Oil-1tbsp
Mustard seeds- 1tsp
Asoefitida/hing- a pinch
Curry leaves-2/3

Others:

Tamarind pulp-2 tbsp
Jaggery-2 tbsp

 Heat a pan,add oil and then mustard seeds,once it splutters,add hing and curry leaves.Add the diced karela  and saute. add a pinch of salt and jaggery  and the tamarind pulp with haldi,  cover and cook till soft .
Once the karela is soft and tender, add the ground masala paste to it,  mix well and let it simmer well.

Serve this bittersweet gojju  over steaming  hot rice with a tsp of peanut oil.

                                                                         simply divine!